That sinking feeling

Hmmm... this sand is questionable...

It looked for all the world like normal wet sand, but something wasn’t quite right. It was probably the way it rippled and jiggled like Jell-O when our steps landed on it. Right there in Seven Mile Wash, just upstream of the large boulder, the sand-to-water ratio reached that particular magical number that allows super-saturation to occur and the sand to have its famous can’t-hold-you-up-any-more qualities.

This is the moment I realize I may be in trouble. At least my left foot.

I wouldn’t let my left foot sink too far before I retreated in these photos. My right foot was barely sinking, so I assume quicksand conditions can vary in the same location. Dare I admit: it was fun to play in.

You can refresh your memory about the hydrodynamics of quicksand in this post from last year, which also has a most entertaining video of Bear Grylls getting out of Moab quicksand.