Crossing a stream in flash flood
- Thread starter Dave Decker
- Start date
Member III
No way. That arroyo reminded me of Bold Overland sinking their Taco in one in this vid.
I agree with those above. The only way I would take a vehicle across one would be after loading it in this.
There's no way I'd attempt it.
It still amazes me that a lot of people just don't understand how much power water has. I've seen trucks get pushed sideways in relatively shallow water that wasn't moving anywhere close to what was shown.
It still amazes me that a lot of people just don't understand how much power water has. I've seen trucks get pushed sideways in relatively shallow water that wasn't moving anywhere close to what was shown.
And here's the rest of the story...
We waited for about three hours to see if the water would go down substantially. It did not. We ended up hiking out seven miles to the nearest ranch house where we stayed the night, then went back two days later to retrieve vehicles. We were prepared to spend the night (we had food, shelter etc., for just these circumstances), but had zero communication with the outside world and since the hike out was fairly straight forward, we decided it was worth the effort to let loved ones know why we'd been delayed. This is one of those situations where a Delorme InReach would have come in handy!
We waited for about three hours to see if the water would go down substantially. It did not. We ended up hiking out seven miles to the nearest ranch house where we stayed the night, then went back two days later to retrieve vehicles. We were prepared to spend the night (we had food, shelter etc., for just these circumstances), but had zero communication with the outside world and since the hike out was fairly straight forward, we decided it was worth the effort to let loved ones know why we'd been delayed. This is one of those situations where a Delorme InReach would have come in handy!
That's exactly what I was worried would happen! That's why I didn't do it. Even though I could tell some folks in my party were disappointed with my decision, nobody challenged it.
Pathfinder I
Nah...I'll drive around or wait it out....Always carry 10 gallons of water and 2 weeks of emergency food in my Rover....I can wait till it subsides!
Pathfinder I
FYI, SPOT messengers are also good family notifiers. My Mom is 70+ and goes Overlanding with her dog in her modified Jeep. I can track her remotely & she can send basic msgs, i.e. OK, Need Assistance, S.O.S./Need help. A great way to reassure family. I can even zoom in on her campsite via Google Earth. The tracking does cost about $100/yr and there is an additional Search & Rescue Insurance that is optional if you want it. My mom also has a PLB(Personal Locator Beacon) she keeps on her person when out of the Jeep. Those are monitored by NORAD just like EPIRBs on ships and black boxes on airplanes. Hopefully will never need it but a good insurance policy if you do.
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Pathfinder I
As to flash floods. I think experience with them is the best educator. People living outside of desert areas just don't see flowing water over roads the way those in the SW do. That said, we were driving down remote slot canyons off the Burr trail SW of Boulder, UTon Sept 15th, 2015. No radio or communication of any kind but, in the afternoon, we saw the sky looked threatening in the distance & turned around as we realized rain might be happening in the drainage above us. It was a nervous couple of hours working our way back. I kept eyeing the adjacent benches in case I had to run the Jeep up on one. In the end, I don't think that slot got hit but it was the right decision. Over 20 people in canyon country died that afternoon, including some canyoneers & some locals from Hilldale who really should have known better.
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My 2c on SPOT vs InReach on another thread:
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/index.php?posts/145514&share_tid=9364&share_fid=1030797&share_type=t&share_pid=145514
Enviado desde mi SM-T820 mediante Tapatalk
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/index.php?posts/145514&share_tid=9364&share_fid=1030797&share_type=t&share_pid=145514
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Pathfinder I
Formatting got whacked on your post.
SPOT works well in many areas, but best to know before you go. Dont trust their coverage map...its marketting material and not accurate.
InReach has a track feature too. And is integrated with an online map. Also has a ping function so someone could ping it to get your location. And it supports device to device messaging...which is handy for keeping in contact w others who have an InReach...like if you go off solo exploring for the day or plan to meet up somewhere remote.
Havent fooled w PLBs much. Ive got EPIRBs for offshore.
SPOT works well in many areas, but best to know before you go. Dont trust their coverage map...its marketting material and not accurate.
InReach has a track feature too. And is integrated with an online map. Also has a ping function so someone could ping it to get your location. And it supports device to device messaging...which is handy for keeping in contact w others who have an InReach...like if you go off solo exploring for the day or plan to meet up somewhere remote.
Havent fooled w PLBs much. Ive got EPIRBs for offshore.
Time may be responsible for more deaths than we know. I think many who do foolish things and pay with their lives do so because they are trying to keep a schedule. This thread might be a wake up call to those of you who don't carry extra rations and water. It will go down slower than it rises, but it will go down. Patience.
Advocate III
After being sent to the Red River flood and seeing first hand the effects of water during other disaster relief missions over the last 32 years I would never ever risk it.
Never under estimate water.
Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk
Never under estimate water.
Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk
