My mom got caught in quicksand! We were hiking in a desert canyon, walking in the ankle deep stream down the middle of it. Turns out when a sand bottom stream hits a rock wall and makes a left turn, the water is just churning around underground, turning the sand into quicksand.
She stepped in it and immediately went hip deep. I took her backpack off, and pulled her up by the arm until she came out. Luckily her hiking sandals came up with her! I had to pull her up so hard that by the next day she had a 4+1 bruise on her arm, you could see where I had gripped her with each individual finger.
I'm getting the sense that... if it was in fact technically quicksand, it was also abetted by a combination of something hard, helping to trap the leg in place. Otherwise I would have thought his leg could have been worked free. So maybe a rock, solid ground... something like that?
EDIT: Downvoted for asking a legit question. Thanks, Reddit! :D
I’ve never gotten stuck like this, but I’ve almost lost a shoe. Hard to convey if you’ve never experienced it before. One step you’re fine, next you’re up to your calf or knee.
Seen cows that get stuck to their belly’s and died.
Quicksand can have other objects in it. When I fell in some it was on the edge of a wall. The surface 1 foot to the left was solid sand under about a foot of water. On my next step I immediately stepped in up to my hip. Luckily the wall was smooth so I didn't get my foot stuck on anything like this poor guy. My partner had to pull me out. South Eastern Utah canyons are a real risk for quicksand.
Honestly, in this case, the problem wasn't the quicksand per se, but the temperature. He'd be in similar straights had this happened in a sinkhole of mud or water.
There should be a sign: "Warning, quicksand ahead! Yes we mean it. Really. Actual quicksand! OK fine go ahead, see if we care."
If anything, this would result in even more people getting stuck
taps on sign
All I'm saying is there are 3 types of guys in the world:
Those who learn by reading about it
Those who learn by being told about it
And those who absolutely have to walk up and pee on the electric fence themselves
That is absolutely shocking.
We have quicksand in the mudflats outside Anchorage. There is so much coast line that it’s impossible to put signs up. :(
Boomers pay good money for exactly that sort of thing.
(There was a weird quicksand trope in midcentury movies that sparked something in a lot of kids)
Exactly. Otherwise, they might mistake it for diarrhea.
https://old.reddit.com/r/CampingandHiking/comments/1pgxvt5/quicksand_trapped_me_on_the_hayduke_in_arches_np/?share_id=ePBWle95GP_izSL0fItX7 The hiker's comment with further particulars.
My mom got caught in quicksand! We were hiking in a desert canyon, walking in the ankle deep stream down the middle of it. Turns out when a sand bottom stream hits a rock wall and makes a left turn, the water is just churning around underground, turning the sand into quicksand.
She stepped in it and immediately went hip deep. I took her backpack off, and pulled her up by the arm until she came out. Luckily her hiking sandals came up with her! I had to pull her up so hard that by the next day she had a 4+1 bruise on her arm, you could see where I had gripped her with each individual finger.
That’s terrifying! I’m glad y’all had a happy ending!
Dude, gross. Thats his mom
Quick! Someone cash in on quicksand themed vids on pornhub!
Too late.
“Help step brother, I’m stuck in the quick sand. Do you have anything long and ropy I can hold on to with my mouth?
I'm getting the sense that... if it was in fact technically quicksand, it was also abetted by a combination of something hard, helping to trap the leg in place. Otherwise I would have thought his leg could have been worked free. So maybe a rock, solid ground... something like that?
EDIT: Downvoted for asking a legit question. Thanks, Reddit! :D
no. quicksand is colloidal. compressing it hardens it.
Probably not, quicksand is no joke.
I’ve never gotten stuck like this, but I’ve almost lost a shoe. Hard to convey if you’ve never experienced it before. One step you’re fine, next you’re up to your calf or knee.
Seen cows that get stuck to their belly’s and died.
In your opinion, is it plausible that his leg got stuck in a fixed position, and he couldn't pull it back out?
Yes
I even commented on his initial post and have hiked in that same area.
I’ve only gone to about my knee with one leg and had the other free. If you were to get both, would be much harder to pull out.
Okay, thanks! And wow... sounds terrifying.
I've done my share of hiking in different regions, but I guess they didn't have the type of sand to produce quicksand, fortunately.
Quicksand can have other objects in it. When I fell in some it was on the edge of a wall. The surface 1 foot to the left was solid sand under about a foot of water. On my next step I immediately stepped in up to my hip. Luckily the wall was smooth so I didn't get my foot stuck on anything like this poor guy. My partner had to pull me out. South Eastern Utah canyons are a real risk for quicksand.
I bet John Mulaney feels silly now.
I mean, not really.
Honestly, in this case, the problem wasn't the quicksand per se, but the temperature. He'd be in similar straights had this happened in a sinkhole of mud or water.
Did you read the ops post? A really experienced hiker in the Utah backcountry
This is a great example of why you should always carry a PLB while hiking solo.