INTERSTATE
TRAIL
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| Canyon view point on Frog Tank Loop |
If there
has been an upside to the global pandemic, it has been in discovering hiking
destinations that are far from the hordes. After listening to a recent radio
program in which a public health expert stated that coronavirus will probably
be with us “forever”, I resolved to actively knock off the outlier trails on my ever-expanding
“someday” list.
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| Lichen and cacti grown on boulders on Interstate Trail |
While many unknowns swirl around when we might once again be
able to safely que up for that Instagram moment atop Sedona’s notoriously crowded
Devil's Bridge, what is known is that there are plenty of areas to hike that do
not require jockeying for space. One good place to find room to roam freely is
in the section of Coconino National Forest that surrounds Interstate 17 near Munds
Park 20 miles south of Flagstaff.
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| Rose hips ripen in a drainage area |
Within
this who-knew plot, the short, easy paths of the Munds Park Trail System
serve as a launch point into the meandering routes of the 100+-mile Kelly
Motorized Trail System.
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| Frog Tank is an important wildlife water source |
The
divergent shared-use routes are made up of long airy roads, repurposed railroad
beds and dirt single tracks that swoop through spaces far removed from the
masses and the Interstate Trail makes for a good segue into the maze.
To reach
this pleasant outlier, begin at the Janice Place trailhead. Follow the access
path 0.2 mile to a “T” junction at Frog Tank Loop. Before heading left to
continue the hike, look for an informal footpath behind the trail sign that
leads a few yards to an overlook above a drainage gorge. A peek into the stony
corridor that’s cluttered with willows and brambles, is a not-to-be-missed diversion.
About 0.2 mile farther down Frog Tank Loop, the trail crosses a spillway at the
mouth of the mini canyon for a close up look at the water-loving riparian
vegetation.
Beyond the
spillway crossing, continue hiking the road to the 1.3-mile point at Frog Tank
where a connector trail that leads to Forest Road 78A veers off to the left. Take a few minutes here to check out the tank which
serves as an important water source for waterfowl, deer, elk, myriad little
critters and a vociferous flock of mountain bluebirds.
From the tank, follow the signs 0.1 mile to Forest
Road 78A, cross it and pick up the Interstate Trail which is marked with a Kelly Motorized
Trail System sign.
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| Gambel oaks arch over Interstate Trail |
The route
is open to motorized use, but its narrow cut appears only wide enough to
accommodate dirt bikes. This simple north-south route makes a twisted course that
runs parallel to Interstate 17 for roughly 7 miles ending just south of the Kelly
Canyon area. Although the trail is
located only a mile east of the freeway, the hilly terrain and thick tree cover
muffles most of the noise.
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| Hike begins at the Janice Place trailhead in Munds Park |
It’s a
mostly easy walk that ducks among ponderosa pine and exposed spreads of alligator
juniper and high desert cacti with intermittent mountain vistas. But the most underappreciated and fascinating
sights along this trail can be found growing on outcroppings of volcanic rocks.
Lichens, crusty-looking composites of
fungi and algae, form a sort of natural art gallery of colorful splatters,
leafy medallions and web-like masses that cling to rock surfaces like layers of
old paint.
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| Beginning of the Interstate Trail |
Sometimes found growing alongside mosses, the microscopic organisms that
exist through a symbiotic relationship of creating and sharing nutrients are also
essential to forest and environmental health.
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| Redroot buckwheat is a common summer bloomer |
The odd organisms contribute to
soil building by helping break down rock and absorb pollutants from the atmosphere.
Although they may appear “dead”, lichens
have remarkable survival skills and can spring back to life after rains. Growths
of the blue-green, gold and rust-colored curiosities are abundant along the
trail. No two are alike.
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| Winged buckwheat blooms July - October |
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| Interstate Trail is a twisting single track route |
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| Willows, wild grapes and roses thrive in a drainage |
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| Lichen clings to a boulder on Interstate Trail |
Because an
incoming thunderstorm was moving in from the north, I decided to turn around
after just 3 miles on the Interstate trail. But, with several more miles left
to explore, I will return after a few good storms wet the area enough to coax
the lichen back to life.
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| Interstate Trail is accessed via Frog Tank Loop |
LENGTH:
8.6 miles roundtrip (as described here)
RATING:
moderate
ELEVATION: 6,446 – 7,000 feet
GETTING
THERE:
Janice
Place trailhead:
From Interstate
17 in Munds Park, take the Pinewood Blvd. exit 322. Turn right and follow Pinewood Blvd. 0.1
mile, turn left on Fairway Drive (which will turn into N. Lodge Dr.) continue
0.3 mile to Janice Place, turn right and go 0.2 mile to the trailhead on the
left.
INFO &
MAPS:
ABOUT LICHENS:
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