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Show 232 Quicksand occurs at various places in the river and crossings were made in the riffles or on the gravel bars. They would pick out these places on foot mostly before they took the horses in. The water is heavily laden with silt and the horses wouldn't drink it if they could get water any place else. R. 582- 583. The country west of bluff generally is barren and desolate. During the first of the summer it is necessary to carry food for the horses because it is so dry. Supplies were obtained at Bluff, Utah. He crossed the river, he believes, a dozen times in the vicinity of Mexican Hat and the water would be around two feet where they crossed. It was above Mexican Hat where he crossed as there was a bridge near Mexican Hat and he also crossed near Moonlight Creek, he believes. It was about the first part of May and he made just one round trip at what he calls low water. He crossed on horse- back and the water would come up to the horse belly. R. 485. During the month of August there were heavy rains and cloudbursts and floods were experienced on Moonlight Creek. The water would come up high in a few minutes and subside again in a few hours. The channel of a San Juan River at Bluff, Utah, is about one quarter of a mile wide. In the canyon below Chinle Creek the channel is only about fifty to one hundred feet wide more or less, in places. The depth of the canyon is five hundred feet or more; the distance from rim to rim is one thousand feed. No supplies were taken by boats. R. 585- 587. |
