Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain...

[Greg Jackson]

Recent weather conditions here in Phoenix make me ponder my next step this coming weekend. I want to see the best possible after rain pools or after rain event ever!

With my limited wet season hiking experience (I've truly only been hiking for the past year and a half and Arizona hasn't had ANY rain during this time) I've decided to ask the masters this one simple question...

What is the best hiking experience after a good, good soak?

I'm thinking Upper First Water for a local hike. How about Reavis Falls? Is this what it takes for a good show? Or does it take a more intense rain, or a snow pack melt off?

I give up, that’s why I’ m asking!

Thanks in advance.

[montezumawell]

Here's how to watch all the gaged streams in Arizona. Simply click on the gage number to see a hydrograph. About midnight Valentine's Day, Oak Creek peaked around 5,000 cfs and Dry Beaver peaked nearly 8 feet above it's normally dry streambed at the Highway 179 bridge near Sedona.
Valentine's morning, the creek to watch is the "Verde River at Camp Verde." Note the vertical rise in the stage! In the pre-dawn hours it was nearly 7,000 cfs and beginning to look like a peak. This is about 5-6% of the February 20th, 1993, record flood stage but still it's nice to see a level we haven't seen in about 5 years.

All streams, big, little, long, short, tall and small should be carrying some amount of water for at least the next day or two.

http://az.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/current/?type=flow

J&S

(PS--The flows up here on Oak, Wet and Dry Beaver and the Verde were created by rain falling on what little snow existed in the high country. Historically, that's the only way for these stream gages to respond the way they have in the last 12 hours. Makes for a nice "pop" in flows but basically wipes out the paltry snowpack, such as it was.)

[plummer150]

Snow it up!!!