Layered Mud?

[MudMate]

Last November I went out to a drained Swamp with my Hunting waders near my home.

When wading through the Mud, the top portion was loose and almost like Peat about Thigh deep, then a Firmer Clay layer under that.

As fate would have it, I sank deep into this layer and found myself firmly Stuck from Boot to knee. Now usually I can find myself Stuck, but able to move somewhat, but this felt different, almost like standing in Modeling clay.

Has anyone experienced Mud with different layers of thickness like this in your experience? I was used to uniform thickness Mud and not multi layered Mud.

I have a video but I don't know if videos are allowed in the General discussion area.

[Boggy Man]

I have had many years of experience sinking into mud, and have encountered a number of places where the mud is layered. It is usually a softer layer of peaty mud over top of thicker, stiffer peaty mud, which is either too thick to sink deeper into, or is reasonably soft and workable, allowing you to loosen it a bit down deeper. However, I never use anything with footwear (and rigid footwear is definitely a no-no!), exactly because of what you experienced first hand in your video.

[bogbud]

I do also encounter this quite regularly. These layers are prone to bogs and swamps like you discovered already and are a sign of the changing vegetation over time when a real bog grows. Clayish stuff deep down may be an old lakebed that has become overgrown with Moss and plants (that's the layer or softer peat maybe with liquid mud over it) and a then there is a deceptively firm looking surface, perhaps even some trees on it that can give way beneath your booted feet.

I do also use tall waders and getting stuck and struggling to get out is part of the game for me. How deep do you go?

[joedeep130535]

I do also encounter this quite regularly. These layers are prone to bogs and swamps like you discovered already and are a sign of the changing vegetation over time when a real bog grows. Clayish stuff deep down may be an old lakebed that has become overgrown with Moss and plants (that's the layer or softer peat maybe with liquid mud over it) and a then there is a deceptively firm looking surface, perhaps even some trees on it that can give way beneath your booted feet.

I do also use tall waders and getting stuck and struggling to get out is part of the game for me. How deep do you go?

I have been stuck in waders which was fun but usually wear trainers to sink Go as deep as I can but find getting above armpit deep is hard work
Enjoy layered mud as you never quite know what the next step will bring My first time in it was exciting I was "paddling" knee deep & suddenly went down through the "firm" bottom As I was dressed in shorts & tee I did not want to get dirty & had a struggle to get out without becoming too muddy I went back next day wearing swimbriefs & found a series of layers which all gave way as I tried to stand on them Ended up neck deep! This was a natural ,silt pond & I thought the layers were probably the result of wet periods when extra mud had washed in

[bogbud]

I have been stuck in waders which was fun but usually wear trainers to sink Go as deep as I can but find getting above armpit deep is hard work
Enjoy layered mud as you never quite know what the next step will bring My first time in it was exciting I was "paddling" knee deep & suddenly went down through the "firm" bottom As I was dressed in shorts & tee I did not want to get dirty & had a struggle to get out without becoming too muddy I went back next day wearing swimbriefs & found a series of layers which all gave way as I tried to stand on them Ended up neck deep! This was a natural ,silt pond & I thought the layers were probably the result of wet periods when extra mud had washed in

Does sound like some great area you have there!
The bog i frequent most often is quite firm on top, meaning you can carefully walk over it without sinking in as long as you are moving forward. Standing still or even some little wiggling with your legs will send you down into pure, thick mud. After about two feet that stuff gets softer (layer of more liquid peat and you are in up to your armpits quite fast. Further down below it does get thicker again when you hit the old mud of the former lake. Basically i'm able to sink as deep as i want as i have never found a bottom. It's unsafe to sink over the nose because its impossible to plop back to the surface, as that mud has a really strong sucking-power.
There is also a tidal mudflat near my location that has soft and sloppy mud on top and does get gradually thicker deeper down below. I'm able to sink about shoulder-deep before it becomes too thick to move my legs and i'm really stuck there. Getting out without tools / something to hang on / push against is impossible because there is literally nothing around me that could give some hold! I love that place because i'm totally mudcaked, terribly messy and really exhausted when i'm finally free!

[joedeep130535]

your tidal mud flat sounds as near heaven as I shall ever get lol