Flash flood on the Tonto Trail almost took my pack

I was on the Tonto Trail near Horseshoe Mesa about 4 miles from the Grandview Trailhead last month. Clear sky at 2pm, then by 3:30 the canyon walls were running brown water. Climbed 200 feet up a side drainage and stashed my pack on a ledge, then watched a wall of water rip through where I'd been 10 minutes before. That ledge saved my gear and probably me. Ranger later said the rule is be off the canyon floor by 10am if storms are even possible, not when you see rain. Anyone else have a close call with flash floods on a desert route, and what's your personal cutoff time?

2 comments

2 Comments

campbell.tara24d ago

Flash floods are just like most bad surprises. People think they need to see the problem coming. But the real skill is leaving before the warning signs show up. That 10am rule sounds smart. Same thing with leaving for work early or checking the weather before a long drive. You don't wait for the panic. You just move.

ryan_ellis23d ago

That "leaving before the warning signs" bit is exactly it. I got caught on a slickrock scramble in Utah once and now I treat any afternoon with cumulus clouds like a hard stop at 11am, no exceptions. Saved my butt last spring when a buddy wanted to push one more mile and I said nope, we're climbing out.