Weather: 60ยบ, heavy cloud cover, humid
About this Hike: Just about every weekend for the past month has brought rain. Arizona is receiving a lot of tropical moisture off the Pacific this year in a deluge that reminds me of the falls in 2018 and 2019. Despite the rain, I have found breaks in the downpours long enough to get out and go hiking every weekend.
In recent past weekends I've noted that despite the rain most creeks and arroyos are dry. This finally changed. With nearly three inches of fresh rain in my backyard gauge this morning, creeks I've never seen flow before were chocolate-milk torrents today. But with radar indicating a break in the rain for most of Saturday, we couldn't keep our boots off the trail.
We opted to drive up to Mormon Mountain between Rim Country and Flagstaff. Not only would the cloudy, damp conditions create unique scenery, but we anticipated some fall color in the aspen stands at the top of the mountain.
Ours was the only vehicle parked at the Mormon Trailhead parking area at the Dairy Springs Campground. A few brave tent campers were setup in the campground. The peak of Mormon Mountain was hidden by thick, gray clouds.
The Mormon Mountain trail climbs 1,200 feet, yet it's never very steep. The climb is gradual and without narrow switchbacks and steep inclines. The trail is excellent and receives regular maintenance. I've done this climb once before, but it seems I failed to appreciate the thick, old-growth forest this hike traverses.
Making it more magical was the damp conditions that are so rare for Arizona. As we climbed higher toward the summit at 8,400 feet we began to get into fog. The fog was like smoke, often swirling around us, but never so thick as to impede visibility. The old-growth trees were covered in pale-green moss. The unique gray light, the fog, and the lichens made this feel like an enchanted—if not slightly creepy—forest.
The aspen fall color was hit or miss. Some were still green while others were starting to show a few yellow leaves. At the summit was where we found some peak fall color in the aspens. We ate lunch near the communications towers on top and then began the trek down. While we had cell service at the summit we checked the weather. It appeared a thunderstorm may be blowing in, although this never materialized—thankfully. In fact, we experienced no rain the entire afternoon, although the low, gray clouds indicated the heavens could unleash at any moment.
As we hiked down, we appreciated the warming temperatures compared with the chilly, windy summit. Eventually we got out of the gray clouds that were hugging the top of the mountain. There was even some occasional sunshine breaking through the clouds. We paused at the viewpoint over Mormon Lake. Despite the rain, it's still dry as can be, although now there were a few puddles in the middle. I don't think Flagstaff and the Mormon Lake area received quite as much rain as we did in Payson.
Today we could have chose to play it safe and stayed home. The weather didn't look promising. But I'm glad we got out. Not only did the weather cooperate, but we got to hike in some conditions that probably come around only once in many months. Today was a beautiful fall hike in an area we've been exploring so often as of late—the stretch between Rim Country and Flagstaff.
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