Several Utah families had more excitement than they bargained for last weekend. They were jeeping the Moab area when they decided to do the Hurrah Pass Trail. At the fork where Kane Creek Trail takes off to the left, the bubbling little creek beckoned, so they decided to go that way instead. The trail was fun and the three Jeeps were having no trouble with the numerous creek crossings.
The adults and kids piled out of the Jeeps to explore the area while Kevin Alsop, the owner of the JK, figured out what had happened. They didn't realize that a storm had dumped on the LaSal Mountains and the water was heading their way.
Upon hearing a gurgling and bubbling sound coming down the creek, one of the Dads yelled, "flash flood!", starting a frenzy of movement as adults rounded up kids and everyone climbed a nearby bank. A 3-foot wave of water came down the canyon and hit the Jeeps parked in the creek. A 3-foot flash flood was something to see, but no one expected what came next. There was a rumbling sound from upstream as a 5- to7-foot wall of water came rushing down, carrying boulders, trees, and dirt along with it. The embankment where everyone huddled was just high enough to ensure no one was washed away. The Jeeps didn't fare so well.
Kevin Alsop said, "We saw Brian's Jeep start toppling up and over mine . . ." and knew the Jeeps were in real trouble. Two of the Jeeps were destroyed, completely mangled by the flood, while the third suffered extensive damage.
Alsop praised Grand County S&R and the Utah Highway Patrol for their competence in extricating everyone. A UHP helicopter was able to land and pick up five people at a time. The kids thought this was awesome - one girl exclaiming about how she got to ride shotgun in the chopper.
What a close call! Kevin stated that if his JK hadn't stalled, everyone would have still been in their Jeeps heading up the trail and would have been caught in the flood. These families were sharp and made the best of a bad situation, preserving their lives.
This event reminds us to be careful when in deep canyons where flash floods are a danger and keep an eye out for escape routes in case of a flood. This particular flood came from miles away in the mountains. We need to remember that weather upstream can affect us, too.