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Tuesday, May 19, 2020

“I didn’t know,” is a sorry, ignorant excuse.

Be informed, take responsibility for your actions and respect our public lands.
 
There's a state-wide fire ban. (Billy Creek, White Mountains)
Over the past weeks, there have been multiple reports of monkey-see-monkey-do behaviors on public lands.
Just because you see somebody doing something doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to do it too.
“I didn’t know,” is a sorry, ignorant excuse.  

CAMP FIRES
Campfires and charcoal are BANNED in ALL national forests through June 30, 2020.

WILDFIRES
‘Tis the season. Check this website for up-to-date info on fire activity and STAY OUT of closure areas so first responders can do their jobs.
 
Don't trash our public lands. (Campbell Mesa, Flagstaff.)
TRASH
Trash attracts trash. Just because somebody left a bag of trash on the side of the road DOES NOT mean it’s okay to add to it. There is NO trash service on most forests. Resources are stretched thin so that dump pile will likely sit there for a long time. Trash is not only unsightly, it pollutes the environment and contaminates watersheds. Also it attracts wildlife like bears which can lead to unfortunate outcomes for them when they learn to associate human activity and waste dumps with free food. You might have blood on your hands for leaving trash behind. https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/dispose-of-waste-properly/
 
Know before you go! (Easy Breezy Trail, Sedona)
CLOSURES
Know before you go. Just because somebody removed a barrier and entered a closed area or posted social media photos of themselves  defying closures (and they should be embarrassed, not boastful)  DOES NOT give you permission to do the same.
Don’t be the clueless one. It takes only a few minutes to Google your planned destination to check current conditions.
Check before you go. Here are links to the holiday weekend hot spots.

Tonto National Forest:
Coconino National Forest:
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest:

Monday, May 18, 2020

The Pocket

THE POCKET. Coconino National Forest
Not long before the mantra of social distancing surfaced to dominate the way we interact with our surroundings; another experiential movement had been catching fire. Forest bathing, the belief that immersing in nature can boost well-being, was la mode de jour that first gained traction with the masses around 2017. 
Hike follows a forest road to the lip of two tributary canyons
   
Promoted not so much for its physical exercise benefits but as a spiritual renewal technique, the hype dovetailed nicely with concurrent self-help therapies like mindfulness, wellness and meditation.
Regarding the idea that forests and natural environments have special powers, we hikers say, “Duh!”
Sego lilies bloom May - July
Of course, being outside in nature makes you feel good. Yet, like anything else, what constitutes a feel-good outdoor experience varies by individual tastes.
Certainly, one might forest bathe on a popular trail where there are yoga classes in the parking lot, chatty gaggles and meditation circles at trail’s end, but if that doesn’t ring “power cleansing” to you, then take a detour.  Look for an outwardly boring place without crowd-drawing summits, water features or comfort facilities to ditch the distractions and turn your attention inward.
Silver puff gone to seed.
This stock tanks sits at the crest of Calf Pen Canyon
Near trail's end, high desert vegetation takes over
Tree cover obscures views of Calf Pen Canyon
Wild onions bloom through late summer
Run (into the) Forest! Run!
Fossils weather out of limestone pediments
Domestic cattle congregate around a water hole
Western wallflower bloom March - September
Gambel oaks and ponderosa pines shade the route 
A walk along the backroads of The Pocket offers a near-perfect forest bathing experience.  Located roughly 10 miles north of the town of Strawberry in Coconino National Forest, the stony peninsula juts out over the eastern edge of Fossil Springs Wilderness. The hike begins at a dirt pullout near Twentynine Mile Lake, an ephemeral wetland just off State Route 260 and follows the rough course of forest road 9366R where there are several dispersed campsites within the first mile.
For hikers, finding serenity in the forest is nothing new.
Wrapped in tall pines, the road is wide and simple to follow making it easy to focus on immersing in the experience rather than route-finding.
Sego lilies can be white, pink or purple
At first, the hike feels about as sweetly monotonous as a 1980s prom ballad. Trees block all views and each bend in the road is like another stanza in a familiar tune. Here is where the “bathing” part comes in. First, although it’s not immediately obvious, you are walking on a promontory 1000 feet above two remote tributary canyons in the wilderness area. About a third of the way through the hike, glimpses of Calf Pen Canyon to the south begin to tease the imagination. Several primitive roads veer off the main route heading to the edge if you want a queasy look into the feral end of the popular water-centric destination.
Wildflowers color the forest understory
The route dissolves into sandstone slabs near The Pocket
Second, this is an opportunity to tune in to beautiful details hiding in plain sight. Underfoot, fossils weather out of ancient limestone while lizards, squirrels and wild turkeys dart among an understory of blooming shrubs and wildflowers. Stop and breath in the fresh mountain air and the sweet fragrance of pine.
Savor the delicate beauty of a Larkspur flower
Contemplate the intricate structure of a meadow larkspur flower and listen for the calls of ravens and the mournful bellows of domestic cattle that congregate near water holes situated along the road.
Manzanita is a common blooming shrub on the route
Toward the end of the route, the forest changes from dense stands of Ponderosa pine and Gamble oaks to a more arid zone dominated by alligator juniper, pinion and cacti growing among slabs of red sandstone. The road fades into the nose of The Pocket where the jagged walls of Sandrock Canyon merge with Calf Pen Canyon before disappearing completely among yucca and high desert scrub.
In this rarified air at a canyon convergence, solitude and wonderment punch through the veneer of whatever glossy catchphrase might attempt to label, style or brand feelings that are so intrinsically human.
LENGTH: 8 miles roundtrip
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 6,000 - 6,990 feet
GETTING THERE:
From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, take the State Route 260 exit 287
heading east toward Payson.
Continue 32.5 miles on SR 260 (Zane Grey Hwy) to Forest Road 9366R a dirt road on the right about a quarter-mile past milepost 250 at Twentynine Mile Lake. This is 1.2 miles north of the State Route 87 junction for those coming north from the Payson area. Park in pullouts. There are several dispersed campsites along the road.  No facilities.