Quicksand

One of the most difficult parts of our flashflood experience was dealing with the aftermath. As the flood passed through the canyon, it left debris in piles along the way. It also dumped loads of silt in areas where the river changed directions. As we were navigating our way downstream, I was in the lead, since I had been down the canyon before. At one point, we were on an elevated bench, and needed to get back down to the river since the bench was going to end. As I turned to head down the slope, I noted that the sand looked extremely wet. As soon as I stepped on it, my foot immediately began to sink. I took another step forward to keep my balance, and that foot sunk too. Within seconds, I was up to my waist in soupy mud, and continued to sink. I couldn't move my legs to extricate myself, so I immediately lay back onto my pack, hoping to distribute my weight more evenly. I don't know how far I would have sunk, but I didn't want to find out either. My dad rushed forward and grabbed my arm, while becoming partially submerged in the muck himself. My cousin Troy held out his walking stick, which I grabbed, and used to maneuver myself so that I was facing the group. With the help of my dad and cousins, I was able to climb out. As soon as it appeared that I was safe, Uncle Merlin snapped a picture:

Me, my dad, and Greg



After I got out, my uncle took another picture. This time you can see how deep I was in the sand.

It was a terrifying experience to say the least, and obviously became part of the novel. Yet for some reason, most readers assume it is one of the fictitious parts of the adventure. However, here's proof of its validity.