SEDONA FALL COLOR UPDATE 2011: HUCKABY TRAIL

Fall color is arriving later than usual along the US 89A strip of Oak Creek this year. Although we found sprigs of blazing red sumac and some nice golden sycamores, willows and common hop trees, peak color has yet to arrive. The next couple of weeks will be splendid. 

Crossing Oak Creek--you WILL get wet

HUCKABY TRAIL

Sedona

Arizona sycamore

Ever drive up US89A to the spot near Grasshopper Point and Midgley Bridge?  Yup—it's a madhouse, especially in autumn when the sycamores, cottonwoods and willows lining Oak Creek take on gorgeous tawny hues.  Swarms of visitors scramble for coveted parking spots along this scenic and precipitous curve in US89A in order to hike, bike or simply take in the views from the road.  An alternative way to get to the sweet color spots under the bridge with (somewhat) less congestion is to begin hiking three miles downstream at the Schnebly Hill trailhead and follow the Huckaby Trail to the creek.

This relatively new trail (est. 1998) starts out in classic Sedona, yucca-and-cypress-studded, high-desert terrain, then dips into the shady, riparian corridor of Oak Creek Canyon via a series of moderately challenging twists and turns.  Near the 2.3-mile point, the route meets the creek where you’ll have to rock-hop or do a knee-deep wade to the west bank in order to complete the final 0.3-mile  uphill leg to US89A and the north end of Midgley Bridgley.

LENGTH:  5.2 miles roundtrip

RATING:  moderate

ELEVATION:  4,500' – 4,300'

FACILITIES: Huckaby Trailhead: restroom, picnic tables.  None at Midgely Bridge trailhead.

FEE: A Red Rock Pass is required: $5 daily fee per vehicle. The permit kiosk at Huckaby trailhead was not working on 10-22-11.  That's why it's smart to purchase your pass at  local vendors like Circle-K, cuz, the trailhead kiosks seldom work (at least in my experience). We also saw a ranger checking windshields for passes today. Check out this link to learn more about the Red Rock Pass Program:

  http://www.redrockcountry.org/passes-and-permits/index.shtml

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 125 mile one-way

GETTING THERE:

SCHNEBLY HILL TRAILHEAD:

From Phoenix, go  north on I-17 to exit 298 (SR179 for Sedona-Oak Creek).  At the bottom of the offramp, turn left (west) and follow SR179 to Schnebly Hill Road in Sedona, located at the  traffic circle/bridge over Oak Creek (and before the Talaquepaque center).  Veer right thru the traffic circle, and go 0.8 mile  on Schnebly Hill Road to the trailhead (signed for Margs Draw, Munds Wagon and Huckaby) on the left.  Roads are 100% paved.

MIDGELY BRIDGE TRAILHEAD:

From I-17, follow SR179 to the “Y” junction with US89A in Sedona. Veer right through the traffic circle and go 1.9 miles north on 89A to the parking area on the northwest side (left) of the bridge.  The trail begins under the bridge.  Roads are 100% paved.

INFO: Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National Forest, 928-282-4119

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/huckaby-tr.shtml

MORE PHOTOS:

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PAYSON FALL COLOR REPORT 2011: MOGOLLON RIM

BARBERSHOP TRAIL #91

LENGTH: 4.5 miles one way
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 7,200 – 7,600 feet
PEAK COLOR: early to late October
GETTING THERE: From the intersection of SR87 and SR260 in Payson, go east (right) on SR260 and drive 30 miles to Rim Road (Forest Road 300, which is located across from the Rim Visitor Center). Follow FR 300 for 23 miles to Forest Road 137. Turn right on FR 137 and drive 4 miles to the trailhead, which is located across the road from Buck Springs Cabin. FR300 is maintained dirt--usually ok for passenger cars but with a few dodgy spots.
INFO: Coconino National Forest, Mogollon Rim Ranger District, (928) 477-2255,
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/mog_rim/barbershop-tr.shtml

Typical view along Forest Road 300 "Rim Road"

SEDONA FALL COLOR UPDATE 2011: WEST FORK OF OAK CREEK

Just got back from Sedona where fall color is really starting to show.  The next two weeks should be primo.  These photos were taken yesterday. 

WEST FORK OF OAK CREEK

Sedona

Combining all of what makes Arizona's Red Rock Country great, this trail through a wilderness of rock, water and wetland vegetation really draws the crowds.  Soaring walls of buff-and-salmon-colored sandstone squeeze the trail into a sliver-like break in the landscape where the chilly waters of Oak Creek cascading over slick rock have sculpted stony bends and bizarre overhangs in the soft stone.  Perennial water feeds a rich strip of trees, shrubs and grasses forming a stunning contrast with the surrounding high desert where cypress, yuccas and cactuses put down tenacious roots in the arid, sandy soils.

Because of its extraordinary beauty,

everybody knows about this place. Every. Body.  And not just Arizonans---it's common to hear fellow hikers on this world-famous trail chatting in Japanese, Dutch, Russian, Farsi and countless other languages.  Seriously, people come from everywhere to experience this rare pocket of paradise in the high desert---especially in fall.  You'll see why about 10 minutes into the hike. 

LENGTH:  3.3 miles one-way (on trail) OR up to 14 miles (with wading, swimming & climbing)

ELEVATION:  5,280’ – 5,520’

RATING:  easy (on trail), moderate –difficult beyond trail’s end

KID FRIENDLY:  yes

DOGS: must be on leash

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go north on I-17 to exit 298 (Oak Creek-Sedona) for SR 179.  Go left (west) on SR179 and continue to the “Y” intersection with SR89A in Sedona.  Veer right (northeast) on 89A and go 10.5 miles to the Call of the Canyon Day Use Area (between mileposts 384 & 385) on the left (west) side of the road.  Roads are 100% paved.

FEE: $9 daily fee per vehicle. $2 per-person-daily-fee for walk-in or bike-in.

HOURS:  9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (summer), 9 a.m. to dusk (winter). The gate usually opens around 8 a.m.. Use the self-pay kiosk if an attendant is not available. The parking lots fills up quicky on weekends and high seasons---so arrive early.

INFO: Coconino National Forest, Red Rock Ranger District

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/westfork-tr.shtml, (928) 282-4119

MORE PHOTOS:

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