mysterious irrigation ends
Posted by Zonie on March 17, 2024 at 02:59:05
Rain gauge reports indicated that more rain fell on the east segment of Reach 11 yesterday than the west segment. I decided to go there. It was a cool day, so I figured I'd just stomp and splash rather than wallow. I was starting to regret that decision around midday, as the sun was strong, but clouds built up in the afternoon, offering some relief. I did go through a lot of my drinking supply during my seven hours out there--a 20 oz. sugarless Pepsi, a gallon of water in my canteen and two 32 oz. Power Ades.
The pattern of mud was not what I expected. There was hardly any on the south trail west of 56th Street, but there were some surprisingly good mud holes in some other areas where I had not expected them. I went to the strange pipe sticking out of the Central Arizona Project Canal by 56th Street. The peculiar irrigation had ended. No more water was coming out of it. The ground near the mesquite thicket was muddy, but I don't know if it's because the irrigation stopped recently or because of yesterday's rain. Either way I took advantage of it and stomped around in it.
Near Scottsdale Road I was frustrated to find a very large boulder I didn't remember having seen before obstructing the deepest part of a mud puddle. I splashed around trying to maneuver it, but all I could do was wobble it a bit. It was beyond my strength to roll it or lift it. Perhaps the rangers had put it there by collective effort to discourage riding mountain bicycles through it. As I was fooling around with the boulder a mountain bicyclist passed me. She just said "Hi," and I returned the greeting. If she thought there was anything peculiar about what I was trying to do, she didn't say so.
On my way back I detoured onto the state trust land, but the massive puddles I had encountered there in February were almost completely gone.