What the Rain Might Present in a Canyon!?

[Bo_Beck]

The recent rain (hard) got me thinking about! This is a photo taken by a past District Backcountry Ranger at Zion, Cindy Purcell at the end of a hike we had done together as a SAR Team. We almost became the victims! Behunin flashed as we were leaving at the last drop. Believe it or not there are 2 guys simul rappeling about half way down under the torrent. I was underneath supplying a conditional belay. The wave came upon us all at once. The water was trying to wash me downstream, but my worries were greater than this. I wanted to see Tony and Karl get down safely and the amount of debris slamming around us was unreal! Anyhoo...tis the season! Monsoon!

[DiscGo]

Wow. That is so cool. Isn't it amazing how powerfully awesome nature is?

[Felicia]

Yikes!

How much warning did you have?

[abirken]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think my heart just stopped briefly looking at this photo and reading the description. INCREDIBLE!!!!

[ratagonia]

Here's a pic from the narrows, a few days ago. My friends got out just in time...

[ratagonia]

Here's a pic from the narrows, a few days ago. My friends got out just in time...

let me try again...

[Bo_Beck]

Yikes!

How much warning did you have?

Felicia, I must admit that we had made a very bad decision that day. Cheto Olais, and Cindy Purcell had just arrived at the park to take their new positions as Chief Ranger and District Backcountry Ranger. They both wanted to join the SAR Team on our monthly training to see what we did. The team decided it would be better for them to get a glimpse of their own park. Behunin was chosen as a good way to see a bit of the park. Now here comes the, shall I say "Humbling" part. "Chance of rain.....70%!!!!! We went for it. It didn't start raining until the 3rd to last drop, but by the 2nd to last drop the sky fell out. We immediately simul rappeled to move the 9 of us as quickly as possible. On the last drop I went down 2-3rd and opted to remain underneath and belay 4-9 as they descended. Everyone else as they came down went up the side of the rock (left side as facing the cliff) and get out of the way of an eminent flash. As I stood under the rappel belaying it was raining violently and there was a waterfall coming down from Majestic (right side as I was facing the cliff) and it was mostly just a violent mist, but deafening. Karl and Tony had just started down (last 2) and had gotten down maybe 50' when all of a sudden the noise stopped and I looked up to see a massive wall of water shoot out almost horizontally and then start falling vertically. It was eerie as the noise increased, the sky darkened and then the wall of water hit the rock above me and then started filling up the chasm where I was standing. It got up to my waist and began tugging me away so I stepped to higher ground and saw Karl and Tony zipping down just above. Logs, rocks and all sort of debris was slamming around us. They disconnected and we jumped up on the rocks and out of the onslaught.

Now...Behunin doesn't have a particularly huge watershed, but if it rains hard enough it will flash HUGE!

In answer to your question: We had 6 hours of warning before the FLASH, but chose to ignore it. If we had been 10 minutes slower we might not be?

This photo shows the waterfall from Majestic before the flash out of Behunin. Look closely and you may be able to see Karl and Tony up top and the ropes hanging.

[Pubalz]

Crazy, Little to close for comfort for me. But cool pic's.

[Iceaxe]

Awesome pictures, thanks for sharing.

[trackrunner]

Awesome pictures, thanks for sharing.

and TR too.

[Bo_Beck]

Thank you for letting me show the pictures! Actually Cindy Purcell took the photos with a disposible camera and gave me a copy of the prints. She did an excellent job of capturing the moment!

Cindy and Cheto were great on the trip, but decided that we were a bit twisted! They were right. Needless to say we all learned a valuable lesson. No one was hurt, and we only lost several hundred feet of rope, a couple packs, a harness or two and got a dent or two in our egos! I have seen flash floods before; one that swept cars down the street in Albuquerque when I was a kid growing up, but I never saw one as sudden and violent as this one on that day in Behunin. The only other that I've seen (only in a newspaper photo) that really choked me, was a 1960's photo that a boy scout leader took in the Narrows of a 15' high wall of water that swept away and killed 3 boys.

[Felicia]

Bo, that was a very sobering tale. Thanks for taking the time to tell. I'm really glad you guys were ok.

The flood in the Subway last year really showed the damage that can be done to structures. We noticed this year that the houses are all repaired and the campground seems to be in full swing again. But seeing that destroyed bridge with the debris 25/30 feet off the floor is a caution sign.

How has the Subway been this week? Has anyone heard?

[Deathcricket]

OMG both the pics in this thread are awesome! I'm thinking I might just try to go up to Zion next flood just to witness it. From a safe distance of course..