07/28/2024
I call this anomaly my "Irish Croc of Aurum", the hole below my feet is to my chest, so about 5 feet with the water displacement when I dip into the hole and try to collect material off the bottom. It's very uniquely challenging. The water coming in swirls with a swift current underneath the surface. So you say, "Chris hold your breath and just go under. "
Good idea, glad you thought of that it seems that easy accept the walls narrow down and about 2 feet below the walls are more narrow. More narrow than my shoulders. I tried sliding down sideways, upside down, I followed a salamander and nearly drown. This little hole has been a mental obsession for over 2 years. A fellow with knowledge of "The Fever" says I'm coming down with something...
The creek is fed from a aquifer with the mountain above, and chilled with the snow pack. The majority of that is on a south eastern which is now melted from this side has been gone and the water temp isn't so frosty thanks to a few extremely hot weather. The forecast is calling for 100° again this week. It's remote, 40 minute drive from the closest gas station, virtually no cell signal in the steep ravines and most of this creek is cut 40 below the floor. It's an amazing stair case of shallow pools and bedrock.
So this week I travel into the heart of darkness, I climb the sacred mountain, I search for the treasure of Sierra Madre cause there are no badges for those mountain police... LOL check your movie and novel references while I'm gone, and I'll share more as I get ready to go.
