HikeArizona.COM

Anyone been down there recently? I left a little two man raft down there last Oct 2013 and wonder if it's still there and usable?

Louie

Hey Louie-

We were down there the same weekend with you last fall. Hope you have another good trip. Even if your boat is still there, I wouldn't count on using it. I ran into mice eating through a cache I left down there. I wouldn't be surprised if they found your boat too (if it wasn't removed by the AZGFD or USFWS chub taggers.)

Cool Chumley, I think this time I'll just bring a cheap innertube and make sure I can actually blow the thing up with my lungs or bring a small pump this time. We're going to be down there 10/10-10/12. You guys should join us again. This time I'm determined to dayhike to the confluence. Need to knock that out before a tram beats me to it. Hey what are the gps coordinates or directions where you can drive and check to make sure the water is blue before hiking in? Much thanks. Louie.

louie wrote:Hey what are the gps coordinates or directions where you can drive and check to make sure the water is blue before hiking in? Much thanks. Louie.

All you need to know is if the river is running at Cameron. If it is, then the river is brown at the springs and confluence. If it is dry at Cameron (which it hasn't been for several weeks--I drive over the Cameron LCR bridge at least once a week) you have a very good chance of it being blue at the confluence:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv/?s ... 0065,00060

@chumley

(if it wasn't removed by the AZGFD or USFWS chub taggers.)

Well if its chewed up that means its trash now I hope someone picks it up ;)

@azbackpackr
Cool. I might hit you up to see if the LC is running at Cameron as we get closer to the trip. I'm hoping our dates are far enough out from the end of the monsoon season....but it's weather. anything can happen.

louie wrote:Hey what are the gps coordinates or directions where you can drive and check to make sure the water is blue before hiking in?

See the geotag for this photo: http://hikearizona.com/photo=338308
(http://hikearizona.com/map.php?PSID=251 ... 5&Z=15&M=6)

You can also see the river when you get to the bottom of the downclimb/chute at the very top:
http://hikearizona.com/photo=369901

azbackpackr wrote:All you need to know is if the river is running at Cameron.

This is very useful and important information. But it is far from all you need to know.

louie wrote:@azbackpackr
Cool. I might hit you up to see if the LC is running at Cameron as we get closer to the trip. I'm hoping our dates are far enough out from the end of the monsoon season....but it's weather. anything can happen.

I'd be happy to let you know, but you can also check the river data website I posted for you, that shows how many cubic feet per second it's running. If it's zero cfs, then you ought to have blue water downstream!

Of course, if you look on another thread you'll notice that our pal, hippiepunkpirate, is hoping for a LOT of water to come on down the LCR, because he wants to go to Grand Falls and take photos!

What are you using the inflatable boat for?

azbackpackr wrote:What are you using the inflatable boat for?

Tough question

azbackpackr wrote: What are you using the inflatable boat for?

Ferrying departed souls to the hereafter?

@big_load
better bring some coins if you getting across that river Big Load

The raft was to have some fun floating, dodging butt sharks down the LC. Last time I had my dog so needed enough room to float us both down. But didn't actually open the box til I got down there only to discover it was impossible to blow the thing up without a pump. I left it under the tarp with the chubbers gear so was hoping it had survived.

I'm not sure how many times azbackpackr has planned hiking trips into the LCR, researched historical stream flow, and correlated it to the color of the water in the LCR, but I've done a bit of it over the past few years in both spring and autumn.

One thing she seems to either not realize or perhaps is simply overlooking is the 350,000 acres (over 500 square miles) of land that drains into the LCR downstream of the gauge. It's even more area if you back it up to the highway at Cameron.

So keep in mind the following: The drainage can be bone dry at Cameron, and the gauge can be showing no flow. And there's still a reasonable chance that the river isn't running blue. Especially during the monsoon when a single thunderstorm somewhere over those 500 square miles can cause runoff that muddies the water. I've witnessed it personally.

Definitely look at the gauge readings. But it being at zero does NOT mean the river is running blue.

(*The gauge is also notoriously wrong with it's instant readings. The site clearly states that the data is preliminary, and it is usually several weeks or more until the preliminary data is corrected).

The fickleness and variability of flow in the LCR is part of what makes hiking there such a different adventure.

"All you need to know is if the river is running in Cameron" :roll:

@chumley
Can you direct me to where that look out was you guys checked out to get a visual on the river? I remember you guys did that from the TH before hiking in and want to definitely confirm the water is blue before hiking in. Much thanks:-)

@louie
Follow the road down until.....if you go any further you'll get wet...around 36.187289 -111.698859 but not that far... road ends 36.186949 -111.698673

@louie
reply 6 above

chumley wrote:@louie
reply 6 above

Sorry man. I missed your earlier post. :thanx: