Mount Baldy Crossover Trail

MOUNT BALDY CROSSOVER TRAIL

Mount Baldy Wilderness.

Mt.Baldy Crossover trails moves through forests & meadows

Tethering the West Baldy and East Baldy trails that make grueling ascents to a saddle near the 11,403-foot summit of Mount Baldy at the edge of the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation, the Mount Baldy Crossover trail No. 96 is much more than a means to an end.

Crossover Trail is in the Mt. Baldy Wilderness

The woodsy 3.5-mile connector route is often used as part of the 16.7-mile three-trail loop that traces the slopes of the extinct stratovolcano that’s been silent for 2 million years, but it also delivers a classic White Mountains experience when done alone as an out-and-back trek. It’s a great way to get acquainted with the high country terrain and acclimate before taking on the mountain.

Although this trail trifecta isn’t especially difficult in terms of technical challenge, the thinner, high elevation air can cause huffing and puffing that slows down progress. That’s a good thing, though, because you’ll want to take this one at a leisurely pace to enjoy the variety of scenery and rich biodiversity.

Delicate prairie smoke sprout feathery plumes in summer

Brilliant magenta American vetch flowers stand out underfoot

Forest and meadows collide on Crossover trail

Orange gooseberry shrubs are common on the route

Ferns grow hip-high in sunny spots

Marsh marigolds grow in moist areas on the Crossover trail

A feeder stream cuts through a meadow on Crossover trail

Many-flower stickseed is a fun find on the trail

Aspens flourish in sunny glens on the Crossover trail

False hellebore grows in wet meadows along the route

Rocky Mountain irises thrive in wet meadows

The quickest access to the Crossover trail is from the East Baldy trailhead where the route follows the East Baldy trail for 0.2-mile to a junction where it swerves north and away from the channel of nearby East Fork of the Little Colorado River.  Bouncing among various ecozones within the Mount Baldy Wilderness area in Eastern Arizona, the trail kicks off with a stroll through aspen glens with glimpses of mountain foothills. Soon, the aspens are swallowed up in mixed conifer woodlands of Douglas firs, Ponderosa pines and Engelmann and Blue Spruce. 

There's lost of scenic variety on the Crossover trail

Cloaked in a crisp atmosphere tinged with the smell of moss and damp earth, the forest is so thick in some places that sunlight barely lights the way, while in other spots, gaps in the tree cover let in enough sunshine to sustain spreads of ferns, wild strawberries, Canada violets and spotted coralroot--a complex and odd-looking ground dweller in the orchid family.  Interspersed throughout the hike are open-to-the-sky wet meadows replete with their own community of moisture-loving plants. Where the ground is mushy and damp, look for frilly bundles of false hellebore that sprout head-high flower stalks in summertime and the delicate blooms of marsh marigolds, aquatic buttercups, prairie smoke and berry-laden shrubs.

Spotted coralroot grow among pine needles on the forest floor

The route begins with a short hike on the East Baldy trail

A segment of mixed conifer woodlands  on the trail

Except for where fallen trees slumped over the trail require some mild scrambling to get over, the trail is easy to follow and, even with the diluted oxygen, not too much of a challenge. The trail ends at the junction with the West Baldy trail. Turn around here, or if you parked a shuttle vehicle at the West Baldy trailhead, head right and hike a half-mile to complete the journey.

LENGTH: 7.4 miles round trip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 9,275 – 9,400 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Pinetop-Lakeside, travel 20 miles east on State Route 260 to State Route 273 which is just past mile post 377 and signed for Sunrise Ski Area. Turn left and go 11 miles south to the East Baldy trailhead on the right.

INFO:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5227797.pdf#page=22

WEST BALDY TRAIL #94

WEST BALDY TRAIL #94

Mount Baldy Wilderness Area

West Fork of the Little Colorado River flanks trail #94

Arizona's second highest mountain* is an ancient stratovolcano that last erupted around 2 million years ago. The genesis of Mount Baldy began roughly 9 million years ago with multiple lava flows that gradually built up the mountain to an estimated 13,000 feet. Although this massif's initial geological history mirrors that of the Ring of Fire volcanos like those found in the Pacific and along the west coast of the Americas, its present form is due to mostly to the work of glacial ice. If you want proof that enormous ice sheets once slid

through Arizona, just take a hike on West Baldy Trail #94. The scoured mounds, gaping scoop-shaped valleys, and fields of errant boulders are actually cirques and moraines that formed during three periods of glaciation lasting hundreds of thousands of years. Today, these ice-born features form the headwater basins of the West and East Forks of the Little Colorado River that continue to shape the mountain's character and feed water all the way to the Salt River outside of Phoenix. Unlike the chiseled peaks of Flagstaff, the chain of bulbous, volcanic mounds that make up Mount Baldy present a tamer alpine experience.

Two trails ascend to near the top. West Baldy Trail #94 follows the West Fork of the Little Colorado River and is the route of choice for those looking for a green, water-themed trek. East Baldy #95 is somewhat less shaded and more exposed. In between, the 3.5-mile Mt. Baldy Crossover Trail provides a handy link to make a 17.5-mile loop hike.

West Baldy Trail #94 starts out as an easy stream side walk. Alpine meadows, thigh-high wildflowers surrounding the river and magnificent views define the hike's first 3 miles. Instead of being smacked with an abrupt vertical ascent, the arduous climbing part sort of sneaks up on you, turning serious near the 4-mile point where the trail enters a tract damaged by the 2011 Wallow Fire. Here, charred tree trunks teeter like fragile matchsticks poised to topple downhill at the behest of summer storms and winter snow. The relatively short haul through the destruction is mitigated by the promise of impending high-point vistas and a sense of accomplishment. The "summit" is actually ridge line with 3 distinct peaks. The tempting one in the middle--11,403' Baldy Peak-- is within the White Mountain Apache Tribe boundary and is open only to tribal members. Please respect this sacred area by not trespassing.

LENGTH: 14 miles roundtrip (up and back)

RATING: moderate-difficult

ELEVATION: 9,000' - 11,200'

GETTING THERE:

From Pinetop-Lakeside, travel 20 miles east on State Route 260 to State Route 273 (signed for Sunrise Ski Area just past milepost 377). Turn left and go 8.4 miles south to the West Baldy trailhead on the right at milepost 386. The East Baldy trailhead, is 2.5 miles farther south on SR 273.

INFO: Springerville Ranger District, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
* Agassiz, Humphreys, Fremont, Abineau, Rees and Doyle are all PEAKS on San Francisco MOUNTAIN-- AZ's highest. Just as Baldy Peak and Mount Ord (not the one on AZ87) are PEAKS on MOUNT Baldy---AZ's 2nd highest.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/asnf/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=45133&actid=50

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