Great Basin Day Three - Lexington Arch & Lehman Creek

Weather:  80º, sunny

About this Hike:  Today would've been the day to re-do Wheeler Peak. The weather was perfect. I mulled it over in my mind, but decided I wanted to see more of Great Basin's back country. I opted to head south of the main park and down to the Lexington Arch.

A 10.5 mile dirt road drive takes you to the arch. While much of this falls under Bureau of Land  Management initially, the National Park Service has placed signage to make the drive in easier. The hiking trail eventually re-enters the park boundary. The dirt road is mostly hard pack, but it gets very narrow for the final few miles. It also has a lot of vegetation encroachment during these final miles. While the island of vegetation between the two-track gives one fear of a catalytic-converter ignited fire, the vegetation to the sides will most certainly pin stripe most vehicles. That all said, on a dry day like today, four-wheel drive is not necessary. 

Despite the lacking road conditions, this trail is very well maintained. Water crossings are bridged, while signage and markers help lead the way. The scenery is not great. A fire went thru this area some time ago. While the grasses and annoying vegetation have long recovered, silver toothpicks are reminders of forest lost long ago. 

The Lexington Arch was an awesome sight to behold and made up for the lackluster hike to it. There is a bench that looks up at the arch, but the trail continues past the bench. I read its well worth it to pass the bench, keep hiking, and end up underneath the arch. Judging from the topography at the front of the arch, I expected this was going to be a treacherous scramble up to the arch. In fact, the well-maintained trail traverses behind the arch and climbs it with a few switchbacks. It's much more accessible on the back side. I enjoyed cool breezes, a snack, and Great Basin views from under the arch. 

Following my backcountry adventure, I headed back into the main part of the park to explore Lehman Creek. I thought seriously about giving Wheeler another go, even with a 5.5 mile hike already under my belt. Some cloud development near the summit made me think otherwise (it never stormed today). I stuck to the plan and explored Lehman Creek Trail.

What intrigued me about this trail is the fact that it goes from Upper Lehman Campground all the way to Wheeler Peak Campground in just 3.6 miles. This is probably about a 10 mile drive up the winding mountain road to the top. 

This hike started in desert grassland and mulberry. It was hot, uphill, and exposed. Eventually it paralleled Lehman Creek. Close proximity to the creek meant more trees and more shade. That is, until the trail ascended, taking a hard turn away from the creek and traversing a meadow. Here, scenic views of Wheeler Peak came into view. 

The upper reaches of Lehman Creek Trail definitely contained the best viewpoints, forest, and shade. The trail ends in the Wheeler Peak Campground where I took a break on a bench and watched campers setting up camp for the evening. 

And speaking of camping...I think that may be one of the best ways to experience this park. Several of the campgrounds--and especially Wheeler Peak CG--offer hike-out access. One day I hope to return and complete the Wheeler Summit. I hope to do it from my campsite at Wheeler Peak Campground (and maybe in a camper van that I'll own one day). Until then, the past few days have been a wonderful opportunity to experience and learn about Great Basin.

Great Basin Day Two - Wheeler Peak Area

Weather:  55º, clouds, wind

About this Hike:  I woke up early this morning, excited to summit Wheeler Peak. I imagined a battle for parking spaces at the Summit Trailhead. I also knew that this hike is best accomplished early, before late morning thunderstorm energy starts building.

Well prepared, I was at Summit Trailhead by 7:00am. There were about three other cars in an otherwise empty lot. Wheeler Peak was not visible, shroud in gray clouds. With some sun starting peak thru over the basin valley, I thought the fog would soon burn off. After all, the forecast said high chance for thunderstorms today, so heating would be necessary in order to get those storms poppin'. 

The Wheeler Summit hike started out in beautiful aspen and conifer forest. Eventually, it went above timberline, surrounding me in a moonscape of jagged rocks. The fog hadn't lifted. In fact, it seemed heavier. And the wind was relentless. Other hikers warned me the wind was only going to get worse. 

With one mile and about 1,200 feet of elevation gain to go (meaning this was to be a vertical one mile), I made the tough call to turn back. It wasn't worth forcing it any further. The wind was treacherous and beginning to affect my balance. Even if I somehow made the summit, there would be no views to behold with the thick fog soup. 

It was now about 10:30am. What to do with the rest of this day? It was chilly and breezy, but much better conditions back at the trailhead. I moved the truck into the Bristlecone parking area and decided to do the six-mile loop hike that visits the bristlecone pine grove, passes two alpine lakes, and includes a spur to the glacier. 

While the lot was not full, this was a busy hike. The glacier trail gave me the best views of Wheeler Peak, only about 2,000 vertical feet above. In fact, for a brief time the fog lifted and I used my binoculars to try and see the summit. The fog quickly rolled back in, and a few rumbles of thunder were heard. It never ended up storming near the summit, although rain shafts were visible coming down on the distant basin valley. 

After looking at other's photos, I'm wondering if Wheeler Peak Summit is worth it? I'm sure it is, and I would love to sign the summit register and have the sense of accomplishing this. However, in terms of views, I'm not sure you'll see much more than is already visible at the myriad viewpoints and overlooks within Great Basin National Park. Honestly, the desert basin itself is not that becoming. 

I did enjoy the back half of my day. The six miles felt a lot longer. Maybe because I had expended quite a bit of energy on the failed summit attempt. Maybe because the spur to the glacier is a lot rockier and tougher than you'd expect. Regardless, I took my time and tried to read all the signage the NPS has placed in an effort to learn more about this unique place. 

I have one day left in Great Basin. I'm not so sure I'll re-attempt Wheeler, but we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Great Basin Day One - Timber Creek, Pole Canyon, & Osceola

Weather:  78º, sun, clouds, spotty showers

About this Hike:  Today starts my first of three days exploring Great Basin National Park in Nevada. Due to a cold front and subsequent thunderstorms in the area, I opted to keep today's hike in the lower elevations of the park. The cooler temps were a welcome relief, as I can't imagine doing these hikes with summer temps in the 90s. 

My first hike was South Timber Creek toward Johnson Lake. In fact, I reached a pass with a sign indicating 2.7 miles to Johnson Lake. Instead, I opted to close the loop early using Baker Meadows Trail. I did this because while 2.7 miles doesn't sound too far, the map indicated there was a lot of elevation to be gained and that it may go above timberline. With the threat of thunderstorms ever present, I decided not to venture too deep into the backcountry. I also assumed that Johnson Lake would be a puddle at best this time of year. 

After finishing the loop (and kicking myself a bit for not pushing on to Johnson Lake), I visited Pole Canyon Trail next. I enjoyed a relatively easy ascent thru riparian areas, bounded by stark gray canyon walls. Eventually I reached the upper reaches of this trail and more open meadows. The 360-degree views of mountains and the basin valley in the distance were impressive. This was early afternoon and the skies were starting to thunder. I turned around and hurried back to the Pole Canyon parking area, arriving back just before the storm blew in. It never amounted to much, and I spent some time exploring the Great Basin Visitor Center. 

With the threat of storms past, I decided on one more hike. It was going to be Lehman Creek Trail. Unfortunately my GPS had a different plan. After not notifying me of the turn, I was now on my way up the scenic parkway. This shelf road has limited turnarounds. My next chance to safely turnaround was at Osceola Ditch Trailhead, a trail I wanted to explore anyway. I decided to just hike Osceola instead since I was already at the trailhead. I hiked in a little over a mile to Mill Creek, traversing boulder fields and high desert terrain. The forest became much more lush around Mill Creek, which ended up being my turnaround point. The topography of the ditch, and much of the timber that supported this nineteenth-century mining aqueduct, are still in-tact. 

After Osceola, I was tired and it was dinner time. I'm glad to have explored the lower elevations of the park. Hopefully drier weather is in store the next couple days, because I want to spend more time up near Wheeler Peak. 

Buck Mountain Lookout

Weather:  88º, sun, occasional clouds

About this Hike:  I noticed the sign for Buck Mountain Lookout last weekend while driving up to Flagstaff. We decided to make a return visit today to check out this historic fire lookout. 

I wasn't sure how drivable FR-229 would be, but it ended up being an easy drive up to the last mile where we opted to park and begin the hike. The last spur of road up to the fire lookout is closed anyway, with a sign advising foot traffic only. 

For an historic lookout built in the 1930s, I was surprised to see a lot of modern infrastructure. I'm uncertain when this lookout officially closed. The AI answer I received was in the 1970s, but the signage and infrastructure look newer than that. While the cab is closed and boarded up, the stairs up to the tower are open. In fact, the wood decking of the tower looks surprisingly new. My research also indicated the tower underwent restoration in 2022. 

While obscured by vegetation, the views atop Buck Mountain were impressive. I especially enjoyed using my binoculars to find Apache Maid Mountain (and its fire lookout) along with Wet Beaver Wilderness. Despite their proximity, I was unable to see any of Sedona. 

During our lunch break, an Arizona Sister butterfly landed on my red hiking back. She put on quite a show, pumping her wings while using her proboscis to lap up whatever residue was on my pack. 

The day was hot, save for a few clouds and rumbles of distant thunder. We kept this hike relatively short and then headed back to Pine for beers at That Brewery. 

Bear Jaw Abineau & Walker Lake

Weather:  70º, humid, clouds, occasional light rain, sun later

About this Hike:  Triple digits are here in Arizona, even for Rim Country. I decided to head above 8,000 feet to try and get some respite from the heat. It's been a while since I've explored the Bear Jaw Abineau loop in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness north of Flagstaff. Today seemed to be the perfect day to visit again. 

When I arrived at the trailhead around noon, the sun felt scorching. I feared this was going to be an unpleasant hike. However, dark clouds were building around the Kachina Peaks. While cloud cover would offer some respite from the sun, it also could mean lightning—not something you want when climbing to above 10,000 feet. The forecast had indicated low chance of storms today, but in the mountains during an active monsoon season, a daily storm is almost inevitable. 

In the past I've hiked this loop counter-clockwise. Doing so gets the steeper portion out of the way on the ascent up the Abineau Trail, with a more gradual descent on the Bear Jaw Trail. 

The day ended up being perfect weather-wise. The clouds never thundered, but they did bring respite from the sun. When I reached the Waterline Connector Trail at the top of Abineau Peak, I received a welcome, cooling shower. By the time I reached the junction with Bear Jaw Trail to begin my descent, the sun was already back out. 

Before beginning my descent, I lingered and took in the spectacular views of the mountains and old-growth conifer forest. The Kachina Peaks look like something you'd see in Colorado or in the Rockies. With no major fires in Arizona right now, the air was reasonably clear today. There were views across the meadows studded with ancient volcanic features, reaching all the way up to the rim of the Grand Canyon. The forest floor was alive with wildflowers and colorful berries. 

While the sun came back out, once I got under the canopy of thicker forest, it offered plenty of shade. The forest transitions from high-altitude conifer to massive aspen, and then eventually old-growth ponderosas make a return. The ponderosas are never very dense in this ecosystem, but the ones that have managed to thrive above 8,000 feet are gargantuan. And there's the smell...this is a very fragrant forest. The notes of pine mix with the butterscotch-vanilla of the ponderosas. 

I had such an enjoyable afternoon on Bear Jaw Abineau that I didn't want it to end. Studying the sign and map at the trailhead, I decided on one more quick hike, this to Walker Lake. Walker Lake is a bowl-shaped ancient volcanic feature. Like most of the 'lakes' in this area, it is a meadow that floods in a wet year. 

I parked my truck just off Hart Prairie Road and followed a four-digit forest road back toward the lake. An older couple with a camper van were dispersed camping back a little ways. I could have driven back to the lake, but with an unknown four-digit forest road, I didn't want to risk it. These are often not suitable for anything more than a dirt bike or ATV. 

Walker Lake is just a grassy meadow, with a muddy puddle in the center. Despite all the monsoon action as of late, the Kachina Peaks need a winter of solid snowfall.

Regardless, today was a great day and left me wanting to come up to Flagstaff more often to explore the Inner Basin and all the other neat features this area has to offer. 

Kinder Crossing and Blue Ridge

Weather:  72º, humid, clouds, occasional light rain

About this Hike:  I went up to the rim today planning to explore the short, but interesting, hike at Kinder Crossing. I figured afterward I'd hang around along FR-95 and see what other interesting sights there are. 

I parked the truck at the road for Kinder Crossing (95T) where it intersects FR-95. I didn't want to drive far down this rough, muddy road, opting to hike in instead. I reached the rim of East Clear Creek Canyon and took in the panoramic viewpoints. The sky was growing darker and I heard distant thunder. I second guessed if I should return to the truck, but stubbornly hiked down the switchbacks into the canyon anyway. 

A family was in front of me, and I eventually caught up to them. By the looks of their gear, they were headed down to East Clear Creek to go swimming. With recent monsoon rains, I imagine East Clear Creek would be a great swimming spot. The family was none to happy to see me, frequently watching over their shoulders while they stopped to take pictures and just generally block the trail. 

I took some photos of the striking cliffs and rock formations all reflected by the waters of East Clear Creek. The family continued blocking forward progress on the trail, and the skies kept getting louder. I decided I'd seen what I came to see today, and I turned back.

The approximately 1.5 mile hike back to the truck flew by. I hoofed it out quickly, nervous of the greenish-blue tint to the storm clouds. I hoped the family in the canyon would be OK. 

 I reached the truck before the first rain drops began to fall. While FR-95 is as good of a USFS road as you'll ever get, I decided to return to pavement. I drove down to the Moqui Campground turn off and parked at a trailhead for the Arizona Trail (AZT). 

Reading a book and eating lunch, I waited out the storm. Once it seemed to have past, dropping only a little rain, I ventured out on a new-to-me segment of the AZT. From Moqui to the parking area on FR-751 (Blue Ridge Reservoir), I have not explored that segment of the AZT. In fact, I wrote it off as likely being boring. I ended up being very wrong about this. 

This part of the Blue Ridge AZT segment wanders through grassy meadows, green from all the monsoon rain, and healthy ponderosa pine forest (nice to see since most pines along AZ-87 have either burned or succumbed to beetles). The trail passes by Moqui Campground and then goes straight through Blue Ridge Campground, exiting the camping area right next to the host site. 

The trail climbed a volcanic rock formation, opening up into a wide vista. The San Francisco Peaks were visible, as was a body of water. Too shallow to be Blue Ridge Reservoir, I believe what I saw was Long Lake, or one of the other small lakes in that area. 

As I got closer to where the AZT intersects FR-751, I began to hear dogs and people. I know this to be a popular area for dispersed camping. Having hiked south on the AZT from the FR-751 trailhead previously, I opted to turn around. The skies were getting ornery again, and I didn't think there was anything more to see. 

While I dodged a couple thunderstorms, it made for a rain-cooled and pleasant atmosphere on today's hikes. While Payson was getting slammed with storms and hail, it was a surprisingly nice day in the northern part of Rim Country. 

Monsoon Desert Hike - Canyon of the Waterfalls

Weather:  75º, humid, clouds, rain

About this Hike:  Since its recent rise in social media popularity, I've become intrigued by Canyon of the Waterfalls in the Superstition Mountains. Located on the periphery of Lost Dutchman State Park off First Water Road, I've driven by this trailhead countless times without ever noticing it. 

My plan was to visit this area in the cooler months. An active monsoon this week meant cooler temps and the potential for the waterfalls to be flowing. The stars seemingly aligned for a unique desert hike during an otherwise unthinkable time of year. 

I left Payson early, fearing many others would have the same idea as me. I expected full parking along First Water Road, and I anticipated a possible muddy mess along the road. 

Upon arrival at the waterfall trailhead, I scored the last available parking spot. The road was fairly dry, and the wash that comes right after the waterfall parking area was also dry. This was despite the fact it was still raining.

I parked the truck and wondered if I should have brought my rain jacket. The rain was steady, but not heavy, and there was no lightning or thunder. The jacket would have just made me too hot. As it goes with summer rains in the desert, it never cools things down that much, but it sure does drive the humidity high. 

I found this hike to be challenging to stay on trail. As I neared the first of the rock formations, I noted a lot of slippery black rock that I had to hike up. The slickness was exacerbated by the steady rain. I feared what coming down was going to be like. While wet rocks are inherently slick, I was surprised to find that I had good traction. 

I pressed on past the rock formations, losing the trail and having to search for it several times with my hiking GPS. I followed the trail into a wash that was dry. A large rock outcropping stained black had to be navigated around. I assumed this to be one of the waterfalls, and it was definitely not flowing. 

Beyond this first waterfall, I reached a slick, steep scramble. It wasn't long, nor completely vertical, but I watched other hikers having a terrible time coming down it. Once they passed I gave it a go. The rain was picking up, adding to my overall nervousness. Having hiked in about two miles at this point, I made the tough decision to turn around. 

From a higher point on the trail, I used my binoculars to look up-canyon. I got the impression that the wash in the canyon wasn't flowing much, despite all the recent rain. One of the hikers I encountered at my turnaround point also confirmed this by calling the rest of the hike, "A would-be river." 

Shortly after turning around, the rain stopped. I followed a couple of other hikers who took a path around the slick rocks that I climbed up on the way in. This path stuck to mostly gravel and offered far better traction. This is what happens when you're hiking on an unofficial trail and relying on the footprints of those who've gone before you. 

I'm not sure if I made the right call or not by turning around. Shortly after I turned back, the rain stopped. The trail was already well on its way to drying out by the time I was back at the trailhead. A picture I found on AllTrails dated from the last couple days does show the waterfall up-canyon flowing a bit. While I can be a stubborn individual and keep pressing on in less-than-ideal circumstances, I also can be overly cautious at times. A YouTube video of this hike also indicated there may have been a narrow ledge, rock-wall clinging, and a sheer drop further up-canyon. I am very limited by my extreme fear of heights in such scenarios.  

Maybe one day I'll come back. Perhaps I'll try the waterfall canyon again on a combined trip with another relatively unknown trail in the area that has recently earned social media fame:  Triple Arch Trail.