Strolling from #15 to the End

As we walked past the Anderson's cabin, Don and I commented that it could not be much worse.  How much more damage could be done?  After all, we had already seen the two bridges that were taken down at the Holt's and the Talbot's.  That's pretty bad.  And walking past Kelly's, the Horn's, the Conn's, and Ronnie Horn's the damage was about what we expected.

And then we saw the first issue.  The mess around the Reid's.  Early on, they had had a bad rockslide that had provided plenty of water in their cabin.  Chris had built a berm and a swale, however, that would divert the water, and it appeared to have worked.

But the bridge where the culverts are is gone.  The culverts are still there . . . just nothing on top of them.  It is a little tough to drive over this mess.

As we surveyed this area, Don noticed that the river above the culvert is now about four feet higher than it was.  It appears as if the culverts slowed the water enough to leave some of the rocks above them.  It would be good if some of the rocks washed away, as the way the river is now, it could flood the road pretty easily.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

We are standing just off the culvert, looking up the river.  Notice how the river is now about even with the road.

The Percy, Johnson, Lowe, and Rumsey cabins all had water rushing around them.  I understand Chris has notified everyone if they had any damage.  But the most stunning of the effects of the fire and rain (cue James Taylor) was to come.

Back in the late 1960's, a little spring would occasionally run between the Lowe and Rumsey cabins.  My brother and I actually tried to climb to the top to find it, but the ravine was so covered up even back then, we could not get to it.  Over the years, the spring has run on occasion, and when I was doing my research for my book, I actually found a letter discussing the water rights of the spring.  But it did not appear to be a reliable source of water.

Fast forward to the seven-inch rain.  The ravine where the spring is located became a rushing torrent, as evidenced by this channel the water dug through the road.

Yes, this is a gully through the road.

Don is standing in the gully, looking up the road.  He is six feet tall . . . 

The Rumsey's pump house . . . well, the poor thing.  It has been hit by two trees in the past few years, and now this.

Yes, that is dirt and rock piled inside.

The rest of the walk up the canyon was more of the same.  The road was no worse for wear, but the stream was certainly different.

The bridge at the Birdsong's gate.

Between the bridge and the Weaver's . . . note the erosion on the bank.  This is looking down the Canyon.

We have other pictures but they are not dramatically different.  The effects of the water, combined with the defoliation of the hillside, have changed the Canyon permanently.  For us oldsters, it will take some getting used to.  For all of us, it is the new normal.

But there are reasons to hope.  And we have the pictures to prove it!