Flash Flood, Capitol Gorge, Capitol Reef National Park, September 15, 2022

We hiked into Capitol Gorge in Capitol Reef National Park, with the weather forecast showing a 15% chance of rain. Capitol Gorge is basically a slot canyon, with one way in and one way out. As soon as we reached our destination, just under a mile into the gorge, the sky opened up and we spent the rest of the day trying to escape a flashflood. Everyone eventually made it out okay, but it was an adventure!

This is the first YouTube video I've ever produced, so apologies in advance for a few things: the audio is universally poor, and the video resolution is not as sharp as I wanted. Moreover, when you're in danger, you tend to be too busy to stop and take video. We did our best, but when things were REALLY bad, the cameras were not rolling, because we were too busy trying to survive. Consequently, some of the potentially best footage never got recorded.

This is my best effort to document what actually happened. I have profound gratitude and respect for the Park Rangers, who showed up at exactly the right time. In addition, all of the just-plain-folks involved were wonderful to work with in these trying circumstances. The successful escape of everyone in the gorge that day -- everyone who could have been victims -- required all of us selflessly working as a team, and I hope that this video adequately portrays the vital roles that everyone played at crucial moments. Unfortunately, I have to present the events from my own perspective (the only perspective I have), so I fear that I take a little too prominent role in the video.