Stevens Canyon - Baker Trail water availability

L

Little Big Man

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Joined
Mar 22, 2021
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Considering going up Stevens Canyon - Baker Trail to Cliff and loop back down to the Escalante around May 15-25 2024 Does anyone have information about water availability in mid-Stevens Canyon, Cliff potholes, etc.?
 
That's pushing it into hot/dry season, and any current pothole reports aren't going to be helpful. There's a spring in Stevens just after the Baker Trail turnoff. Also, the grotto just before you pop up onto the slickrock Stevens rim walk may* still have water.
 
I was in Stevens the 2nd week of May 2020 and 3rd week of May 2022.
The first time, many sources Allen mentions were dry. The "elongated potholes" shortly before the Baker exit were dry and the large spring right after Baker was so pathetic that I couldn't even gather from it and had to go much further to find a random shaded pothole. Lower Stevens had enough water.
The second time, it was much wetter despite the overall water year not having better stats. Potholes were great and the spring was running all the way down to the Baker exit.
Didn't go to Cliff either time--one time back via Fold and the other time up and over to Halls Creek.
You can check old SWE and Precipitation data for that basin to see how it compares to this year, but like I said it seems to not be easily determined. It was also too hot in 2022 by mid-May and I'm trying to do those types of trips earlier from now on.
 
The Cliff 'pothole' is pretty much a pond. In May it might still be good

March 2023:

7cwVTtu.jpeg
 
My week of wandering the slickrock around Escalante I saw more water than I have ever seen in all my years of exploring the area......And there is more precipitation on the way so you may be good.
 
Paying attention to this thread as I plan to be in the area with similar timing.
 
From the past few days in Stevens below Baker junction. Fools Canyon is also full. Some of the more exposed potholes have dried up, like on the Sleepy Hollow descent.
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Past 30 days of precip (the pin marks the town of Escalante)
Screen Shot 2024-04-12 at 9.55.03 AM.png
 
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