puddle stomping hike
Posted by Zonie on March 09, 2025 at 01:25:17
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Before I begin my own story I thought I'd share a fun and inspiring Youtube video:
code: _Bsa5jtax5I
channel: jbarn0311
title: crappy day at the farm
After a long winter of drought we finally got some rain Friday, 0.39" at the airport, 0.64" at Deer Valley (close to Reach 11). I was a bit uneasy when the other Kevin wasn't at work on time. Enrique was taking a three-day weekend in Mexico. He said something about smuggling eggs. Fortunately I didn't have long to wait. The other Kevin was only 20 minutes late. I knew he ran a gauntlet of Interstate 17, so I said, "I take it a little rain makes Arizonans forget how to drive."
He said he had encountered two collisions and three traffic jams and that one driver had nearly sideswiped him due to not having seen an approaching fire engine.
I knew that my main enemy would be infiltration as the ground water had been almost nil before Friday morning, so I got up early Saturday and headed out to Reach 11. The temperature range was 43°F to 65°F, so I decided on a stomping hike rather than a wallow. For footwear I decided on wellies.
I hiked part of the west segment, starting out westward on the south trail. I found some very nice stomping and splashing puddles. After I crossed under HWY 51, I deviated into the ditch northeast of the trail, and there was some nice squishy mud there. As I was trudging I saw a young man go by on the trail on one of those electric two-wheel stand skateboards. He quickly turned around and went back the opposite way. I would see him several more times in my travels. Initially I assumed he was avoiding the mud, but later I would find his vehicle's distinctive tracks going through it, so he was also enjoying the mud.
Beyond HWY 101 the ditch and fields were mostly dry, but I did find the first soccer field was somewhat muddy. There were a lot of bicycle tire tracks on it too, so some mountain bicyclists had been enjoying the mud. I then decided to turn back. I was astonished at the rate of infiltration. Areas that had been underwater only an hour earlier were only moderately soft.
After I crossed back under HWY 51, I took the northern route, but there wasn't much mud left there, and I was exhausted by then anyway. I'm glad I was up early to enjoy the mud while it lasted. More rain is expected Tuesday and Thursday, so there's hope for next weekend.