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So my question is, after a lot of rain, should there be some water along some of the hiking trails in the Supes? like:
Second Water
Bluff Springs
Lower Barks
Peralta
Dutchman
Boulder Canyon

Is anyone heading out to see?

Would you advise taking a day off to go see?

tibber wrote:Would you advise taking a day off to go see?

The answer to the question is YES! Unfortunately, the day to have taken off would have been today, or better yet, yesterday.

Most of the kind of water you are talking about is runoff akin to a flash flood. It basically runs only during rain to several hours after rain stops. Depending on how much rain has fallen, it may continue to run at low quantities for a couple of days. But nothing like it does during or shortly after.

If you look at a topographical map of the drainage area, you will see that many drainages in Arizona just don't have that much of a catchment basin to feed the runoff.

A variable to look for is snow level. If the snow level is low enough that there was accumulating snow in the higher levels of a catchment basin then there will usually be some pretty good runoff for several days as that snow melts. Of course that depends on the weather!

So, snow-level and the after-storm weather can extend things, but otherwise in our normally dry desert washes, get out there asafp!

The Superstitions almost defy logic. Boulder runs weeks after multiple intense rains and sometimes not. It sure is awesome when it does! Peralta is the gem few experience insisting on trails.

That's awesome! I just looked back at the wx history and Jan 08 resulted in between 2x and 3x normal rainfall for the valley and Gila county locations. That could explain that kind of runoff. And if there was some snowpack up high it could definitely add time to it's run.

I am hoping to get lucky this weekend. I heard it is suppose to rain on Friday so I will be holding my breath.

I hiked on Boulder Canyon trail today (12/14) from Canyon Lake. I was surprised to find NO water in LaBarge and I mean NO water! However, Boulder canyon/creek was cranking and I bet it'll flow for a week or two. After my hike I drove to and checked out Tortilla Creek at Tortilla Flat, its flowing good but I was expecting it to have much more volume from what I've seen in the past. I wouldn't have crossed it in a passenger car today but probably would this upcoming weekend. I live in AJ near Mountain View and our rain gage totaled 2.5" overall from the storm so I'm surprised with no water in LaBarge. Maybe there's alot of unmelted snow in the interior of the Supes but I doubt it.

joe bartels wrote:The Superstitions almost defy logic. Boulder runs weeks after multiple intense rains and sometimes not. It sure is awesome when it does! Peralta is the gem few experience insisting on trails.

those photos were friggin' amAZing !!!

whereveriroam wrote:I hiked on Boulder Canyon trail today (12/14) from Canyon Lake. I was surprised to find NO water in LaBarge and I mean NO water! However, Boulder canyon/creek was cranking and I bet it'll flow for a week or two. After my hike I drove to and checked out Tortilla Creek at Tortilla Flat, its flowing good but I was expecting it to have much more volume from what I've seen in the past. I wouldn't have crossed it in a passenger car today but probably would this upcoming weekend. I live in AJ near Mountain View and our rain gage totaled 2.5" overall from the storm so I'm surprised with no water in LaBarge. Maybe there's alot of unmelted snow in the interior of the Supes but I doubt it.

That's quite interesting about Boulder and LaBarge.

chumley wrote:That's awesome! I just looked back at the wx history and Jan 08 resulted in between 2x and 3x normal rainfall for the valley and Gila county locations. That could explain that kind of runoff. And if there was some snowpack up high it could definitely add time to it's run.

Thx all for your input. Just couldn't decide if I should take a day off to take advantage of the water. Fortunately, my boss will let me roll a couple of my days until next year so maybe we'll get a January like those photos of 2008. There's just nothing cooler than finding water along some of our western Supes trails.

If you really want adventure hike Peralta, around Weavers Needle and back via Terrapin in the middle of the night during a heavy rain storm!
:worthy: :GB:

Just don't forget to call your underemployed friends before you head off on those fun, photo-rific adventures! ;)

I've been hiking the full dutchman from Peralta to FW for the last two years in January and in 2010 Labarge was up to my knees after all that rain. You can insert smart alek "short people" remarks now!

Last year was only just ankle deep. I think in 2009 or 2010 Boulder Canyon was a torrent after some rain storms we had.

That being said, there is something so magical about being out there and hearing the trickling of water in a normally bone dry area!

I can't wait to check it out myself

I came down through LaBarge Canyon yesterday from Cavalry Trail, nice gently flowing water the whole way down until right around the northern end of the Battleship where it quickly disappeared underground. If you crossed the creek bed on Boulder Canyon trail all you'd see is bone dry. Crazy

there's a little water flowing at Hieroglyphics trail right now.. mostly stagnant, but still.. it's water!

Anyone know if there's water on the First Water trail? Out of town guests are looking for a relatively easy hike in the Supes, so 1st Water fits the bill. It would be a plus of the creek's flowing.

According to this article in the Apache Junction News there probably is water flowing in all the minor and major streams in the Sups.
Can someone confirm for Paul if this rain extended into the Superstitions as well.
http://www.ajnews.com/