While hiking down Willow Gulch to Broken Bow Arch, I step off a small shelf and sink nearly to my waist in quicksand. My forward momentum throws me far enough that I am able to crawl out quickly. The mud quickly dries and leaves a red stain that never did wash out of my Levi’s (or my underwear). Next time, I resolved to stay on the trail.
[Note: Quicksand in the desert and canyons of the Southwest really isn’t as dangerous as it is made out to be in the movies. A person will actually float in quicksand just as you float in water. The greatest danger is getting too tired to worm your way out. Oh ya – the mud will stain everything so try to choose quicksand that matches your skin.]