Desert "Warsh"
Here's a pic of a desert wash, sometimes referred to as a "warsh" by the old timers. Nothing too fancy about it, just a place where the rain runs off the hills and makes it's way to the low land areas. But....these are deceptive! They make great short cuts across the desert (provided you have 4 wheel-drive) but many people have lost their lives camping in them. They think the soft sand makes a good sleeping area and the washes' walls shelter you from the winds.
But if it rains even miles away up in the mouintains, these can become raging rivers in seconds....
The first sign you'll get is when you look up and see a tumbling wall of mud, rocks and debris bulldozing down the wash straight at you. You might not even hear the thunder of the storm that produced it, but the water will cascade down these narrow channels with incredible force. I've known of three people that have died out here in the past five years because they ignored the warnings.
...And seeing trees and bushes growing in the wash is no sign that it won't happen again. Things grow real fast in the desert after a rain, so the last storm surge could of been just a short time ago. So be careful!
DB
Posted: Thursday 10th November 2005, 3:33 PM
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