I'm Still Here!

 STAYING OUT OF THE WAY

Yup, I'm still here.  My summertime hiking blog posts can get sporadic due to wildfires, road closures and extreme heat.  I stay away from areas that are being impacted by fire, evacuations and smoke so that first responders can do their jobs without having to deal with extra traffic and the potential for more search-and-rescue pressure.

Before heading out on a hike during fire season (which is pretty much all year now) check the Incident Information System https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/  for the locations, closure notices and status of wildfires. 

Let's do our part by staying out of the way.

Sandy Seep Trail

SANDY SEEP TRAIL

Sandy Seep Trail below east slopes of Elden Mtn

Short, easy and scenic, the Sandy Seep Trail offers quick access to a network of routes on the east flanks of Mount Elden in northeast Flagstaff.  While the 1.5-mile path makes for a sweet standalone hike, it also serves as an on-ramp for the 42-mile, city-circling Flagstaff Loop Trail and the 800+-mile, state-traversing Arizona National Scenic Trail. 

Extend the hike at the "sign vortex"

In addition, the route can be used to access two heart-pumping trails---Little Bear and Heart--that climb steep slopes to the ridgelines of Elden Mountain. 

Slimleaf lima beans bloom May - October

Located just a few clicks north of downtown off US 89, the old standard trail has been a stalwart pillar of the Mount Elden/Dry Lakes Hills trail system in Coconino National Forest. 

Mt. Elden seen from Sandy Seep Trail

Having already survived several devastating wildfires including the 1977 Radio Fire and the 2010 Schultz Fire, the trail is also within the scope of proposed changes that will improve forest health and enhance user experience in the popular recreation hub.  You can weigh in on how the changes might roll out.

Western blue flax blooms in clearings Apr-Sept

Coconino National Forest is asking for public input regarding proposed improvements to the non-motorized trails in the Mount Elden/Dry Lake Hills area in northeast Flagstaff.  Popular hiking, biking and equestrian trails in the heavily-used area have been deteriorating and a maze of unauthorized paths have resulted in environmental damage, trail-user confusion and safety concerns.  The proposed project includes plans for sustainable new trail construction, re-routes of existing trails, trailhead improvements and closure of some wildcat paths.

The public may comment online or at scheduled in-person events between June 1 and July 1, 2021.  Here’s the link to the plan maps, environmental analysis, contacts and comment form: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD917886

View of the seep from the Arizona Trail

In the meantime, hit the Sandy Seep Trail to gain an appreciation for this beautiful mountainous region and see for yourself what a re-boot will do for the area.  From the trailhead, the path is wide and easy to follow.  You’ll pass the first Arizona Trail/Flagstaff Loop junction at the 0.1-mile point before the path veers right through spotty pines and oak glens.  Views of 9,299-foot Mount Elden and 9,018-foot Little Elden Mountain bolster the trail’s western edge.  Sandy Seep Trail ends at the “sign vortex” at the 1.5-mile point.  Interestingly, the seep is not located on the eponymous trail, but a few yards ahead on the Little Elden Trail.  

Look for Spreading Dogbane June-August

Use this trail to access the Little Bear Trail

To get there, follow the Little Elden/Arizona Trail another 0.2-mile to where an Arizona Trail sign steers hikers to the right.  Within a few yards, the trail rises above a sunken basin ringed with reeds and wildflowers.

Sandy Seep is an onramp to the AZT and Flagstaff Loop

Sometimes soggy, but mostly dry, the seep is a favorite hangout for local wildlife like deer, squirrels and rabbits.  For an easy stroll, make the seep your turnaround point, or another good day hike out-and-back option is to continue another 2.7 miles to the Little Elden Springs trailhead.

Scenic spot on the Little Elden/Arizona Trail

LENGTH: 3 miles round trip for Sandy Seep or 8.4 miles roundtrip to the Little Elden Spring trailhead and back.

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,885 – 7,270 feet or 6,885 - 7,320 feet

GETTING THERE:

Sandy Seep Trailhead as described here:

In Flagstaff, take US 89 north toward Page. One half mile beyond the Townsend/Winona Road intersection, turn left onto Forest Road 9139 and continue a few yards to the trailhead.

Little Elden Spring Trailhead option:

Drive 5 miles northeast of In Flagstaff go 5 miles north on US 89 to Elden Spring Road (Forest Road 556), turn left and continue 3.5 miles to the Little Elden Springs trailhead on the right.

INFO: Coconino National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55170

Arizona Trail Association

https://aztrail.org/explore/passages/passage-32-elden-mountain/

Flagstaff Loop Trail

https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/1521/Flagstaff-Urban-Trails-Bikeways-Map

Dawa Loop

DAWA LOOP

“Where’s Fay Canyon,” the bewildered couple asked of me on the Cockscomb Trail.  “Across the road from the trailhead,” I replied.

Conifers shade a crossing of Dry Creek

With the faint aroma of marijuana drifting from their air space, they added, “Thanks, that’s the trail we want. This one stinks.”

Stinks?  Being one who picks her fights, I let the offhanded dis roll, bid them a good day and continued hiking on one of the best “stinky” trails in Sedona.

View of Doe Mountain from Cockscomb Trail

 

While Fay Canyon and the many other classic trails like Doe and Bear Mountains located along Boynton Pass Road in northwest Sedona are terrific, so are the dozens of routes that mill around the canyon-riddled landscape below the iconic big-name draws. 

Barberry shrubs bloom Apr-Jul

Offering quieter, less congested tours of Sedona’s spectacular scenery, the trails that explore the woody terrain around Dry Creek serve up myriad high-desert hike options. 

New Mexico locust bloom May-July

Like many Red Rock Country trails, the cluster south of Doe Mountain are short, interlaced and designed for easy customization. 

The route crosses Dry Creek several times

The Ok Trail traces a ledge above Dry Creek

Excellent map signs posted at trailheads and along the trails make it easy to plan a hike to suit individual preferences.  There are no bad choices.  None stink.  One circuit to try uses the Cockscomb, Dawa, Ok and Arizona Cypress trails for an interesting lollipop loop.  From the Fay Canyon trailhead, head out on the Cockscomb Trail. 

Tufted evening primrose bloom Apr-Nov

This 0.9-mile tether trail passes through sunny meadows and rolling hills with great views of Doe Mountain to the west and Mescal Mountain on the northeast horizon. where At the signed Dawa Trail junction, veer left to begin the first leg of the hike’s loop segment. 

Cockscomb formation seen from Dawa Trail

Here, mountain views begin to recede as vegetation thickens with pinon pines, cypress and New Mexico locust towering over prickly barberry shrubs. The first of several crossings of Dry Creek, which usually lives up to its name, comes just before the 1.7-mile point, where the route turns right onto the Ok Trail.  Over its shady, 0.2-mile length, the Ok Trail traces the ledges above the creek before it meets the Arizona Cypress Trail. 

A late-blooming Strawberry hedgehog cactus

At the junction sign, continue straight ahead, past a huge Arizona Walnut tree to where the trail makes another crossing of the creek.  Strewn with colorful river rocks and tumbled pebbles, the creek channel here includes a ragged wall of scoured red earth.

Desert four o'clock bloom Apr-Sept

 

Engelmann's prickly pear cacti bloom Apr-Jun

Living up to its name, the Arizona Cypress Trail is lined with hundreds of the eponymous shaggy-bark conifers, including a massive, decaying specimen just past the creek cross. 

Mescal Mountain (center) seen from Dawa Trail

It takes at three-person chain to hug the trunk of the not-quite-totally-dead tree.  Look closely and you’ll see a few living branches sprouting from the last viable sapwood of the ancient tree.  

Narrowleaf penstemon bloom Jun-Aug

This mostly viewless leg of the route parallels the creek for a half-mile, then reconnects with the south arm of the Dawa Trail.  As the path climbs out of the creek channel, it unpacks a fresh set of vistas.  

The Arizona Cypress Trail lives up to its name

To the southeast, the familiar forms of Courthouse Butte, Capitol Butte and Chimney Rock stand out above green canopies.  Gradually, the close-knit creekside greenery gives way to exposed ridges where cacti, wildflowers and blooming shrubs thrive in red-tinged soils.  

Teeny-weeny Miniature wool star bloom Mar-Jun

In just under a mile, the route returns to the first Dawa Trail junction, where you’ll retrace your steps on the Cockscomb Trail back to the trailhead or use the map signs to add more miles.

Map signs make navigation easy

LENGTH: 4.2-miles

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 4,334 – 4,569 feet

GETTING THERE:

Fay Canyon Trailhead.

From the State Route 179/89A traffic circle in Sedona, veer left and go 3.2 miles on SR 89A to Dry Creek Road. Turn right and continue 4.5 miles on Dry Creek Road to the Boynton Canyon Road intersection, turn left onto Boynton Pass Road and go 0.5-mile to the trailhead on the left. There’s a restroom at the trailhead. A Red Rock Pass is not required.

INFO:https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=54974

Fire Restrictions VIDEO

ALL OF ARIZONA IS NOW IN STATE 1 FIRE RESTRICTIONS

This week, I had the opportunity to interview Matt McGrath, District Ranger Coconino National Forest and True Brown Fire Operations Manager about fire restrictions and what hikers and campers can do to prevent wildfires.  They also discuss some the role of forest thinning and prescribed burns in maintaining forest health and reducing the risk of catastrophic fire. 

PLEASE VIEW THIS VIDEO BEFORE HEADING INTO THE FORESTS FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7my-Qi5Stg

Little Horse Trail

LITTLE HORSE TRAIL

Water pools in a drainage on Little Horse Trail

When driving north on Interstate 17 toward Flagstaff, there comes a point when high-desert scrub gives way to Ponderosa pines.  

Deep woods on a ledgy section of Little Horse Trail

The vegetation transition begins on an uphill grade around milepost 311 and quicky evolves into full-blown high country pine forests.  This is a happy summer rite of passage for travelers looking to escape desert summer heat.  By the time the freeway reaches Munds Park, a mountain hamlet 20 miles south of Flagstaff that’s known for its abundant outdoor recreation opportunities, heat-weary travelers are ready to pull over and take a walk in the woods.

Hike begins at the Pinewood trailhead in Munds Park

Munds Park is a great place to do so.  The area is home to the Munds Park and Kelly OHV trail systems which combine for over 100 miles of hiker and shared-use trails, that debark from easy-to-reach trailheads.  A good start point for exploring this shady stretch of Coconino National Forest just west of Mormon Lake is the Little Horse Trail that begins at the Pinewood trailhead located just 2 miles from Interstate 17.

Nelson's larkspur grows in sunny meadows

The shared use route wanders through cool woodlands between Munds Park and Mormon Lake.

Simple and shaded, the hike follows a dirt path that’s open to hikers, equestrians, bikes and small motorized vehicles. 

Water and pines make for a cool summer hike

The first mile roughly traces Forest Road 240 where dispersed campsites fill up quickly in summer before swerving away from the road and onto ledges above a shallow canyon. 

There are over 100 miles of trails in the area

Over the barely noticeable 200-foot climb, the route passes through dense tree cover dominated by Ponderosa pines, Gamble oaks and New Mexico locust.  Two miles in, glimpses of the green

drainage area below, and if you have a sharp eye, communication towers on Mormon Mountain to the east peek through tree branches. 

Rocky Mountain iris bloom in May -June

Right about where the route begins an easy dip into the drainage, a pool of residual water sits in a sunny clearing surrounded by a jagged rock wall and a moist swale where Rocky Mountain irises add blazes of purple in May and June.  

Woodhouse's phlox grows abundantly on the trail

A few yards east of the water, the trail crosses the drainage, heads up an embankment and meets Forest Road 700 F.  Up to this point, the trail seems to cater more to foot traffic and bikes, but once past FR700F, it’s an OHV paradise.  That’s why, for hikers, the road is a good turnaround point for an easy six-miler.

Watch for signs where the trail crosses a drainage

LENGTH: 6 miles roundtrip  to FR 700 F and back

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,781 – 7,008 feet

GETTING THERE:

Pinewood Trailhead

From Interstate 17, take the Munds Park exit #322 and continue 2 miles east on Pinewood Boulevard (Forest Road 240) to the parking area on the left.  Trail begins at the north end of the lot. Roads are paved with a short section of maintained dirt that's fine for all vehicles.

INFO & MAPS:

http://www.mundsparktrailstewards.com/

 

Mormon Lake Lookout Site

MORMON LAKE LOOKOUT SITE

Gate on Mormon Lake Lookout road

There are few certainties in life, but one fixed reality is, things fall apart.  Whether a star dying in a spectacular super nova or the protracted disintegration of a favorite pair of shoes, sooner or later everything in the taxonomy of the natural world will expire.  While we are dialed-in to the mundane disintegrations that go on right under our noses every day (oil in a car, paint on house, cells in our brains) the slow-burn of obsolescence and decay on mountain back roads reads more poetic than prosaic.  

Cinder pit along FR 124C

Perhaps because we don’t look at them every day, the breakdown of land forms and back woods human-made artifacts barely registers.  And since we’re not scrambling to fix them, they exist as curiosities instead of problems.

Masonry box at Iowa Camp Spring

A stroll along Forest Road 124C near Mormon Lake exposes several sites where falling apart happens with engaging style.

Pine thermopsis bloom April - July

 Located at the south end of the Arizona’s largest natural lake, FR124C in Coconino National Forest is a rough two-track open to motorized travel that traces the edge of Anderson Mesa in the plateau lakes region 25 miles south of Flagstaff. 

View from the abandoned lookout site

The road makes a moderate, steady climb heading toward an unnamed hill where the Mormon Lake fire lookout tower once stood.  From the start, the route enters a forest dominated by ponderosa pines and gamble oaks, steering away from the whir of cars passing on Lake Mary Road.  At the 0.3-mile point, a narrow side road on the left leads to a cinder pit that looks like a miniature version of Red Mountain, a collapsed cinder cone volcano north of Flagstaff.  The pit, which is sometimes used by recreational shooters, is a long, broken cliff of volcanic rock with ashen hoodoos eroding out of a cascade of crumbling red cinders.  Volcanic features like this one can form over weeks to years but take millions of years to break down as is happening here.

Summit views are sparse but breathtaking

Beyond the pit, the road enters a higher eco-zone where Douglas, white and cork bark fir trees mingle with the pines.  Between the branches, glimpses of Mormon Lake going through one of its cyclical breakdowns appears as a golden pasture where during wetter years, a shallow lake fills the bowl-like depression.  As the forest grows thicker and the road becomes steeper, a pop of wildflower color gives away the location of the moist environment around Iowa Camp Spring.  Take the non-motorized Forest Road 9474D detour and hike a few yards to visit the site and its stone-masonry spring box.  Trees, shrubs and time are encroaching the historic artifact that looks as if it’s been a while since water flowed in more than a trickle from its rusted pipes.  Around the point where the road reaches 7,600 feet in elevation, a small grove of aspen trees stands in a drainage on the right. 

FR124B leads to the lookout site

Fremont barberry blooms April - July

Aspens have been in a decades-long decline in Northern Arizona.  Stressed by insects, pathogens, drought, frost, browsing elk and dense forests that block sunlight, the trees that reproduce mostly by sprouting root systems that can be viable for up to thousands of years are not regenerating at a healthy rate.  Forest scientists are trying to figure out what is causing the dieback and how best to manage the situation. 

Rubble marks the location of the old fire lookout

Mixed conifir woodlands along FR 124C

At the 2.2-mile point, the road comes to a fork where Forest Road 124B, a non-motorized dirt road, swerves off to the right.  This junction is signed, but the road number post is not easy to spot.

Aspens are in decline in Coconino NF

 FR124B leads to the abandoned lookout site, gaining 277 feet in just under a mile.  Near the top of the hill, there’s a metal gate and a trail log marking the final 0.2-mile walk to the summit.  On top, the views that can be found in the spaces between trees are sparse but breathtaking. 

Mormon Mountain (right) seen from the trailhead

A jumble of boulders hint at the recent decommissioning and demolition of the former Mormon Lake Lookout and cabin.  The site was home to a wooden lookout built in 1915 that was replaced in 1927 with a 48-foot metal tower topped with a 7 x 7-foot cab.

Dry Mormon Lake (center) sen from FR 124C

 It’s unclear why the fire watch tower was abandoned, but the Hutch Mountain Lookout to the south seems a likely usurper. 

Eroding hoodoos at the cinder pit site

Judging from backhoe marks on boulders strewn on the site, the tower’s demise was planned, swift and clean, unlike the other falling apart things along the roads leading to it.

LENGTH:  5.9 miles round trip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  7,109- 7,977 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Flagstaff, go 25.6 miles south on Lake Mary Road (County Road 3) to Forest Road 124C on the left past milepost 319.  Park in the dirt turnouts. 

INFO:

http://nhlr.org/lookouts/us/az/mormon-lake-lookout/