Of course, there were thunderstorms on Sunday (and Saturday), but I'm wondering if something unusual happened in the Return Creek drainage to cause this much muddy runoff (landslide?), or if it's normal during heavy rainstorms for this creek.
(The other "odd" condition were some sand/mud-flows below the Return Creek bridge that completely obscured the trail for a few hundred feet with up to a foot of sand/mud--they almost looked like lava flowing over the ground, but were more like wet sand or even quicksand. I suspect that since this area had recently burned, the rains washed down now-bare topsoil...
Oh, and we encountered only two people between Pate Valley and Glen Aulin--I think the down-canyon travellers were holding back at Glen Aulin due to weather-related conditions (the lower part of the glen was flooded, as it was a month or so ago).
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2011 06:37PM by basilbop.