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Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park Also Suffering From Flooding, Rockslides

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A series of potent storms Saturday pounded Timpanogos National Monument, blocking roads with rockslides and sending torrents down creeks. Rangers spent Sunday and Monday working to clear the "rock trap" that is designed to keep rocks from falling on a trail leading to the monument's caves. NPS photos.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument in Utah and Joshua Tree National Park in California, like North Cascades National Park in Washington state, are dealing with flooding and rockslide problems.

Though the timing of the weather-related problems were overlapping at the three parks, different storms were behind the problems.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument remained closed Monday while rangers worked to clear large amounts of rock and debris from the cave trail and the “rock trap,” a rock-fall attenuation fence above the trail.

Anyone having purchased tickets for cave tours today will be refunded or rescheduled at their discretion.

Rangers had hoped to complete clean-up efforts by noon on Monday, but after climbing up to the “rock trap,” a large steel mesh curtain above a set of concrete and steel walls, they found it was full of debris from Saturday afternoon storms and would not effectively stop further rock falls until it was cleaned and reset, a process which will take much of the afternoon.

Currently, State Route 92 in American Fork Canyon is open to traffic, and the monument’s Swinging Bridge Picnic area and visitor center are open.

You can see additional photos of the damage at Timpanogos at the park's Facebook page.

At Joshua Tree, park officials say a portion of the park loop road remains closed due to a storm event that also occurred this past Saturday.

"Significant debris is still blocking portions of the road, and some road damage has occurred. The section from the north entrance, nearest the Oasis Visitor Center to the turn-off to Cottonwood will remain closed until further notice," a park release said. "Queen Valley dirt roads and Keys Ranch Road also remain closed due to flooding and storm damage."

An assessment of the area Sunday revealed additional damage to both Jumbo Rocks Campground and Geology Tour Road. Both are closed for repair. Bell and White Tank campgrounds have been opened to accommodate campers.

Comments

Seems to me it is the "human" that is suffering. The parks themselves are fine, doing what comes naturally...


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