2022-01-24, 08:05 PM
If you go down Gower Gulch to the valley floor, you'd expect a gradual alluvial fan, but at the end there is an abrupt drop off. First time I went down (carrying my 3 yr old daughter on my back) on what was supposed to be a loop, having parked at Golden Canyon, I had an "Oh sh**" moment - I was going to get cliffed out! But there's a cute little ramp to the right so it is no problem. But my understanding is that the drop off is caused by recent erosion of Gower Gulch carrying much more water load now than what carved it in the first place. IIRC that cut out was intentional, as a "relief valve" from Furnace wash. Well it sure didn't work in the big flood some years ago that washed away the Zabriskie vault toilets, and tore out a bunch of the 190 pavement!