Western Railroad Discussion > An Afton Canyon Report

I had the pleasure of driving through Afton Canyon once again yesterday. The Union Pacific's Los Angeles and Salt Lake line runs though the length of the canyon to get from Yermo and the Mannix Valley to the Soda Lake Basin, Kelso, and eventually Las Vegas. The last several years, getting into the canyon has been a bit of an adventure since the river fords had gotten so deep. However, this past winter brought a very large flow to the Mojave River. The whole river bed has been reworked, a lot of brush and reeds have been cleared out, and the big holes in the fords have been filled in with fresh sand! Here is a photo of the ford by the BLM campground at the head of the canyon.

(photo 1 of 7)

---

The flood also tried to reprise the event of March 2, 1938, but only manged to move a little rip-rap from the northeast wing wall of the UP's Second Mojave River Crossing bridge.

(photo 2 of 7)

---

However, the river did something interesting - it revealed the ruins of the old pre-1938 bridge abutment and wingwall at the Second Mojave River Crossing bridge by the campground. This bridge was completely swept away in the flood of March 2, 1938. Part of the redesign to prevent such events from recurring was to move the bridge abutements out of the stream bed. A good photo of the damaged bridge taken after the 1938 flood is on page 126 of Signor's "The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad Company", and shows how the eastern bridge abutment stood well away from the hill with an earth fill leading out to it. Flood water in 1938 got around behind the wing wall and washed away the fill, precipitating the bridge failure.

Here is an overall view of the bridge. You can just make out the fact that the stream bed changes elevation beneath the bridge. The flood this year washed out the river bed between the remains of the old abutment and the current one. I'll show a closeup in the next photo.

---

Here is a view looking downstream toward the east abutment of the bridge. In the foreground, there is a lumpy area of concrete that is the remains of the old abutment. It looks like it was dynamited down to stream bed level to make room for the new bridge in 1938.

(Photo 4 of 7)

---

When you look at the other side of the old abutment, you see the river has washed away the sand for several feet and has revealed the old concrete forms used when the abutment was built in 1903-04. The wood has been preserved for over a century beneath the sand, and even survived the flood of 1938.

(Photo 5 of 7)

---

Here is another view, showing the old abutment with the southeast wingwall keyed into the hill. This end survived 1938, but the end that stuck out away from the hill did not.

(Phot 6 of 7)

---

And, of course, that bridge actually does carry trains, and isn't just an example of interesting civil engineering practice. Here's one with wings on the nose - wings over the wingwall, if you will pardon he expression.

(Photo 7 of 7)

But as a final note: the drive through the canyon was wonderful. If you haven't been into Afton Canyon, the colored rocks that make up the canyon walls are simply spectacular. And with the recent improvement in the condition of the river fords, the road has not been in as good condition at any time in the past twenty years as it is right now. If you have been thinking about a trip to Afton, now is the time to go. There is water on the surface a little more than halfway down the canyon, and the brush has been cleared out of the canyon bottom, making some really good photo angles possible. Think yellow power against a host of background rock colors ranging from white to rust, purple, yellow and brown. It's a place not to miss. I saw folks in there with light pickups, and you don't need 4WD if you avoid the sand blows and quicksand holes. I got the 4Runner into a soft quicksand hole and had a bit of a time getting out by rocking back and forth between foreward and reverse, but you can avoid those by staying out of the river bed between the fords.

- Kit

---

thanks Kit, makes me want to get out there soon.....

What's the best way to get there, and is the BLM campground accesable if you're towing a trailer. Gotta stay close to home with the gas prices. I'd be comeing in from Mojave. Thanks, Jeff

CimaScrambler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I had the pleasure of driving through Afton Canyon
> once again yesterday. (snip-snip) The whole river
> bed has been reworked, a lot of brush and reeds
> have been cleared out, and the big holes in the
> fords have been filled in with fresh sand! Here
> is a photo of the ford by the BLM campground at
> the head of the canyon.
>


Those holes in the fords almost swallowed my Chevrolet
truck (an HD2500 no less). We took water over the bow,
I mean over the hood !! Image is from summer of 2004.

What about the eastern most crossing ??

Did you run clear thru the canyon ??

~ ~ ~

-al

---

anaheim-al Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CimaScrambler Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I had the pleasure of driving through Afton
> Canyon
> > once again yesterday. (snip-snip) The whole
> river
> > bed has been reworked, a lot of brush and
> reeds
> > have been cleared out, and the big holes in
> the
> > fords have been filled in with fresh sand!
> Here
> > is a photo of the ford by the BLM campground
> at
> > the head of the canyon.
> >
>
>
> Those holes in the fords almost swallowed my
> Chevrolet
> truck (an HD2500 no less). We took water over the
> bow,
> I mean over the hood !! Image is from summer of
> 2004.
>
> What about the eastern most crossing ??
>
> Did you run clear thru the canyon ??
>
> ~ ~ ~
>
> -al


Hey AL ,

Looks Like you need a Ford , because my Ford Expedition
made it thru fine .

A set of Surfliner equipment sure would look nice on that bridge!

UP4526 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> anaheim-al Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > CimaScrambler Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I had the pleasure of driving through
> Afton
> > Canyon
> > > once again yesterday. (snip-snip) The
> whole
> > river
> > > bed has been reworked, a lot of brush
> and
> > reeds
> > > have been cleared out, and the big holes
> in
> > the
> > > fords have been filled in with fresh
> sand!
> > Here
> > > is a photo of the ford by the BLM
> campground
> > at
> > > the head of the canyon.
> > >
> >
> >
> > Those holes in the fords almost swallowed my
> > Chevrolet
> > truck (an HD2500 no less). We took water
> over the
> > bow,
> > I mean over the hood !! Image is from summer
> of
> > 2004.
> >
> > What about the eastern most crossing ??
> >
> > Did you run clear thru the canyon ??
> >
> > ~ ~ ~
> >
> > -al
>
>
> Hey AL ,
>
> Looks Like you need a Ford , because my Ford
> Expedition
> made it thru fine .

So did his Chevy... This photo was taken when he was moving through it.

Chris

It's been since the spring of 1969 after another real big rain year that I was through
Afton Canyon. I'm too far away to go anytime soon. So, thank-you for making these
photos available.

You are right about the scouring! The water worked better than any bulldozer.
It is strange the old stuff floods can uncover. I wonder if the UP had any nailbiting
moments during the height of the this flood season? Looks like they did their homework
after 1938.

Thanks again.

Chief409 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What's the best way to get there, and is the BLM
> campground accesable if you're towing a trailer.
> Gotta stay close to home with the gas prices. I'd
> be comeing in from Mojave. Thanks, Jeff

From the west end, exit I-15 at Afton Road. It is three to four miles of very good dirt road into the campground from the end of pavement at the freeway. You can get a trailer into the campground, but there is one stretch where the road climbs up the bluff beside the river where some people have trouble getting out. The bluff has a lot of cobble stones, and when people spin their tires making the climb up the hill the cobbles can work loose, leaving holes and loose gravel behind. At the moment, the road is in good shape, but I've seen it where that steep part gets all chuck holed, making the trip uphill a bit dicey. There were folks with trailers and RVs at the campground this past weekend. At the moment, I don't think you would have a problem, but I recommend you stop at the top and give it your own critical review before you go down it on the way in.

To answer other questions: The ford by the Third Crossing bridge east of old Afton Siding was in very good shape too. The ford by Basin siding below the east end of the canyon was OK, as the water isn't on the surface down there, but there were a few sand blows to cross that might give the inexperienced person pause or cause the unlucky to get stuck. Good sand driving technique should work: Keep the front wheels straight, get up some speed first, and then just try to float through the sandy area using as little throttle as possible. If you spin the drive wheels, you are done, so go light on the throttle! But with that precaution in mind, the rest of the road out to the Basin Road exit of I-15 was in good shape, as well as lined with desert wildflowers!

Yes, we went all the way through the canyon and stopped at a couple of places to take in the view. We followed the tire tracks out onto the sandy bottom of the canyon in a couple of places, but if you do that be careful to look for those quicksand holes downstream from big rocks. I made the mistake of stopping in one, as I said before. The sand looks firm but isn't, and the tires sank in several inches before I reaized I'd stopped in the wrong place. You will need a shovel if you spin your tires in a place like that!

One other thing: If you have never been to Spooky Canyon, it is worth a visit. There is a railroad bridge over a wash that comes out of the north wall of the canyon near milepost 194.6 (if memory serves correctly). Go up the slot canyon beyond the bridge and be prepared to be amazed!

The ford at the campground was that reworked by the BLM or UP or the river?

That's the first time I've ever seen it without a foot of water or so, even in mid summer (hardrock layer prevents the underground water flow.)

I'ld stay out of the canyon riverbed until I was sure that the flow was down deep enough and then only with 4wd.

Last time we went up spooky canyon there was a guy camping up there,said ok to go on through but it was a little dicey, he looked a little strnage and I sure didn't want him between me and the exit.

parts545 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A set of Surfliner equipment sure would look nice
> on that bridge!


Your bud Bush won't give Amtrak no Money . so don't look for the train to Las Veags

n6nvr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The ford at the campground was that reworked by
> the BLM or UP or the river?
>

The river. The whole stream bed is nice smooth sand from bank to bank all the way from above the campground to Basin siding.

I would have liked to have seen it when it was running at its peak. From what appears to be various high-water lines along the banks, it must have been running four to five feet deep and up to fifty yards wide.

Thank's for the information on how to get there. I have a F-250 4x4 so I hope I can get in with the trailer. It'll be different from what I see all the time working on the Mojave Sub between MP470 to MP370 or out to Trona on the Lone Pine Sub. Sure it's nice, but I WORK there. I also play golf so I can dig up someone elses yard and not feel too bad, 'cuz it sure ain't becuse I have a low handicap.

Jeff