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Kane Creek

JL Rockies

JL Rockies

Binders Fulla Expo
Location
Draper
Anyone have any idea how high the water levels are? I am concerned for my flatlander friends who plan to run the trail Sunday. I warned them that with all the snow and rain the water could be quite high.
 
BCGPER

BCGPER

Starting Another Thread
Location
Sunny Arizona
It's always low until the flash flood comes..... I've been trapped in there before. The last thing you want to have happen is "High water".

In our case, it was a pretty nice day. No rain, but cloudy to the south all day. We had just stopped for lunch. The kids were playing in the creek bed, and we were just shooting the breeze. Just your typical Moab day trip.

We noticed all sorts of strange bugs and crawdads start climbing out of the small water holes. Weird! Then, we heard the sounds of tumbling rocks, and trees breaking. I instantly thought rock slide, and started gazing at the cliffs above us. About then, a 6" deep wall of red muddy water came rushing down the creek bed. I thought cool, I've aways wanted to see a flash flood......


After what I would guess was less than one minute, large boulders, full trees, and about a four foot wall of water came roaring down the canyon. It's the one time I can honestly say I've left a trail in Moab, and willfully started knocking down trees with my bumper. We got to highish ground (you'll soon realize that canyon is very flat and surrounded by sheer cliffs), but that was as high as we could get.

We were nervous and scared the hell out of the kids, but the only option now was to start scaling the cliff walls by hand and leave the rigs to fend for themselves. Ater maybe 10 minutes, which seemed like hours, the water receeded to the point I thought, being the tallest rig, I could cross the river (now) to higher ground on the other side. As I nosed into the stream bed, I didn't like the feeling. A friend tied his Jeep to the back of mine, just in case. I tried again, and the water was just lapping over my hood, and running through both open doors of my CJ on 35's. The front end started slipping sideways downstream, semi-floating I guess?. My buddy yanked me back out, and there we sat till nearly sunset, some 6 hours later.

Around sunset, we started driving out and got to town around 10 pm. The water would lap into my doors most of the way, and the wife's XJ on 33's had water marks up to the mirrors. That trail is hard when the rocks are submurged. We spent most of the evening high centered on stuff that we never saw comming. We were VERY lucky that the weather was pretty hot.

My advice would be, respect that canyon and if there's water stay out of there! Just for the record. we never got a drop of rain on us the entire day so ya never know.


JL Rockies said:
Anyone have any idea how high the water levels are? I am concerned for my flatlander friends who plan to run the trail Sunday. I warned them that with all the snow and rain the water could be quite high.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Greg

Greg

I run a tight ship... wreck
Admin
Location
Grand Junction, CO
BCGPER said:
It's always low until the flash flood comes..... I've been trapped in there before. The last thing you want to have happen is "High water".

In our case, it was a pretty nice day. No rain, but cloudy to the south all day. We had just stopped for lunch. The kids were playing in the creek bed, and we were just shooting the breeze. Just your typical Moab day trip.

We noticed all sorts of strange bugs and crawdads start climbing out of the small water holes. Weird! Then, we heard the sounds of tumbling rocks, and trees breaking. I instantly thought rock slide, and started gazing at the cliffs above us. About then, a 6" deep wall of red muddy water came rushing down the creek bed. I thought cool, I've aways wanted to see a flash flood......


After what I would guess was less than one minute, large boulders, full trees, and about a four foot wall of water came roaring down the canyon. It's the one time I can honestly say I've left a trail in Moab, and willfully started knocking down trees with my bumper. We got to highish ground (you'll soon realize that canyon is very flat and surrounded by sheer cliffs), but that was as high as we could get.

We were nervous and scared the hell out of the kids, but the only option now was to start scaling the cliff walls by hand and leave the rigs to fend for themselves. Ater maybe 10 minutes, which seemed like hours, the water receeded to the point I thought, being the tallest rig, I could cross the river (now) to higher ground on the other side. As I nosed into the stream bed, I didn't like the feeling. A friend tied his Jeep to the back of mine, just in case. I tried again, and the water was just lapping over my hood, and running through both open doors of my CJ on 35's. The front end started slipping sideways downstream, semi-floating I guess?. My buddy yanked me back out, and there we sat till nearly sunset, some 6 hours later.

Around sunset, we started driving out and got to town around 10 pm. The water would lap into my doors most of the way, and the wife's XJ on 33's had water marks up to the mirrors. That trail is hard when the rocks are submurged. We spent most of the evening high centered on stuff that we never saw comming. We were VERY lucky that the weather was pretty hot.

My advice would be, respect that canyon and if there's water stay out of there! Just for the record. we never got a drop of rain on us the entire day so ya never know.
Click to expand...

Wow, great description BC! Thanks for writing that up, I've always thought it would be kind of cool to see a flash flood while in Moab, but at a safe distance. This makes me think twice.
 
Stephen

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
Location
Never Far From Nowhere
I remember my second trip to Moab with my Dad in '94. Stock Samurai tin top on 215's. We came up to one of the creek crossings and the full sized Bronco in front of us went through and kept going down, down and down. My Dad said, "Roll up the windows." As we approached the water my Dad gave it some speed to get a bow wake going, but the water was still up to the windsheild wipers. We made it through with no problem. The trail leader got on the CB and asked if the "Little Sami" had made it through. My Dad of course replied with something along the lines of, "Did you really think we would have a problem?" They called him the U-Boat captain for the rest of the trail. :)
Kane Creek is one of my favorite trails down there.
 
R

rholbrook

Well-Known Member
Location
Kaysville, Ut
09' EJS a group lost two jeeps to a flash flood in Kane Creek. The pictures ate on a thread here but that was from a storm. Normal runoff you should be fine unless it is really warm for a couple days in a row
 
turbohaulic

turbohaulic

I don't know it just is!
Location
Hyde Park, UT
Stephen said:
I remember my second trip to Moab with my Dad in '94. Stock Samurai tin top on 215's. We came up to one of the creek crossings and the full sized Bronco in front of us went through and kept going down, down and down. My Dad said, "Roll up the windows." As we approached the water my Dad gave it some speed to get a bow wake going, but the water was still up to the windsheild wipers. We made it through with no problem. The trail leader got on the CB and asked if the "Little Sami" had made it through. My Dad of course replied with something along the lines of, "Did you really think we would have a problem?" They called him the U-Boat captain for the rest of the trail. :)
Kane Creek is one of my favorite trails down there.
Click to expand...

That's a good story:) I've seen vids of them little samy's almost completely submerged in water still truckin along:rofl:
 
R

rholbrook

Well-Known Member
Location
Kaysville, Ut
Based on the weather forcast, Tuesday would be the day to avoid because of possible rain along with melting snow. Other than that, enjoy it. The best part in the end climbing up out of the canyon.
 
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