Reports: Tents trapped Boy Scouts during deadly flash flood

[Ned Flanders]

2. It really can happen that quickly

I've spent a fair amount of time in the California/Nevada deserts. I enjoy camping in really remote areas, involving 4x4 low kinds of "roads." I'm comfortable going solo out there, not concerned about snakes or bugs or serial killers or any of the other typical fears.

But unsettled weather does get me perched on the edge of my seat. The storms in this area can be small and isolated to a relatively small geographic area, but still dump a ton of water. And since there's little vegetation and so much hardrock, that rain can accumulate and run downhill pretty damn fast. I have personally been driving up a gully without any rain, just a big dark cloud over a nearby summit, and encountered several inches of water coming at me. Seen it when on foot, too, although while in the car was the scariest, because who knows how much water water was behind that little frontal wave. Plus the water can turn the gully into quicksand. But I digress.

When you're snug and warm in your waterproof goose down bag, listening to the rain, hmmm, some of us love being lulled to sleep that way. It's also easy to underestimate an 18" wide creek.

But, yes, an experienced canyoneer should've been aware of the danger. Who knows what other factors were involved? Did they have to risk a prolonged section of even more dangerous canyon before they could reach the next safe area? Were they already exhausted after a long day? IDK, but this does happen periodically.