the devil's muddy waters

Ran through the Arroyo this morning. My route was cut short just below Devil’s Gate Dam due to the flooded stream crossing. I think they’re releasing water from behind the dam in preparation for the rain expected in the next couple of days. I thought about wading through to practice my fording and wet shoe running skills for Malibu Creek Trail Run on March 7th. I made it about 80 percent of the way across hopping on rocks but couldn’t cross the last little bit. It was a pretty narrow flow. I could have made it across with only stepping one foot down in the water. But the water was thick with mud and junk that’s been breeding behind the dam for months. I couldn’t see through the water to what was below so I’d have had to go slow and it would have been pretty sick. So, no stream crossing practice for me. I just turned around and came home, leaving me just short of the Malibu middle distance. Now I should (but will I?) cram in some elevation gain for my final preparations.