I spent some time in Cottonwood/Marble canyon this week. I climbed up to Cottonwood benchmark and took this photo half way up of the approaching clouds. There was possible rain in the forecast so I was trying to make quick time. The spot where the two light colored washes meet is where the junction for cottonwood/marble canyon roads is located.
![[Image: aqsoDtM.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/aqsoDtM.jpg)
I summited, got back to my vehicle, and just managed to drive to the furthest campsite in Marble canyon, M4, when the rain and thunder began. The upper marble canyon road was running with a good amount of water when I arrived. Probably a combination of snowmelt and rain from the day before. Once the rain began, it started running through my campsite, turning it into a mud puddle. The thunderstorm passed and the water level dropped again, so I felt OK to remain there for the night.
The next morning I began my hike to find a couple of old benchmarks up past dead horse canyon. It was a very wet and muddy hike. I can tell the water running through the canyon was all snowmelt because my feet were icicles in no time. This narrow section was knee deep and unavoidable.
![[Image: HxRHPI8.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/HxRHPI8.jpg)
By the time I returned back through the canyon in the afternoon, the water level had dropped so much it wasn't even flowing for the last few miles. The thirsty ground was absorbing it all, and I only had mud to deal with. As I drove out of marble canyon back to Stove Pipe Wells, I discovered the marble canyon road was completely gone from the previous day's flow. Good thing I had a vehicle that could handle it.
The first campsite, M1, was completely washed away and the sign was buried in the mud, snapped off at the base.
![[Image: EpdyyQS.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/EpdyyQS.jpg)
Note, the campsite was not located in the nice flat sandy spot that is just out of the wash. That area is off limits. The choices the NPS made for these designated campsites confuse me. There are so many good places to setup campsites that are not directly in the path of flash floods or small rain events like this one, while still being close to the wash and not in the "wilderness." They could even keep the campsites in the wash but put them on inside bends where they're less likely to get destroyed. I assume they have reasons for placing them where they have, I just don't know what they are.
Needless to say, Marble/Cottonwood is closed at the moment.
I summited, got back to my vehicle, and just managed to drive to the furthest campsite in Marble canyon, M4, when the rain and thunder began. The upper marble canyon road was running with a good amount of water when I arrived. Probably a combination of snowmelt and rain from the day before. Once the rain began, it started running through my campsite, turning it into a mud puddle. The thunderstorm passed and the water level dropped again, so I felt OK to remain there for the night.
The next morning I began my hike to find a couple of old benchmarks up past dead horse canyon. It was a very wet and muddy hike. I can tell the water running through the canyon was all snowmelt because my feet were icicles in no time. This narrow section was knee deep and unavoidable.
By the time I returned back through the canyon in the afternoon, the water level had dropped so much it wasn't even flowing for the last few miles. The thirsty ground was absorbing it all, and I only had mud to deal with. As I drove out of marble canyon back to Stove Pipe Wells, I discovered the marble canyon road was completely gone from the previous day's flow. Good thing I had a vehicle that could handle it.
The first campsite, M1, was completely washed away and the sign was buried in the mud, snapped off at the base.
Note, the campsite was not located in the nice flat sandy spot that is just out of the wash. That area is off limits. The choices the NPS made for these designated campsites confuse me. There are so many good places to setup campsites that are not directly in the path of flash floods or small rain events like this one, while still being close to the wash and not in the "wilderness." They could even keep the campsites in the wash but put them on inside bends where they're less likely to get destroyed. I assume they have reasons for placing them where they have, I just don't know what they are.
Needless to say, Marble/Cottonwood is closed at the moment.