Babe Haught Trail

Weather:  67º, mostly cloudy, humid, light showers

About this Hike:  Over the past few weeks I've developed a renewed interest in the Mogollon Rim. I guess I should, considering it's right in my backyard. 

After exploring along Promontory Butte last weekend, I took note of the Babe Haught Trail. Access to this one is easy if you start below the rim. The trailhead parking is along paved FR-289 right at the entrance to the Tonto Fish Hatchery. If you access the trail from the 300 road on the rim, it's a much longer drive—almost all the way to Knoll Lake. 

Rim Country has seen multiple inches of rain in the last week. Friday alone brought two inches to my backyard rain gauge in Payson, and I would imagine the rim got even more. This in part drove my decision to choose a trail with paved-road access. I did not think today was a good day for dirt roads. 

In fact, I wasn't sure today was a good day to go hiking period. The rain chances were still fairly high this morning. The skies were full of grey and white billowy clouds that occasionally broke to let the sun shine through. Even though the rain had let up, I thought the trails may be muddy. 

With brilliant sunshine illuminating Payson by mid morning I couldn't help myself. I opted to give the Babe Haught hike a try. This ended up being one of those rare times where I rolled the dice and won. 

Despite all the rain, the Babe Haught Trail wasn't muddy at all. The ground was a little soft, but this only aided in traction on the steeper sections. And speaking of steepness, compared to the trails I did last weekend—Promontory and Horton Spring—Babe Haught has a more gradual climb up the rim. It's not as vertical as the two aforementioned trails. The trail is mostly exposed and traverses through thick manzanita punctuated by burned juniper stumps. It also goes through a vein of the rim made of red sandstone that I like to call 'Sedona.' 

Upon cresting the rim, I was greeted by a distant elk bugle and enjoyed just over a mile of flat hiking through forest. I imagine somewhere in the distant past this area burned. The ponderosas are younger, albeit not tiny by any means. They're also clustered closely together with their sharp lower branches all intertwined like a forest of razor blades. This reminded me a little of the lodgepole pine growth seen in Yellowstone. 

Babe Haught reaches the 300 road and then crosses over it, indicated by signage. This is where the scenery really became enjoyable. While not quite to the level of my Barbershop Canyon hike a few weekends ago, this part of Babe Haught is full of old-growth firs, occasional spruces, and plenty of ponderosas. The trail began to follow a ravine eventually dropping down. In this little canyon a bull elk was bugling loudly. Gratefully I only heard him but never saw him. I'd rather not encounter bull elks, especially during the fall rut. 

I followed the trail along the creek which was surprisingly dry save for a few pools of standing water. With all the flash flooding we've seen this week in Globe and Phoenix this week, one must wonder where all the water is going on the rim...

The goal of this hike was to reach the southeast fork of Knoll Lake. Speaking of missing water, Knoll Lake is so low that I was able to hike over the sandy creek bed that probably is the lake bottom when the lake is full to capacity.  I'm not sure why this wasn't a muddy mess. Eventually the lake came into view. The water is the lowest I've ever seen it, and more of the namesake knoll in the middle is jutting out. I also spied people on the exposed, rocky shoreline. They were all bundled up in hoodies and jackets as a cool wind was blowing off the lake. 

Knoll Lake was my turnaround point. I pondered how getting to Knoll Lake for kayaking is a long, arduous drive on dirt roads, and yet I can hike it from the bottom of the rim in just under four miles. Up until this time I had enjoyed dry weather. This changed as I left the lake. A few spotty rains gave me a shower, although it was always light and short-lived. Thankfully there was no thunder or lightning. 

As I reached the edge of the rim and was beginning my descent back to Hatchery Trailhead, I watched rain curtains move in from the not-so-distant mountains. When these reached the edge of the rim they formed something of a mist, and the rain was never more than sprinkles. 

I arrived back home in Payson grateful for being able to squeeze in this hike on a day when I wasn't sure conditions would cooperate. In fact, I made it home just in time. As I changed out of my hiking clothes it began to thunder and lightning, all accompanied by an epic downpour. 

Promontory Highline Horton Loop

Weather:  70º, sun and clouds, humid

About this Hike:   Promontory Butte on the rim has captured my interest as of late. This area suffered fire damage during the Horton Fire last December, but finally reopened a couple months ago. 

Promontory Butte is accessed from Rim Road 300 via FR-76. I drove down 76 and then turned onto 76B. The map indicated that Promontory Trail was located down 76B. I anticipated this road may not be drivable, but in fact it was a decent road. Narrow for sure, but not wash boarded or rutted. With the area having received a good dose of rain Thursday night going into Friday, I anticipated (correctly) there would be some standing water. About halfway down the 76B road I encountered a big mud puddle and noticed a good parking area off to the side. Fearful of getting stuck in mud, I opted to park the truck and hike to the trailhead, no more than 7-10 minutes away. At the trailhead was a huge class A motorhome and a family campout. Guess that mud puddle wasn't a big deal after all... 

There is an overlook at the Promontory Trailhead. I set down my hiking pole on a rock and planned to take in the view. The rock began rattling at me. Carefully, I grabbed my hiking pole and opted to just start heading down Promontory Trail.

Going down Promontory was not particularly enjoyable. The Horton Fire wasn't super high intensity, and most trees are still intact. Unfortunately many of them have died regardless. It was a slow, steep grind down Promontory, although the trail itself is in good shape and easy to follow. The moist, but not muddy, ground helped with traction, although I still got down on all fours a few times to mitigate fall risk.

Eventually I reached the junction with Highline Trail. The signpost is still there, but the sign is gone. An orange piece of ribbon with black polka dots adorned the tree,  a relic from the Mogollon Monster 100 two weeks ago (see my Barbershop Canyon blog). 

I anticipated making up some time on Highline since it is a great trail and used for mountain biking. I did make good time. Such good time that when I checked my All Trails map it showed I had missed some sort of turn off for Horton Spring Trail. The plan was to use Horton to hike back up the rim. Panicked, I doubled back close to a mile. The supposed trail junction was nowhere to be found. I recalled reading that Highline was re-routed in places a few years ago. With relatively close proximity to Christopher Creek, I was able to get cell service. Google Maps indicated I was on the new Highline trail. Meaning I had doubled back in vain, and now had to re-hike this segment of the trail.

I continued on with All Trails showing me wandering somewhere in the wilderness, albeit roughly parallel to Highline Trail. All Trails map needs to be updated to the new Highline routing. Eventually Highline did intersect Horton at the namesake Horton Spring. This was one of the few pretty areas of the hike with lush foliage and the flowing spring. Most of this section of Highline was fire damaged. 

The climb up Horton was short and very steep. It got to me more than I expected, and I took frequent rest breaks. I honestly think the bad energy in the dead forest along Highline had something to do with it. Eventually back up on the rim, I stopped in a shaded area with some nice flat boulders and had lunch. I didn't feel great, likely needing some electrolytes. 

The final push to close the loop was about four miles along the 300 road, but using General Crook Trail as much as possible to circumvent the road. General Crook proved hard to find and follow. I ended up getting myself lost in the woods. I told myself not to panic as I observed orange slashes on many of the trees and some crushed beer cans littering the forest floor. Obviously I wasn't too far from civilization. I found a dozer line, likely a fire containment feature from last December. I followed this to an un-mapped road which took me back to 300. I gave up on the General, opting to follow 300. Despite what All Trails shows, I believe General Crook simply is the 300 road, at least in this section. 

I did find a great shortcut that worked for me cutting from 300 road back down to the 76 road. I was more sore and tired than I should have been after ~1,800 feet elevation gain and 11 miles. 

The highlight of today's trip ended up not being the hike. I bet this area was beautiful just a year ago, but last December's unfortunate fire changed that. No, the highlight was after getting back to the truck I drove the remaining couple miles of 76 out to Promontory Butte Lookout. The nearly 360 degree views of Central Arizona were breathtaking. I could see Payson in the distance and even found my neighborhood through my binoculars. Maybe with a telescope I could find my street or even my house? 

There were quite a few people dispersed camping at the overlook. And that got me thinking... I would love to camp here and enjoy the overlook in early morning light. Today's late-afternoon light cast harsh shadows and obscured some of the views.

While I don't plan on hiking the Promontory-Highline-Horton loop again anytime soon, I might just need to bring a tent and come back to the overlook....

Arizona Trail - Turkey Mountain

Weather:  73º, sun

About this Hike:   Today we visited another segment of the Arizona Trail up in the area near Happy Jack. This summer we've been exploring various segments of the Arizona Trail, usually accessed off Lake Mary Road between Payson, Happy Jack, and Flagstaff. 

Today the plan was to visit a place called Turkey Mountain. I didn't expect much from this so-called "mountain," but was also curious why it merits a sign pointing it out from Lake Mary Road. 

I mapped the drive in via Forest Road 93, which is the signed turn-off from Lake Mary to Turkey Mountain. All of the dirt forest roads in this area have been excellent graded gravel. With this being a lower-numbered road (usually more accessible to vehicles per the USFS road numbering guidelines), I expected more of the same. And at first it was... Unfortunately, a few miles in smooth, graded gravel gave way to a narrower, rockier road. It quickly became rutted and with steep stair-step ledges. My Tacoma probably could have handled it. However, I was still three miles from where I intended to join Arizona Trail and start the hike. I didn't have the energy for a drive like this today. 

After studying the map, I opted to return to Lake Mary Road and turn at Forest Road 211 in Happy Jack. This proved to be a good choice. We parked the truck at FR-211 and a short ATV road thru Jack's Canyon. I could have continued up FR-211 and turned onto FR-82, but we short-cutted a big corner by doing it this way, plus I was sick of driving at this point, my legs eager to hit the trail. 

The short hike thru Jack's Canyon was enjoyable as it followed a dry, winding creek bed with some neat rock formations. The ponderosa forest in much of Jack's Canyon seems to have suffered some recent fire damage. Not enough to torch the crowns of the trees, but enough that the younger, smaller ponderosas are all dead now. I dubbed it "Arizona's Black Forest." 

The next segment of the hike involved a walk along FR-82. This was another excellent dirt and gravel road. In retrospect, I wish I would have mapped the FR-211 to FR-82 route and had just done this in the first place, but then I never expected FR-93 to be so bad. 

We walked FR-82 and arrived at a gated trailhead for Arizona Trail. There were a few cars parked there. I really wished at this point we had just driven up...

Regardless, this provded to be an enjoyable segment of Arizona Trail. It was nothing like the 'rainforest' we experienced on the heart of the rim last weekend. Instead of towering spruces, firs, and rocks coatted in moss, this part of the rim is all ponderosa, juniper, and an occasional oak with a grassland floor. Just the same, the grasses have all greened up nicely with the recent rain, although the numerous cattle tanks and creeks in this area were still dry as a bone. 

We eventually reached FR-93 and used that to hike back to Turkey Mountain. A white Toyota Tundra was parked out there, testament to the fact my Tacoma could've done that road. 

The hike along 93 was unpleasant. It was exposed, rough, and rocky. The landscape changed to short, fat junipers and grassland that looked more like high-desert savannah. However, the pines came back into view as we approached Turkey Mountain. With a prominence of about 300 feet, this little knoll was otherwise nothing impressive. Still I wonder, why does it merit a sign from Lake Mary Road pointing it out? Surely there's something special about it? 

We returned the way we came. It was late in the day and the light had changed, giving the forest that unique late-day glow. The hike back was a bit of a slog as were getting sore and tired. We ended up doing about 15 miles round trip which was far more than I had planned for. It was good to experience another segment of the Arizona  Trail today. 

Barbershop Trail

Weather:  70º, showers early, then mostly cloudy

About this Hike:  It's been over three years since I've visited this segment of Cabin Loop. I decided it was time to revisit. 

The original plan was to park at Buck Springs Cabins just off FR-137 and hike Barbershop up to U-Bar and visit the remains of Dane Spring Cabin. We did park at Buck Springs, and we had the entire meadow to ourselves. I found myself wishing we had brought the tents and camping gear...

As we hiked along Barbershop, it became quickly apparent that we wanted to stay on Barbershop. I've already seen Dane Spring Cabin in the past, although my hiking partner had not. 

Regardless, remaining on Barbershop was a good choice. The trail goes from thick forest of towering spruces to grassy meadows to dips into ravines and then back up again. Being as Barbershop was new territory for both of us, I felt seeing the entirety of the trail was far superior to seeing the few remaining logs of Dane Spring Cabin.

When we first started out from Buck Springs, the sun gave way to clouds. Rain showers began when we were in the ravine carved by Sand Creek. We were prepared with rain jackets, and the shower ended up being brief. It made the lush vegetation and mosses around Sand Creek have a certain quality that I named "Arizona Rainforest." 

As we crested out of Sand Creek at FR-321, we came upon a huge gathering of cars, people, and RVs. Turns out the Mogollon Monster 100-mile race was happening on this same Saturday. The gathering on 321 was an aid station. 

While we enjoyed a lot of solitude on this hike, eventually the race runners began to share the trail with us. On the narrower sections of the path we would step aside and give them space, assuming they were trying to make time to the next aid station checkpoint. While Barbershop is a well-marked and well-maintained trail, the orange flags placed along it as race-course markers were helpful too. 

I guess it would technically be a lie to say we completed all of Barbershop. We opted to turn around at FR-139. A short spur of Barbershop continues on, ending at Houston Brothers Trail.

The return hike went by faster than the outbound. When we reached the FR-321 aid station there was loud music, an announcer, and frequent siren blasts. All of this in the middle of the forest was powered by large generators and copious amounts of propane. 

As we made our way down Sand Creek ravine and back to Buck Springs, we could still hear the occasional siren blast. With Mogollon Monster being a 100-miler, I wonder if the noise was to continue all through the night. Maybe camping at Buck Springs wouldn't have been so great after all... 

Regardless, this was a perfect hike on a perfect-weather Saturday. While the 300 road is rough and unpleasant in spots, it makes me wonder why we don't visit the Rim more often; it's right in our backyard now that Payson is home. 

Pole Knoll

Weather:  79º, overcast

About this Hike:  Visiting Pole Knoll has been on the long list since at least 2018. Back then I had the intelligent idea that this could be a fun wintertime snowshoeing trip. Back in 2018 I still lived in Phoenix...

Today Payson is home and the White Mountains should be a lot more accessible. After all, Payson is just the halfway point between Phoenix and White Mountains, so now I'm already halfway there, right?  Wrong. Driving to the White Mountains is still about a three-hour, arduous affair. I shudder to think what it would be like in winter when there's enough snow to go snowshoeing. 

On Memorial Weekend this year we headed to Mt. Baldy and got turned around in Heber-Overgaard due to a crash on 260. This past weekend, the exact same thing happened. In the exact same spot. It even looked like it was the same cop turning traffic around. Talk about déjà vu. At least I was well-versed in the detour through Snowflake this time around. All in all, it took close to four hours to get to the White Mountains...from Payson. 

I spent the evening at Rainbow Campground on Big Lake and then visited Pole Knoll the following morning. It's not snowshoeing weather, but I was still glad to finally visit this site. 

The weather looked ominous with low, moody clouds and plenty of humidity. Despite high rain chances, I never experienced a drop nor a rumble of thunder. 

I hiked many of the interior trails of Pole Knoll, although there are so many that one would be hard pressed to experience them all in a day. After a while they all look the same—thick conifer forest and thicker aspen forest. That's not a bad thing... The trails are well signed and trees are adorned with blue diamond markers. I'm told these are international snowshoeing markers, hence 'Pole' in the name. Some of the trails appear to be old roads. At least one is still an active road, as I learned when a Jeep came up behind me.

I took the Summit Trail to the top of the namesake knoll and then followed Viewpoint Trail. Thick forest gave way to a nice vantage gazing down into Sunrise Lake and the lodge. The slopes and Mt. Baldy were not so far away in the distance.  

I descended from Summit and picked up Pole Knoll Loop. This trail is supposed to go around the base of the knoll. On the side facing FR-112 the well-marked trail and all the blue diamonds suddenly disappeared. So did thick forest, and it was now rocky grassland with cow pies everywhere. This area made me extremely nervous. I wandered off trail on the side of the knoll while looking down at FR-112 a few hundred yards below. In fact what I was supposed to do was follow 112; the forest road becomes the trail for a short time. 

Eventually I saw a parked truck and knew I was at the other Pole Knoll Trailhead that is accessed via FR-112. I gave up on the loop trail. It was confusing to follow and ugly scenery. I followed a trail from the 112 trailhead back into the thick, beautiful forest. 

Satisfied, I weaved my way on interior trails back to the main parking area. With several picnic ramadas, this made a nice lunch spot after my hike. As I ate, I pondered how accessible Pole Knoll is in the winter. Assuming ADOT clears 260, there is still a driveway to get back to the Pole Knoll parking lot. I doubt this gets much plowing...

Regardless of the season, after all these years I'm glad to finally check Pole Knoll off the bucket list. 

Chevelon Canyon via Telephone Ridge

Weather:  75º, sun and clouds 

About this Hike:  This one ended up being better than expected. I think this past February's hike to a Chevelon Canyon overlook inspired me to research more access points to this unique rim canyon. 

The rim has gotten some much needed rain this week, and that lended to some muddy spots on the forest roads driving in. Tired of the mud, and having failed to put traction boards in my off-road recovery kit, I opted to stop where FR-180 junctions with FR-119. It's about two miles down FR-119 to the official Telephone Trailhead. For what it's worth, 119 is narrow, rocky, and has huge ruts. The ruts were full of muddy standing water, although these have clearly been problem spots for years. Previous drivers have made new paths that go around the damaged sections of 119. 

The two-mile walk being a nice warm-up, we reached the official start of Telephone Trail. I was pleasantly surprised to find the steep descent into the canyon to be on a well-maintained, easy-to-follow footpath. We took our time ensuring good footing on the steeper sections. In short time the trail leveled out a bit. Tall pines and oaks offered some shade. We reached the meadows at the bottom of Chevelon Canyon. The namesake Chevelon Creek was flowing strong in the bottom of the canyon. 

While the official trail ends soon as you reach the canyon floor, footpaths can be identified following the creek. Chevelon is a popular route for backpackers, as the number of fire rings will attest to. We went upstream a ways, marveling at the rock formations and lush forest that define this canyon. 

The hike back up went rather easily, although two more road miles awaited us back to where I had parked the truck. At the trailhead there was now parked a Chevy Trailblazer...on street tires. I'm not sure how that car got through those muddy spots on the 119 road. I may have a 4x4 truck, but I'm a big wimp when it comes to treacherous forest roads. 

Regardless, this hike afforded spectacular Chevelon Canyon views and a nice glimpse into the interior of Chevelon's ecosystem. 

Lone Star Geyser

Weather:  72º, sun and clouds 

About this Hike: On the way to Fairy Falls I noticed the Lone Star Trailhead. I was intrigued. Further research showed an easy hike of a few miles would lead to an active geyser. I was sold. 

The hike follows a road, much of which is paved. Despite not feeling completely like a nature trail through the woods, the road does follow the Firehole River which is absolutely beautiful.

A quick side trail jaunt revealed a basin with two small geysers. One was steaming while another one filled with crystal-clear gray water frequently spurted up small eruptions. 

I continued on, looking forward to seeing the Lone Star Geyser. Soon the chalky white geyser basin came into view. In the middle was Lone Star. The geyser is a tall cone with mineral deposits coating the sides. It looks like a giant candle, especially as little wisps of steam would frequently go up out of it. 

While nothing like Old Faithful, there is an impromptu waiting area complete with signage to stay out of the geyser basin. A logbook allows visitors to track Lone Star's frequent eruptions. 

I hung around the basin area for a while anxiously hoping to witness an eruption. The geyser would boil loudly and steam would escape. Eventually a few splashes jumped up. It was a big tease, until about 30 minutes in to my wait.

At that point Lone Star began erupting, spewing hot water into the air and all down its sides. After watching these eruptions for about 30 minutes, I decided it was time to hike back. Part of me wanted to stay around longer--FOMO I guess, but for how long can one watch spewing hot water? 

Lone Star was an unplanned stop, but one that I am very glad to have enjoyed.