going through the arroyos in rain and mud
Posted by Zonie on December 04, 2022 at 07:40:18
The forecast had been uncertain. Thursday and Friday it had been 30% chance of rain Saturday and Saturday night. This morning it had been 60% but mainly after 3 PM and less than a tenth of an inch. The National Weather Service were of the opinion most of the rain from this tropical "atmospheric river" would come down in southeastern Arizona.
I had a demonstration to attend in northeastern Phoenix in the morning, when rain was not expected, but the radar showed some moving in from the south. I had the contingency of hiking in the rain and mud in mind with the middle task of getting some Christmas shopping done in that part of town. I did my best to dress for all three tasks.
Having laundered my work overalls, I decided to wear jeans, a snap-button polyester shirt, cowboy boots, a felt cowboy hat and my black drover coat. It was cool enough in the morning that this outfit wouldn't overheat me even if it didn't rain, as picket duty and shopping aren't terribly strenuous tasks.
The waterproofing of that drover coat has long since worn out. Every summer I keep forgetting to recondition it. You'd think I enjoyed the winter rain soaking into it and making it heavy. I also keep forgetting to clean those mud stains. You'd think I thought it looked good that way and reminded me of happy and fun times.
This time the demonstration wasn't interrupted by rain. It ended earlier than I thought, but it was a decision of the organizer unrelated to weather which had been overcast, cool and calm. I departed for my first task of buying Christmas cards.
As I left the store a few drops of rain were coming down, and it was only 11 AM. I figured I'd have a bite to eat and continue. After lunch there was a light steady rain coming down and I stopped at another place to buy phone refill cards. I was considering another place, but as the rain continued, it was clear to me that the trails in this part of town must already be getting muddy, so at 12:30 PM I arrived at the Tatum trailhead of the east segment of the Reach 11 Recreation Area and headed east in the rain that was beating a pleasant rhythm on my hat and coat with trail mud already sticking to my boots and the trail getting slippery.
As I reached the junction with another trail, I was pleased to see I had company. A mountain bicyclist was making a good track in the mud. Unfortunately his knapsack prevented the classic mud stripe from decorating his jacket.
The rain didn't seem heavy, and I was surprised by how muddy it got and how quickly. I was giving my lower legs and feet a workout keeping my footing on the slippery trail, and soon there were deep spots in which to stomp and then mud puddles to splash. I felt my coat soaking through, but I stayed nice and warm.
At the 56th Street overpass, the water from the street was diverted under the overpass, collecting and making deep mud. I left the trail to churn through that. Then to the east part of the trail was a temporary runoff stream, and I waded through that.
I kept puddle splashing and mud stomping my way east and then saw another stream cross the trail. This time I followed it, and after a time it poured off a mud cliff in a small waterfall into the arroyo. I definitely don't recommend going into arroyos in a thunderstorm downpour, but in a light and steady rain, it's a risk that can be taken. I partly climbed and partly slid down into it. I found where the runoff was pouring onto the clay and usually found it yielded deep thick mud, great for churning with my boots.
Having had a lot of fun following the arroyo south that way, I decided to look for a way out. I tried climbing up, and it would have worked had it been dry, but my boots kept slipping down the slope. I would just have to crawl out, down on my knees. At length I got one foot on the flat ground at the top and rose, but it was too much for my old bamboo walking staff, and the bottom split off. Well I had it for ten years, and I'm much heavier than most hikers, so I've no cause for complaint.
I headed over flat ground for a time and found one place where the ground yielded considerably. I churned up the ground and found both boots stuck in the mud. With some effort I worked myself free and continued. I then found another spot where the ground yielded. I didn't learn my lesson and got stuck again, having to free myself.
Then I reached the escarpment and slogged down to the base near the mesquite thicket. I continued east, knowing the entrances to several arroyos were there. I entered one after another, enjoying their deep sucking mud and busting through brush.
I noticed it was 4 PM, and remembered that in December I would have little more than an hour more daylight. I came to the end of the arroyo and found a spot where I could step up to more level ground. Amazingly my left leg with one foot on the ground lifted the rest of my body out of that arroyo. No crawling was needed that time.
I slogged back through the deepening puddles to the main trail. On that trail I saw the track of the mountain bicyclist, but it was no longer a track in the mud, but was submerged. The thought in the back of my mind was that I should walk west with all due expedition to get back to the trailhead by dark.
That was not to be. I kept getting distracted, using my boot heels to improve drainages on the trail, stomping particularly deep mud, kicking piles of horse dung on the trail and other silly things I do to expend energy.
I could navigate well enough, but near the end, the decision to make these delays had one slightly unpleasant consequence. Stepping in a small but unexpectedly deep mud hole caused me to trip. I wasn't hurt, but it reminded me that risks are far greater when mudding in the dark.
Once at the trailhead, at about 5:40, the area was illuminated by headlights of passing cars, and I found a parking lot puddle in which to rinse off my boots. It was a very satisfying day.
- Re: going through the arroyos in rain and mud golf cart mud bogging 02:15:11 12/05/2022
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