a romp in the swamp
Posted by Zonie on August 16, 2025 at 23:32:36
Like the past few years the southeast monsoon has been mostly a dud this year. The week before last it got up to 118°F one afternoon, the highest temperature Phoenix ever recorded in the month of August. The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board moved the ban time from 9 AM to 8 AM on several trails during extreme heat warning days. Last Sunday was such a day, but Dr. Ceranski and I decided on civil disobedience. We encountered a park ranger, but he didn't say a word about our violating the ban. We just exchanged pleasantries. Our rangers are much more laid back than those of Nova Scotia.
Thursday night some areas finally got heavy rain. I checked the rain gauge data, and Reach 11 got about one inch. I figured that might be worth investigating. I had worn out my last Carhartt overalls beyond work purposes but left them for a final mudding. I also put on some torn socks and undershorts. I wore a camouflage ball cap and got out some old Brama work boots I had bought just for mudding. They were warped from the last mudding, but pre-wetting them in the sink allowed them to fit over my feet again. It was only expected to be 104°F this afternoon, so I figured if I had no luck with mud holes, I could get out before it became dangerously hot.
I arrived at the west side of Tatum trailhead of Reach 11 to find five Phoenix Fire Department vehicles there with lights flashing. I could neither see nor smell smoke, so I assumed it was a medical emergency. It was only 7:30, so a little too early for heat-related illness. I can only speculate snake bite, fall, heart attack or stroke. Apparently it was just about over and soon the vehicles started leaving.
I headed off on my hike, going south of the Equestrian Center. I soon reached a large puddle. It had sand and gravel as the base, so I wasn't going to get muddy, but I could at least soak myself in anticipation of the building heat. I then found another mud hole where I could stomp around a bit. Then I headed southwest and found a mud hole big enough for wallowing and indulged in that for a while. The mud was wonderfully cool, refreshing and creamy.
I then noticed a coyote walking along a mesquite thicket. I noticed the thicket was underwater. Maybe it had been flooded out of its den. I headed into it. The water itself was shallow, but I sank to my knees in the mud below it. I pulled one leg out and then another making laborious progress. 25 years ago I might have indulged in that for hours, but at my age there's only so much of that I can take, and I was glad to reach a part of the swamp with a firmer bottom. I then left the swamp and returned to the trail, heading west. The main trail then crossed the swamp, and I found another relatively clean puddle for soaking and cleanup. Then I found another area of mud that was nearly knee-deep, but it didn't take very long to get through that. I then headed west to the HWY 101 overpass. There was some mud under the bridge. Then I headed further west and left the trail for the thicket which was also partly flooded. AT one point I pulled off my boots to pour out the worst of the sediment and put them on again. I then decided to head back east along the south trail.
I enjoyed some of the mud puddles on the trail, but I didn't wallow or bathe. I figured I'd be almost dry by the time I reached my car, and indeed I was. Traffic was light. I saw only a few mountain bicyclists.
When I got back, I hosed down the shirt, as I wanted to salvage that. After showering and changing I threw out the socks underwear and the overalls. I also threw out my knapsack. The zippers were broken, and it could barely hold my canteen. I had bought a new one a few months earlier. I figured it was about time to use it on my next hike.