In Arizona there is no better day to hike than after a “Valley of the Sun” rain storm.  What a magical experience it is hiking in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve after this past weekend’s much-needed heavy rainfall. The low, low hanging clouds provided a great backdrop to the spectacular Preserve landscape.  I arrived at the Preserve, 7:00 a.m. on Sunday and was the third vehicle patiently waiting for the sliding entrance gate to open.  I wasn’t sure whether rain would hamper my hike as it rained quite heavily during my drive from south Scottsdale to the Preserve. My “friend” and I canceled our scheduled Saturday hike because of the down pour.  I chose the 9 mile loop hike from Gateway to Bell Pass and then Bell Pass to Windgate and then returned to Gateway Access Area. The normally dry creeks were filled with water and music ears!