South Canyon Route & Salt Trail Canyon

[joebartels]

I'm looking to do South Canyon Route and Salt Trail Canyon in the later half of September (separate trips). If you are interested in joining me on either PM me. Each would be a 3 day, 2 night trip. Any days are fine.

[louie]

Trying to get some feedback about the LC USGS guages to get the best data that will make it likely the LC is running blue. The Desert View guage, http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=09402300, is this before or after Blue Spring? Much thanks!

[chumley]

If you go to the haz map (http://hikearizona.com/map.php) and select the "stream" icon from along the bottom, the gauges all show up on the map. Desert View is located just upstream from the confluence and is basically useless when doing the math for blue water.

The Cameron gauge should be at zero for at least 10 days before you go. Watch the weather too. It's possible that Cameron can be zero and still have flooding in the canyon that comes in below the gauge (Big Canyon is a huge watershed). But if it hasn't rained significantly in a while the chances of that are slim.

edit: I drove over the bridge last weekend and there was brown standing water but no flow. The gauge has been at 1cfs or less for a week. If no rain between now and the weekend I think there's a good shot it will be blue within the next few days.

[azbackpackr]

@chumley
Also, the Colorado River when viewed from the rim becomes quite dark green gradually, as the Paria River and the LCR dry up. It has been greening up steadily. I saw it from Toroweap a couple days ago, quite green indeed.

[louie]

Bump. Wondering if anyone has been over the LCR at Cameron lately or has any feedback on the blueness of the LCR? I was hoping to do this hike this weekend, but after weeks of 0 CFS the Cameron gauge bumped to 16cfs last Thursday and by Friday it was back just above zero and now sits at .01cfs. So.....wondering what ya'll think about the chances of it being blue by this weekend. Also, wondering about gage height and if that number factors into the equation as well. As always much thanks!