SIXSHOOTER CANYON

SIXSHOOTER CANYON Pinal Mountains, Tonto  Of all the trails in the Pinals, this one (#197) is the toughest. The long, brutally steep route is strewn with obstacles--fallen trees, degrading slopes and derelict signage all contribute to the trail’s difficult rating. Along the way, remains of cabins, mines and a sawmill dot the woodlands adding a touch of history to this must-do Arizona trail. Access to the trail begins at the east side of the Icehouse CCC campground. BONUS SIDE TRIP: Pinal Peak From trail’s end, hike up to FR 651C, go left (southeast) and follow the dirt road past Upper Pinal campground to the 7,848 peak and highpoint of the range. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse, so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853 LENGTH: 12 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 7,560 feet RATING: difficult BEST SEASONS: March -October (CAN GET WARM IN SUMMER) DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 95 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take US 60 east to the town of Globe. Once in Globe, watch for the sign that says: “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station”. Leave the freeway here and follow the signs toward the ruins. After driving under the pedestrian overpass, and past the ruins, turn right on Icehouse Canyon Road (Forest Road 112) and go 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite where there’s a hiker sign on the left that reads: “197, 192”. If the gate to the campsite is locked, just park in the pullouts along the road. INFORMATION: Globe Ranger District (928) 402-6200 http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/SixshooterTrail197.pdf

TELEPHONE TRAIL

TELEPHONE TRAIL Pinal Mountain, Tonto National Forest FIRE NOTE: As of July 22, 2010, the Mill 2 Fire was still impacting this area. Check with the ranger before heading out! The least traveled of the four major uphill routes in the Pinals, this one is not to be missed. Traversing both ridgelines with hazy views of the mines surrounding Globe-Miami and heavily-wooded ravines, trail #192 follows an underground telephone line supplying service to the summer cabins and communication towers on the peaks. The trail ends at the Sixshooter Canyon trail #197 junction where you can either return the way you came or instead follow 197 back to the trailhead—the distance is about the same. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse, so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853 LENGTH: 10 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 6,720 feet RATING: difficult GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take US 60 east to the town of Globe. Once in Globe, watch for the sign that says: “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station”. Leave the freeway here and follow the signs toward the ruins. After driving under the pedestrian overpass, and past the ruins, turn right on Icehouse Canyon Road (Forest Road 112) and go 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite where there’s a hiker sign on the left that reads: “197, 192”. If the gate to the campsite is locked, just park in the pullouts along the road INFORMATION: Globe Ranger District (928) 402-6200, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/TelephoneTrail192.pdf

KELLNER CANYON

KELLNER CANYON Pinal Mountains, Tonto National Forest
Relics of mining and logging operations, a cave, views of Globe-Miami and some of the grandest populations of manzanita shrubs anywhere are just a few of the many points of interest on this trail. HIKE DIRECTIONS: From the campsite, hike up Forest Road 112 to Telephone Trail #192 on the right. The sign is located about 20 feet uphill in a small dirt turnout along the road. Follow #192 for 0.2 miles to the signed junction for Icehouse Canyon #198. Head downhill to the right and pass through a cattle gate. From here, go right and steeply uphill to the wide road at the top of the hill where you will see a “road closed” sign. Don’t worry, it is not meant for hikers. Head left and follow the road for approximately 1.3 miles to the signed Kellner Canyon Trail #242 junction where there’s a collection of old water tanks. Veer right onto # 242 and hike 4.8 miles to trail’s end at Forest Road 651. LENGTH: 12 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 7,160 feet RATING: difficult GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take US 60 east to the town of Globe. Once in Globe, watch for the sign that says: “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station”. Leave the freeway here and follow the signs toward the ruins. After driving under the pedestrian overpass, and past the ruins, turn right on Icehouse Canyon Road (Forest Road 112) and go 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite where there’s a hiker sign on the left that reads: “197, 192”. If the gate to the campsite is locked, just park in the pullouts along the road. INFORMATION: Globe Ranger District (928) 402-6200, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/KellnerCanyonTrail242.pdf IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse, so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853

HEADWATERS TRAIL

HEADWATERS TRAIL West Clear Creek Wilderness Looking for a challenge? This discombobulated, demolition zone of a trail offers a dour dose of adventure for denizens of danger. Perhaps that’s why, on any given weekend, droves of adrenaline junkies flock to this primitive route, which drops into the wild upper reaches of West Clear Creek. The “trail” starts at an old, non-descript wood post at the northwest end of the parking area progressing downhill through an insanely steep quagmire of dead trees, moss-encrusted boulders and scree -- for a memorable, vertical plunge. The difficult climbing ends at the bottom of the canyon where the waters of West Clear Creek lap up against contorted, towering cliffs and slender sandbars. Beyond this point, wading, swimming and bushwhacking are required to continue exploring either up or downstream. Head left to see the famous “hanging gardens”—limestone cliffs imbedded with drooping green plants---or, go right and follow the waterway to a gallery of ancient rock art. HIGHLIGHTS: be warned-- this is the steepest, wettest (and therefore the most fun) route to West Clear Creek LENGTH: 1-mile roundtrip (from the rim to the creek) ELEVATION: 6,600 – 5,950 feet RATING: insane BEST SEASONS: April - October DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 113 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Payson, go north on AZ 87 (toward Pine-Strawberry) to AZ 260. Turn left (west) and follow 260 3.1 miles to Forest Road 144, near milepost 249. Turn right (east) and go 1.8 miles to Forest Road 149, turn left (north) and continue to a 3-way junction at Forest Road 142. Go right onto FR 142 and drive 0.9 miles to Forest Road 142E on the left---this is an easy-to-miss unmarked road—if you reach Forest Road 142F, you’ve gone too far. Follow FR 142E 2.7 miles to a large, unsigned parking area. INFORMATION: refer to the Coconino National Forest map, USGS map, Calloway Butte

CLOVER CREEK

CLOVER CREEK West Clear Creek Wilderness A tributary of West Clear Creek, Clover Creek trickles through a pristine, green canyon on the Mogollon Rim. The route is a primitive path weaving back-and-forth across the shallow stream as it drifts through berry-laden brambles, willows and alders. When warmed by the sun (or trampled by the resident cattle) meadows of clover exhale an earthy-sweet perfume into the air, soothing the senses and attracting swarms of honeybees. To add physical challenge to this otherwise effortless hike, a campfire-stained cave tucked high into the canyon wall makes a short but steep side trip. This seldom-visited area was recently selected for “wilderness rehabilitation”, which means several old roads were blocked off to allow the riparian vegetation to recover. So, when visiting this verdant canyon, be sure to tread lightly, leave what you find and yield the right of way to native wildlife and resurgent vegetation. HIGHLIGHTS: seldom-visited, bucolic canyon LENGTH: 5 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 6,700 – 6,800 feet BEST SEASONS: April - October DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 150 miles roundtrip GETTING THERE:

From the junctions of SR260/87 in Payson, go north on SR87 to milepost 285 where you'll see a small parking lot and a series of forest service signs in a meadow---do not park here. Instead, turn left onto Forest Road 142, set your odometer and drive 0.5 miles to an unmarked road on the right—this is easy to miss---look for a sign that reads “no trailers, dead end”, do not take Forest Road 611---stay right. Continue on the unmarked road for 0.6 miles to the trailhead marked by a brown metal cattle gate and a sign that reads “closed to all vehicles”. Go through (or around/under) the gate and follow the informal footpaths along the water. When you get to the ruins of an old bridge/dam, veer left and follow the creek as far as you like.

2016 UPDATE: A PERMIT IS NOT REQUIRED From the FS website: Depending on the nature of the activity planned on the National Forest, a special use permit may be required. Usually groups of 12 or less, that are just hiking or camping in the wilderness, are not required to apply for a permit. The wilderness environment allows the visitor to experience an area primitive in nature, where man's presence is mostly unnoticed. In most wilderness ecosystems, larger groups may have a detrimental impact on the environment, and can affect the wilderness experience of other forest visitors. Please keep your group small to avoid this type of impact, and help us protect the integrity of these special areas.

Coconino National Forest, West Clear Creek Wilderness:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=74374

SUNSET-LITTLE BEAR-LITTLE ELDEN LOOP

SUNSET-LITTLE BEAR-LITTLE ELDEN LOOP Coconino National Forest UPDATE: As of Oct 20, 2016, Little Bear Trail is BACK OPEN. The trail had been closed for 6 years due to damage from the June 2010 Schultz Fire.
Because there are so many fine trails in Flagstaff’s Dry Lake Hills, deciding which to hike can be difficult. This “three-fer” loop hike solves the dilemma. Combining a trio of crowd-pleasing trails, this route swings around high altitude hillsides in lazy-Susan-style for a smorgasbord of sights and varying levels of difficulty. Each trail embodies a unique collection of sweet spots and curiosities. Little Bear, one of the newest trails in the area, is a narrow cut on a steep slope wandering among fir forests, crumbing bluffs and stone escarpments overlooking Sunset Crater and the Painted Desert. Sunset Trail showcases glimpses of the San Francisco Peaks as it makes a substantial climb through mixed pine-oak forests and fragrant alpine meadows. Little Elden-- the easiest segment—heads northwest through fern-laden foothills and stands of spruce trees to complete the loop. HIKE DIRECTIONS: The hike begins on the Sunset Trail with a 1.6-mile uphill climb to the Little Bear Junction. Turn left (northeast) and head 3.5 miles downhill on Little Bear to the Little Elden junction. Go left (northwest) and hike 1.7 miles back to the trailhead. HIGHLIGHTS: undulating route with lots of variety LENGTH: 6.8 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 7,200-9,000 feet RATING: difficult DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 155 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Flagstaff, go north on US 180 to Shultz Pass Road (Forest Road 420) at milepost 218.6. Turn right and continue 5 miles on FR 420 to the Sunset Trailhead on the right. INFORMATION: Peaks Ranger District (928) 526-0866, www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/little-bear-tr.shtml

WATERLINE ROAD-TUNNEL TRAIL

WATERLINE ROAD-TUNNEL TRAIL Coconino National Forest   Closed to motorized vehicles except for those used by forest service workers to maintain springs on the northeast slope of San Francisco Peaks, this wide road makes for a pleasant stroll with exceptional views of northern Arizona’s cinder cone fields. The gradual ascent is a cinch to follow and can be hiked in segments using maps available on the Forest Service Web site. Although ambitious trekkers can opt to sprint the entire length in a day, a popular alternative is to make an out-and-back hike to a 25-foot-long tunnel blasted out of a rampart of volcanic rock. HIGHLIGHTS: easy route, unique lava tunnel LENGTH: 14 miles one-way or 4 miles roundtrip to the tunnel and back ELEVATION: 8,000-10,400 feet or 9,400 to the tunnel RATING: easy DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 155 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Flagstaff, go north on US 180 to milepost 218.6 and turn right onto Schultz Pass Road (Forest Road 420). Continue 6.5 miles to Forest Road 146, turn left and go 0.7 miles to a locked gate. Park in the pullouts long the road. Roads are maintained dirt/gravel and passable by sedan, however high clearance is recommended. INFORMATION: Peaks Ranger District (928) 526-0866, http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/waterline-tr.shtml

SCHULTZ FIRE UPDATE

SCHULTZ FIRE IMPACT ON HIKING TRAILS JUNE 2010 UPDATE FOR COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST: Schultz Fire Closure Area Reduced Date: July 14, 2010 Contact: Coconino Supervisor's Office - 928-527-3600 Flagstaff, AZ —The Coconino National Forest is reducing the size of the emergency fire closure around the Schultz Fire area to allow more recreational access to areas that have been deemed safe. Though the new closure order is currently in effect, Forest Service personnel are in the process of repositioning the closure signs according to the new boundaries through today and should be finished by tomorrow. One of the greatest safety concerns within the fire area is the hazard of dead trees falling over, which will be a safety issue for a long time. In addition, because of the severity of the burn and lack of vegetation, loose rocks are rolling down the hillside posing a safety concern. The following trails and roads fall under the new reduced closure area: Schultz Pass Road (FR 420, from Schultz Pass to the north) Lockett Meadow Road (FR 552) Waterline Road (FR 146) Elden Springs Road (FR 556) Little Bear Trail Little Elden Trail Deer Hill Trail Inner Basin Trail Lockett Meadow Campground and Little Elden Springs Horse Camp Fire closures are implemented as standard fire operations procedure for public safety and firefighter safety. This modified closure to public access is in force until September 15, 2010 or later if necessary. The Closure Order and map is at http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/nepa/forest-orders/04-10-06-f.pdf. The U.S. Forest Service is still seeking information concerning the person or persons responsible for causing the Schultz Fire. To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the Schultz Fire. The Forest Service is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The Schultz fire was caused by a campfire that was abandoned without being properly extinguished in the area of Schultz Tank, Little Elden Trail, and Forest Road 420. Please call the Schultz Fire Investigations hotline at (928) 527-3508 if you have any information. Fully contained as of June 30th, this 23-square-mile, human-caused blaze took out some great trails in Flagstaff's Dry Lake Hills area. However, many others were spared and plans are already in the works to re-vegetate the burned area before erosion takes its toll. Here's the run down on what trails are open and which are closed: OPEN AS OF JULY 1, 2010: • Elden Lookout Trail • Fatmans Loop • Sandy Seep • Humphreys Peak • Kachina Trail • Christmas Tree Trail • Brookbank Trail • Pipeline Trail • Upper and Lower Oldham Trails • Rocky Ridge Trail • Schultz Creek Trail • all of Fort Valley Trail system CLOSED INDEFINITELY: • Freidlein Prairie Road • Schultz Pass Road • Elden Lookout Road • Little Bear Trail • Weatherford Trail • Inner Basin Trail • Waterline Road-Tunnel Road • Sunset Trail (from Brookbank junction to Schultz Creek Trail) • Little Elden Trail (from Heart Trail junction to Sunset Trail) I'll be posting photos from our 2009 hikes in this area soon.

MORE SUMMER HIKING TRAILS!

PHOENIX magazine Summer Hiking Guide: ON SALE NOW. Don’t let triple digit summer temperatures put a damper on your hiking habit. Keep on trekking with the July issue of PHOENIX magazine which features 21 high-country trails-personally hiked and rated by yours truly--to help you beat the heat. Extra bonus: check out three of MY DOGS modeling hiking gear on page 47. AVAILABLE AT: Safeway, Fry’s Marketplace, Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Sunflower Markets, Sprouts, Borders, Barnes & Noble, CVS, Walgreen’s, Sky Harbor Airport, Albertson’s, Fresh & Easy, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Target, Whole Foods, Basha’s, A.J.’s, La Grande Orange, The Kitchen, and area hospital gift shops WEB SITE: http://www.phoenixmag.com/ ORDER BY PHONE: 480-664-3960

ICEHOUSE CANYON

ICEHOUSE CANYON TRAIL Pinal Mountains, Globe
 It’s a bit tricky to stay on track, but with some attention to detail, hiking to the cool pockets of aspens and maples high on the slopes of the Pinal Mountains is an exhausting yet memorable adventure. From the trailhead, hike a short distance uphill along Forest Road 112 to the Telephone Trail on the right. Follow the Telephone Trail for two-tenths of a mile to the Icehouse Canyon Trail junction, hang a right and go downhill and through a dry wash. Next, pass through a cattle guard and continue up to the top of a rise. From there, go left and follow the road for a half-mile to a junction where there are spring-fed water troughs and salt licks for the domestic cattle (and black bears) that inhabit the area. Veer left and continue on the Icehouse Canyon Trail following the signs to FR 651 (7,560 feet), the turn around point for this hike. To visit Signal Peak (7,812 feet) and Pinal Peak (7,848 feet), continue up the road toward the radio towers and follow the signs. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pinal trails are notoriously overgrown and rife with obstacles. In addition, directional signage is sparse--so hikers must have excellent map and route-finding skills in order to safely navigate these trails. A good map resource is the National Geographic Maps, Salt River Canyon, Tonto National Forest #853. INFORMATION: www.natgeomaps.com/ti_853 LENGTH: 10 miles round trip ELEVATION: 4,520 – 7,560 feet RATING: difficult. BEST SEASONS: March - November (warm in summer) DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 95 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, take Highway 60 east to Globe. Once in Globe, follow the “Besh-Ba-Gowah Ruins, Globe Ranger Station” signs through downtown to Icehouse Canyon Road (FR 112). Turn right onto FR 112 and continue for 4.2 miles to the Icehouse CCC campsite which is indicated by a brown sign that says: “197, 192”. INFORMATION: (928) 402-6200, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/grd/IcehouseTrail198.pdf

HORTON CREEK-HORTON SPRING

Horton Creek-Horton Spring Tonto National Forest This popular trail never fails to please. Following shady Horton Creek for most of its length, this beautiful trail treats hikers to a non-stop show of waterfalls, fields of wildflowers, wild berries and forests of maples, alders and pines. The semi-grueling uphill jaunt pays off big time at Horton Spring where icy water gushing from a rock cliff tumbles over moss-encrusted boulders into the creek. Its impossible to get tired of this classic Arizona trail. LENGTH: 8 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 5,360 – 6,420 feet RATING: moderate BEST SEASONS: March - November DOG RATING: 3 paws DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 108 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From the junction of AZ 87 and AZ 260 in Payson, go right (east) and continue on 260 for just under 17 miles (near milepost 268), turn left onto Fish Hatchery Road (Forest Road 289) and go 1 mile to the parking area. From the parking area, hike back down the road, cross the bridge and follow the road to the Horton Campground and the signed trailhead. INFORMATION: Payson Ranger District (602) 225-5200, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rogs/hikingtrail/prd/HortonCreekTrail285.pdf

PARSONS TRAIL, MAY 2009

2023 UDATE: THIS TRAIL HAS BEEN HEAVILY DAMAGED BY FIRES, IS IN TERRIBLE CONDITION AND THE FOREST SERVICE IS NO LONGER MAINTAINING IT. Parson's Trail Coconino National Forest Revisited this remarkable canyon last summer and, as always, had a blast. Lots of water, massive red-rock cliffs, riparian forests and interesting geology make this hike a perennial favorite. Enjoy these new photos. HIGHLIGHTS: Spectacular canyon, swimming holes, riparian forests LENGTH: 7 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 3,700 – 3,200 feet RATING: easy DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 150 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Phoenix, travel north on I-17 for 90 miles to exit 287 for AZ 260. Go left (west) on 260 and continue for 14 miles to the town of Cottonwood. Once in Cottonwood, go straight through town on Main Street and Broadway (US 89A) following the signs to Tuzigoot National Monument toward the town of Clarksdale. Turn right onto the signed road to Tuzigoot, cross the Verde River Bridge (at the half-mile point) and take the first left onto Sycamore Canyon Road (CR 139). The road turns into maintained dirt and then merges into Forest Road 131. Continue for 10.5 miles following the FR 131 and the Sycamore Canyon road signs to the trailhead where there are no facilities. The dirt roads are passable by sedan but a high-clearance vehicle is recommended. INFORMATION: Red Rock Ranger District  www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/parsons-tr.shtml

18 HIKES NOT FEATURED ON THIS BLOG!!

PHOENIX magazine Summer Hiking Guide: on newsstands June 24, 2010. Don’t let triple digit summer temperatures put a damper on your hiking habit. Keep on trekking with the July issue of PHOENIX magazine which features 21 high-country trails-personally hiked and rated by yours truly--to help you beat the heat. Extra bonus: check out three of MY DOGS modeling hiking gear on page 47. AVAILABLE AT: Safeway, Fry’s Marketplace, Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Sunflower Markets, Sprouts, Borders, Barnes & Noble, CVS, Walgreen’s, Sky Harbor Airport, Albertson’s, Fresh & Easy, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Target, Whole Foods, Basha’s, A.J.’s, La Grande Orange, The Kitchen, and area hospital gift shops WEB SITE: http://www.phoenixmag.com/ ORDER BY PHONE: 480-664-3960