We'd been getting a lot of rain around here lately, well, a lot for the Wind River Canyon.  In the canyon we get just over fourteen inches of precipitation or so a year, so most of the time it's quite dry; and highly flammable.  I'd heard of the devastating risks of mudslides from an old sage, long gone.  He told me, in the early 50's, it came down through the little valley I live and took two trout ponds, outbuildings, cabins, vehicles and threw it all into the Wind River below; he suggested our home would be destroyed someday!   

     We fear forest fires for sure, but I knew the risks of mudslides could be a real scary story; and last Sunday the rain started to fall from the proverbial bucket.  It was rain in a deluge like we seldom ever see in this part of Wyoming.  I was watching the baseball game on our home theater, and even being in the middle of Coors Field I could hear the mountains start to move!  I lost the satellite signal about the time I looked out the window, and felt the earth shake a little as I saw large sections of the canyon's green face being sent down to the railroad line and into the river.  I slipped on my shoes and hoodie and ran out into the pouring rain to see Mother Nature's anger.

     By the time I got back inside I was soaked to the bone and cold.  A quick shower later I felt Wind River Canyon MudslideOne of the Mudslides in the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming. better and was gazing out my west bedroom window at the devastation.  It was difficult to comprehend and process it all, when a huge chocolate waterfall started coming from the cliffs right across the Wind River from my vantage point!  I hope I never forget my first thoughts last Sunday, "I can't believe I'm going to see this."  

     And down the mountain came!  Mud and water and boulders the size of apartments came rushing down the canyon towards my direction!  It sounded like being too close to a train, and the sound of Niagara Falls.  The ground beneath my feet shook like some kind of staccato earthquake, I've felt two, and my heart raced.  I couldn't imagine I was seeing this in real time; it seemed impossible.  But now I really understand the look on people faces who have lived to see such things.  And the mud flowed with the destruction of a war.  

     I hiked alone down to the river in the pouring rain again.  As I looked at the new island, it somehow seemed so impossible looking so far up.  The train tracks were destroyed and twisted like spaghetti, the railroad ties floating in the Wind River.  I felt soggy and cold, but lucky that it wasn't me floating in the fast flowing river, the assorted brown mud colors being carried north to Thermopolis twelve mile away. Wind River Canyon Mudslide, WyomingDetail of Wind River Canyon Mudslide @ Train Tracks, Wyoming.

     By the time I finally made it back to our place, I'd learned the Wind River Canyon was closed by many mudslides, and my wife was now trapped in town.  Our little Woods Creek that runs through our yard had turned into a raging, dangerous torrent; our house-on-a-hill was spared; the creek is a real mess and cleanup will be a nightmare.  

     As a very wise and kind musician sang long ago, "All things must pass."  Five days later the Sun is shining and I have many beautiful nesting Orioles, and two different species of Hummingbirds (Broad-tailed & Black-chinned Hummingbirds) on our four nectar feeders; the birds are singing, and the dozen Lazuli Buntings look like animated turquoise jewelry as they eat the birdseed they love, and I'm still here writing about this magical Wind River Canyon; the video below was shot in the rain, hand held early the next morning, Memorial Day.  If your bandwidth and equipment can handle 1080p, go for it and turn up the volume! Video of the Aftermath-Wind River Canyon MudslidesA video of the devastation from the mudslides in the Wind River Canyon.        I've had quite enough rain now, thank you; I know a lot of you have.  And twenty-first century technology, and hard work, opened the road Wednesday afternoon, and the first freight train came very slowly through just this morning.  We've already fixed a couple of waterfalls on our creek that my very hard-of-seeing father landscaped a long, long time ago; they can never look the same again.  I guess that Mother Nature just needed to rearrange the furniture.

     Next week we go back to the beautiful nesting birds of the Wind River Canyon.  Be safe and love each other.  

Writing, Website, Photography, Videography and All that Jazz by Michael John Balog.

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