Some Salt news

Loyal Blog Reader Nancy McC. sent along the photo at left.  It was sent to here by Don S. a guy who has pretty much inherited the Title of Mister Salt.  Anyway, the scene here is looking downstream on River Right toward Cibecue Creek.  This land is on the White Mountain Apache Reservation.  It shows the damage to the road that hugs the Salt River bank and crosses the creek.  Obviously, the recent storm rendered it impassible.  Whether it gets rehabilitated by the Tribe is rather doubtful.  Most of their permit income is generated on the stretch of river above this creek crossing.  Chances are The Tribe will leave it "as is." I'm going to go on record here with this fearless prediction: "The Salt River Day Stretch is going to be a complete Zoo Scene this year."  The Day Stretch Road is going to resemble Loop 101 during rush hour--one weekends it will approach total gridlock.  Dehydrated tempers will flare and road rage (such as it can be on this road) is almost a guaranteed certainty.  

I don't think I'd want to be anywhere near this place on a weekend or during Spring Break.  The Apaches don't have enough law enforcement manpower to maintain order there this year.  It's going to be mayhem!  Be forewarned.

One thing you can also take to the bank--unless an unusually high elevation warm rain washes away the snowpack in the White Mountains---the Salt River whitewater stretch is going to be going strong throughout the month of April and will almost assuredly be raftable well into May!

The Baldy SNOTEL shows an amazing piece of data today--the snowpack has SHRUNK A FOOT while the Snow Water Equivalent HAS RISEN AN INCH!!!  This is a rare anomaly, one not seen in drought-stricken Arizona for many a year.  Click here to see the data yourself. 

Bear in mind that the Salt River's snowpack is at a much higher overall elevation that the Verde River's snowpack.  Typically, the overnight temperatures throughout the bulk of the Salt snowpack will keep it frozen for much longer.  Likewise, when there is a huge snowpack and one that is essentially turning into a mini-glacier, the snowpack itself become self-insulating.  So, even if there is a VERY warm day (or days) it isn't going to really dent the snowpack until the seasonal cycles bring about much warmer night time temperatures.

In the Old Days, the average annual peak of the Salt was April 18.  This year (barring that drenching warm rain) I'd expect to see the 2010 peak flow occur even later than April 18.  It's shaping up to be a great year--shirtsleeve and sunscreen rafting ahead!