My hiking/camping disaster

[galaxieargente]

A couple of weekends ago some friends and I went up to Payson to hike at Haigler Creek. I recently moved to AZ so this was my first camping trip and second hike out here. We setup camp and started our wet hike up the creek. About 30 minutes into the hike we heard thunder off in the distance. We thought nothing of it, we were already wet and a little rain never hurt anyone right? A short time later the "bottom" fell out. It rained so hard that the rain drops hurt and you couldn't see anything. We then had to go back to our camp an alternate route because of the runoff in the creek. That little creek looked like rapids after only 10 or 15 minutes, hah. Then it started hailing. At one point all 11 of us were huddled under a tree under a foam matress pad trying to protect ourselves from the hail. When we returned to camp our camp was demolished, all the gear was soaked. The moral of the story is never trust an AZ weather report and always listen to the thunder. Hope you had a good laugh.

[Sredfield]

In response to galaxieargente's reply:

All's well that end's well, but what you describe could well have been an eleven person disaster or tragedy. Being near the creeks this time of year, one should be very alert for rain. Many canyons are the big flush in a rain storm.

Have you heard of Antelope Canyon?

[hikeaz]

In response to galaxieargente's reply:

Remember.... "An adventure is merely an inconvenience rightly considered"

[ghoster]

Caution should be your watchword, any of these canyons can become death traps given the right circumstances, and sure getting wet is sometimes part of the adventure but safety is and should be foremost, you were lucky this time out, remember water runs downhill and accumulates in these canyons, look around at the debris that is sometimes many yards above the creek in dry seasons and got there by the water rushing through. It comes fast too, and if you ever hike slot canyons be extra careful.

[AZHikr4444]

The weather in Arizona, especially on the Rim, can be so incredibly varied. On Memorial Day weekend my dad and I camped in an unnamed section of Chevelon Canyon. When we arrived via a 4 mi long 4x4 road, the temp was in the upper 80's and a beautiful day. We set up, relaxed a bit, fished a bit, set up the stove and had just sat down with our coffee when a storm blew over. First it justed rained lightly, so we thought, "oh, just one of those Rim storms, be over in a few minutes". Then, it rained harder and harder, forcing us into the cab of my truck where we sat with our coffee waiting for it to end. The temp dropped from 85 to 47 in just 15 minutes!! Hail started pounding, and our tent just about floated away. The thunder reverberating throughout the canyon was like Armageddon. We retrieved our soaked camp stuff in the rain and hail and threw it all in the back of the jeep and hightailed it out of there, thinking if we waited much longer, we might not make it. Took an hour and a half to go 4 miles on that washed out road! Great fun!!
2 hours later- back it PHX, it was 105 with that burning white hot sunshine.

Incredible.

Mike

[mttgilbert]

Sounds like fun!

The same thing happened to me up on top of browns peak last year. You have to be very careful out here. The ground doesn't get much water so it develops a pretty solid crust. When it does rain the water won't soak in so it all runs downhill. There are a lot of people who end up seriously injured or killed doing just what you did.

Never ever trust the weather forcasts, especially during monsoon season. We have a saying around here in the monsoon season. "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute". Conditions can change very quickly and without any real warning. watch yourself.


Otherwise, welcome to the site and enjoy AZ!

[galaxieargente]

Ok so I learned my first valuable AZ hiking lesson. Hiking out here is TOTAL different than back east so I def. have a lot to learn. Thanks everyone!

[hikeaz]

Abrupt altitude changes (like mountains & the Mogollon Rim, for example) from the surrounding lowlands significantly change weather patterns.

To learn about some of the reasons, click here > http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/u ... tude.shtml

[Trishness]

Jess,

There's nothing like hiking up on the Mogollon Rim in summer to escape the heat of the Valley and then you encounter that wonderful weather phenomenon that occurs up there in the early afternoon......The Monsoon! These storms start appearing in mid-July and can continue into Sept and when you're on the Rim, they seem to appear out of nowhere. I've been caught in a few myself and this was hiking under BLUE skies hearing thunder. Within 1/2 an hour the sky was covered with ominous looking clouds and we were still a mile from the TH......

Glad to hear that your hiking party made out OK. What everyone said about the flash floods and hiking in creek beds and canyons is good advice to take. And no one is laughing since I think we've all been caught in one.

Peace

[big_load]

I can definitely relate. My last outing near Payson was pretty similar, but the lightning kept up all night and all the next day. We were so happy to get out safe that we didn't mind the radical change in plan.

There's one thing I would add to what's already been said. It's just my own paranoia, but I just can't do the base camp / day hike thing. Whatever gear I brought is something I might need later, and something that might get wrecked by nature or miscreants while I'm not there. When I leave, everything leaves with me. Once in the Supes I came back to a site that I had camped at two nights before and found it totally ransacked by animals. Every rock within 100 feet was turned over, big holes were dug all around, every cairn within half a mile was dismantled. It made me wonder what would happen to my tent if I was gone for half a day.

[Shi]

When I first moved to Az, I was VERY inexperienced with the monsoons. I can still remember the look on a neighbors face when I asked, what are you supposed to do, when the wind and storm started blowing in. Back home, that indicated tornado season. They thought I was insane......until we watched the palm tree in my yard tumble over and all the electric go out in the area.

Last summer I was car camping on the rim, the rains began, as they generally do, in the afternoon. They continued long past my departure the next morning. The Hwy was closed due to a rock slide, my tent had leaked and the moonroof in my truck leaked. I was soaked by the time I made it home. I think that was the worst I have experienced on the rim. It's the weather up there, that makes the entire trip, an adventure. You have to admit, those are well worth the while! Besides, the best way to learn a lesson, is by living through it! Welcome to AZ, it's a fantastic state.
Mary

[joebartels]

In response to galaxieargente's reply:

Your disaster just might qualify as the perfect hike!

[mitts8]

I think the trips that take a sudden turn are the best. my fav trips were when I and my friends would get caught in a freak storm and end up huddled in a small tent cramed together playing spoons or some other card game. plus you end up with so many great stories!

[cficken]

OUCH!! That would be my luck though. I have a question. Has anyone ever had any problems with hunters? That's a concern of mine. As an EMT, I've ran into some hunting accidents around here.

[big_load]

In response to cficken's reply:
I've encountered quite a few hunters in AZ, including some in places I'm pretty sure hunting wasn't allowed. I've never had any problems with them or felt endangered. On the other hand, I know some people who won't hike during hunting seasons, and others who wear orange if they do.

This is a possibly dangerous generalization, but most hunters who get into the real backcountry (especially hike-in only areas) are a different breed from those typically involved in accidents.