Flooded desert and bashing spot

[rustlerbum]

This past week we've been having some serious rains and flooding here in southern AZ (highest flooding in 23 years!). Check out these pictures of my bashing area. They were taken exactly one week apart, and the first "dry" picture was actually taken after some rain had already fallen, so it normally even drier than in that picture. The second picture was taken about 10 minutes ago.


The hazards of putting your bashing spot in a wash:


check out all the green! Thats only 7 days growth! Its usually bare, scorching hot sand!

Now some of you are probably gonna say "how could you be so stupid as to build your bashing area in a stream bed!?" Well remember, this flooding is at the highest levels in about 23 years! 361 days of the year, this spot is bone dry!

[shorty101]

what a difference 7 days can make! looks like a good little spot there. most importantly.... can you jump the stream now? lol

[Nitronaught]

Well, in that case break out the Villain.lolll

Sorry for all the bad weather. Global warming seems to be catching up with us I think.

[rustlerbum]

can you jump the stream now? lol

The perspective is a little deceptive, my landing ramp is on the base of the near bank, about 10-12 feet away from the take-off ramp. And see that berm on the far bank? I turn against that.

Well, in that case break out the Villain.lolll

Too late, its only been half an hour, and the water's already gone!!
I literally took this pictures 5 minutes ago, less than half an hour after the flooded pic above. Desert weather is crazy like that.

[E-PoweredRC]

wow thats crazy I have never seen something so flooded then dry again,well not dry but water is gone. One of our bashing spots get flooded when it rains also. but it takes a while to dry up.

[matt30]

cleveland weather is crazy too... im sure any other clevelanders here would agree with me. thats amazing how fast that stream all changed though

[maxx4x4]

man thats crazy when you had that little stream then its gone if i was you i would have busted out my t-maxx and tried to jump the stream if i would have not made it well i guess i would have gone mudding then lol

very cool though

[rustnpede]

Sweet! My bashing spot also gets flooded during heavy rain, the flood water deposts silt thats finer than beach sand, almost like talcum powder. Its fun to bolt on a set of paddles and kick up 3 feet of roost.

[rustlerbum]

here, I found a picture of the worst of the flooding:


See that hand rail? On the far side is a 12+ foot vertical bank. Those power poles run down the center of the river. This "river", like my bashing spot, is bone dry 361 days of the year People love to drive quads on the river bed most of the year, and homeless people set up camp in the river bed, thats how dry it normally is.

here is a pic of the unflooded river

That is why its the worst in 23 years

[RCmafiA]

I've got one word. WOW. I've never seen that munch rain at once that it could do that.
-CB

[electric nebie]

~KAYAK~ man, if it did that with in 30mi of my house you would see me floating down that! heheh......

It is funny he shows pictures of how his desert has turned into a tropicana, I could show pics of my tropicana turning into a desert!

[rustlerbum]

~KAYAK~ man, if it did that with in 30mi of my house you would see me floating down that! heheh......

lol, you'd probably get arrested if you even lived through it. We also have a law that if you have to be rescued from a flood like this through something of your own fault (say, going kayaking, or driving through a flooded roadway) You have to pay for your own rescue. Its known as the "Stupid Motorist Law" since its most often used for when people drive through a flooded roadway and their car gets swept away by the current (yes its that strong a current, and yes we do build roads on river beds, lol).

These floods aren't like normal rivers, they're carrying a huge load of debris. Not to mention all the submerged trees (look at the dry pic, those are the smallest of the plants growing in the dry bed), and the bridge supports. In fact, that would be what would kill you. At these levels, the waters are hitting the side of the bridge, so you'd come up on the bridge and get sucked under.

[E-PoweredRC]

RC boat time LOL, wow thats crazy, I glad I dont live anywhere like that, I didnt know you guys ever got rain lol I used to have relitives that livesin Tuson I never been there myself.

[sriggle]

Hey rustlerbum do you have a name on youtube.com? I just spotted a video of that excact same spot in your pics.

[clix813]

all those pic are so familliar. i love the weather here.

[rustlerbum]

Hey rustlerbum do you have a name on youtube.com? I just spotted a video of that excact same spot in your pics.

no, i don't. I actually didn't take the pictures of the big wash. Just found them on the internet.

But i did look at some of those youtube video. You really get a feel for how powerful these floods are when you see and hear it moving. If anyone wants to find the youtube videos, just search for "rillito flood"

Edit: I found a really awesome video that shows just how fast these floods start. They're actually called Flash Floods, and for good reason. Watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDr4q...elated&search=