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.

Yellowstone Natural Bridge

Weather:  78º, stormy 

About this Hike:  Natural Bridge was one of the hikes on the original itinerary. Since this is a relatively short and straightforward hike, I stopped here while making my way down to Grant Village. 

The skies were getting cloudy when I began the hike, but the clouds were a welcome respite from the high-altitude heat. 

The hike follows an old road eventually reaching the namesake natural bridge. It is a neat feature of the park with a well-defined rock arch and a little stream trickling underneath. 

The trail goes up to the top of the bridge and you can even walk in the middle of the arch. I'm honestly surprised the park service allows this, but then I guess the bridge is fairly strong. 

I wrapped up on top of the bridge as the first rumbles of thunder began to be heard. By the time I was into the short hike back to the parking lot, it was a full on downpour. Despite lots of thunder, I never saw any lightning. The wind got much worse as I approached the parking lot. I finished just in time. Not surprising, I got caught in a small traffic jam due to a lodgepole pine that had blown down and was blocking half the main road. 

Beaver Ponds

Weather:  76º, sun 

About this Hike: Yesterday I took some time to explore the Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone.  At the hot springs I noticed the Beaver Ponds Trailhead. 

Beaver Ponds ended up being a fantastic hike. As the name implies, it takes you into the woods beyond the hot springs and to several ponds. One of them had a distinct beaver dam, while another hiker told me she saw a beaver. I waited around the beaver dam for a while, but nobody poked his head up. 

I was nervous about wildlife, having read some previous reviews of this trail. However, I started mid morning and was accompanied by a good number of other hikers. Being as this is a loop, hikers were coming from both directions. 

A beaver sighting would have been nice, but in the end I saw no wildlife. Regardless, the scenery and views were spectacular. 

Fairy Falls

Weather:  70º, sun and clouds

About this Hike:  Yesterday's rain brought some welcome cooler temps today. The higher humidity resulted in obscured views of the geothermal features. No worries though, as I wasn't about to elbow through tourists on the boardwalk around Grand Prismatic. Instead, I was planning a hike to Fairy Falls.

This is a very easy hike over flat trail and with virtually no elevation gain (unless you do the side trail to the Grand Prismatic lookout).  The relative ease, plus the fact Fairy Falls shares it's parking area with Grand Prismatic, results in a very busy trail. 

Regardless, I managed to find a few minutes of respite from the crowds. The trail winds through dense forest, eventually arriving at the namesake waterfall.

Fairy Falls is tall and narrow--a wispy, white cascade. It spills into a shallow pool at the base. There's plenty of shade and seating at the base pool, and it made a nice lunch spot. 

I wish I would have understood the All Trails map better, as it looks like hiking a little further past the falls leads to a thermal feature called Imperial Geyser. Maybe I'll check this out next time.

On the way back I took time to observe the back side of the drainage field around Grand Prismatic. The light was just so that through my polarized lenses I could see the colors of the prismatic spring reflected in the steam cloud. I was happy to enjoy this view and avoid the chaos on the boardwalk. 

Undine Falls

Weather:  80º, clouds and sprinkles

About this Hike:  After the unpleasant heat at Hellroaring, a little rain shower was a welcome relief. I visited both Wraith Falls and Undine Falls, but Undine was the more noteworthy. The trail actually begins at Lava Creek Picnic Area. I mistakenly parked first at the Undine Falls Overlook. 

The trail goes through sagebrush meadow and eventually a short side trail leads to an overlook at the top of the falls. The All Trails map continues on past this point, so I decided to see where it would lead.

Eventually the falls come into view again, but this time a lot more distant. On the hike back I noted that Wraith Falls was visible in the distance. 

Hellroaring Creek

Weather:  88º, sun and clouds

About this Hike:  After Monument, I headed to the north end of Yellowstone. Hellroaring was one of the original hikes on my itinerary. I noted this one last fall during a family trip to Yellowstone where we drove through Lamar Valley.

This hike ended in a hell-roarin' disappointment. One mile down a steep embankment, the trail reaches the Yellowstone River. A sturdy steel suspension bridge traverses the chasm. The railings are high, but they are see-thru metal mesh. It's as safe a crossing as you'll ever find. But I couldn't do it. I have severe fear of heights, and seeing down on both sides triggered a panic attack when I attempted the crossing. Sadly, my fear of heights is a hinderance to the outdoor activities I love so much... 

I intended to go one more mile to see the namesake Hellroaring Creek, but it never happened. The hike back up from the bridge was very hot and unpleasant. This wasn't one of my favorites in Yellowstone. 

Monument Geyser

Weather:  86º, sun 

About this Hike:  Monument Geyser Trailhead caught my eye while driving into the park yesterday. After my first day in Yellowstone I did some research. Monument would be my inaugural Day 2 hike. 

The hike initially parallels the Gibbon River then goes through thick lodgepole pine forest. While elevation gain is less than 1,000 feet, it comes at you fast. The climb up to the geyser basin is steep and was challenging in the high-altitude summer heat.

The reward at the end of this trail consists of a chalky geyser basin and some steaming thermal features. There's a small drainage channel from a hot spring, and the water was still sizzling. I carefully used the rocks placed over it to step accross.

Based on the dry drainage channels, I would say Monument Geyser does erupt, but I am unsure of when and how often. It was quiet when I visited. 

Ice Lake and Little Gibbon Falls

 Weather:  86º, sun 

About this Hike:  Ice Lake to Little Gibbon Falls is a loop hike. It goes back into thick lodgepole pine forest and then the namesake lake comes into view. Views are seldom very sweeping, as the lake is surrounded by thick forest. 

It was on this hike that I first began to feel very vulnerable to bears and other potentially hostile wildlife. It didn't help that shortly after starting I dropped my bear spray somewhere on the trail. Thankfully I was able to backtrack and find it. Besides being risky to not carry bear spray in Yellowstone, this one was a rental, so not returning would have cost. 

Having made it around the lake, I did two stream crossings and then reached Little Gibbon Falls. The falls were pretty, and it was in this area that I had my first encounter with another hiking group. I had been completely alone up until then.

After the falls the trail ends at the main road. I didn't realize when I planned this that a little bit of a road hike was necessary to close the loop. Regardless this was a good first 'back country' hike in Yellowstone.

Mt. Washburn via Dunraven

Weather:  77º, sun 

About this Hike:   This was my first hike in Yellowstone National Park. The plan was to climb Mt. Washburn to the fire lookout on top. 

The hike was along an old road which appeared to be decommissioned. I wondered how the park rangers  get up to the top to staff the tower. It turns out a newer road comes up the back side of the mountain. People were also hiking up the active service road.

The trail I took wound through wildflower-filled meadows and mountainous forest. Eventually it gave way to more tundra-like landscape. 

The fire lookout at the top was more substantive than just a simple cabin supported by four tall legs. This tower is set in concrete with multiple levels. The ground floor contained a visitor center with signs to read, a telescope, and restrooms. There are communications antenna and monitoring devices all over the tower. I had full cell service at the top. 

Gneiss Creek

Weather:  77º, sun 

About this Hike:  This hike kicked off the next four days in Yellowstone National Park. Originally I wanted to do either Fawn Pass or Bighorn Pass from trailheads on US 191 north of West Yellowstone. 

Being as I arrived in West Yellowstone late this afternoon, Gneiss Creek was a similar, but closer alternative. Just like the original two trails, Gneiss eventually traverses across the Yellowstone park boundary. I was also surprised at how late the sun sets here. It was settled; Gneiss would be an after-dinner kickoff hike.

The wildflowers in the meadows along Gneiss were stunning. I followed the trail down to the first creek crossing. I was getting uneasy, as it was getting near dusk and that's when bear and other wildlife often become active. 

I never saw any wildlife, but the mosquitos were awful down by the creek. I didn't stay long.

Returning to the trailhead, I made up my mind that I was no longer interested in Bighorn or Fawn Passes. These trails looked long, rugged, and with potential to encounter hostile wildlife. I decided I wanted to maximize my time in the national park starting tomorrow.  

Widforss Post-Sublime

Weather:  80º, sun 

About this Hike:  On my previous two North Rim trips I attempted Widforss Trail. From being short on time to a small brush fire, something always upended the hike. Until today, completing this just-over nine mile hike has evaded me. 

After the rattling drive from Point Sublime, I figured a hike was a good way to decompress. It's also convenient that the awful road known as Point Sublime Trail ends at the Widforss Trailhead. 

Widforss is one of the North Rim's more popular and developed trails. It takes you through thick forest while opening up occasionally for viewpoints into the Grand Canyon. 

The trail's end is at Widforss Point, denoted by a sign. This is another spectacular canyon overlook with views in all directions. While the Colorado River is not visible at Widforss (at least I couldn't find it), I thought this viewpoint to be an acceptable consolation prize if one were to not willing to attempt getting to Point Sublime. While observing through my binoculars, I saw some buildings on the opposite rim. I'm guessing this is the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. 

The Point Sublime drive and then the Widforss hike was a lot to cram into one day. But the North Rim is a long drive from my home in central Arizona, and so I wanted to make the most of my short time there. I am glad to finally check Widforss off my hiking bucket list. 

Point Sublime

Weather:  75º, sun 

About this Drive:  Normally this blog is about hikes. However, the scenic drive out to Point Sublime at the Grand Canyon North Rim has been on my bucket list.

I've done a lot of research on this drive. In the Grand Canyon National Park, a sign at the beginning of Point Sublime road offers a dire warning with words such as: unmaintained, hazardous, self-rescue, and blown down trees. 

I also learned there is another route to Point Sublime using forest roads on the Kaibab National Forest. This alternate route is a little longer, but said to be more scenic and better maintained. There's also supposed to be an historic fire lookout tower and cabin along the way. 

I opted to camp at DeMotte Campground which is right next door to where my journey would begin on FR-22. I had built a detailed map because this drive involves a lot of turns. Most roads on Kaibab Forest are pretty well signed. 

Starting early in the morning, the initial road was graded gravel and easy driving. I found a small electrical box (there's some utility infrastructure out there) and stopped to air down on the driveway to it. I knew the road was likely to deteriorate the further in I got. 

The road did narrow and got a little rougher, but nothing too unmanageable. Sawed-up trees on the roadside reminded me of the warning about trees falling. I did have a chainsaw and a handsaw in my off-road recovery kit, but I hoped not to need to use either of them. In fact I never did, testament to the wisdom of doing this drive pre-monsoon.

I never found the fire lookout or cabin. I assumed there would be a sign or some kind of marker.  Their mapped locations aren't the easiest to figure out either. 

Eventually I reached the gate marking the national park boundary. Beyond that was a junction. Here I made a mistake and went the wrong way. I probably was four miles down Swamp Ridge Road before I realized my error. I was not happy.

Agitated by the lost time, I turned around. Now going the correct way, I was on course to join Point Sublime Trail. At this point the road began to deteriorate significantly. The road became more rutted. While I had to back up and reevaluate my line once, I managed to navigate the ruts. 

The road was a little nerve wracking, but really not too bad. I arrived at the Point Sublime Campground. There were two unoccupied campsites each with a picnic table. Surprisingly there was also a restroom complete with solar-powered composting toilet. Inside, the restroom was clean and fully stocked. I was glad because the drive had wracked my nerves enough...well never mind. I was both grateful for and surprised by the fact there's a restroom in such a remote location. It makes me wonder, how was equipment brought out there to dig the pit and construct that restroom, and who maintains it?

Having parked at the campground, I hoofed it to the actual Point Sublime overlook. With nearly 360-degree canyon views, it is quite breathtaking. The Colorado River is even visible far below. 

After lunch and plenty of photos, I departed Point Sublime. Ominous as the park road sounded, I've read reviews of people doing the drive in an old VW camper van and a Ford Escape. How bad could it be? Surely my 4x4 Tacoma could handle this...

My 4x4 Tacoma performed just like it was engineered to. That said, it handled the road well. Its driver (yours truly) on the other hand did not handle it so well. The road has a lot of scary ruts and rocky sections. The hills are always the worst with ruts and other obstacles. In the final few miles the road opens up into scenic meadows, yet even these have ruts and sandy sections. 

The ruts really got to me because of the angles the truck would get on. It feels like I'm about to tip. I also know Tacomas can get on some gnarly angles, as Toyota loves to demonstrate at their overland events. I was probably over-reacting a bit. I don't off-road for the fun of it like many people do. I off-road for the beautiful destinations one can reach only by driving off the paved path.

Regardless, I survived Point Sublime Trail. The last couple miles aren't so bad as this segment seems to get a little maintenance. 

After driving both approaches to Point Sublime I can hands-down vouch for the Kaibab Forest route being the better choice. Regardless, drivers will have to navigate at least a few miles of the awful, rutted Point Sublime Trail. 

Another reason I picked this route? It ends at the Widforss Trailhead in the national park...

West Clear Creek

Weather:  81º, sun 

About this Hike:  The hike down to West Clear Creek sounded intriguing and the photos of this canyon looked absolutely stunning. 

I researched several trail options including Tramway, but ultimately settled on The Point trail from the West Clear Creek trailhead. This one looked to have the easiest access. 

The forest roads in were bumpy but not too bad. The parking area was pretty full when I arrived in late morning. 

The hike down was easy to follow but very steep. There was definitely some scrambling involved. 

Descending into the canyon, I took my time to appreciate up close the striated rock formations that West Clear Creek is known for. 

Coming off a very dry winter, I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of water level. I wondered if it would be possible to hike along a dry portion of the creek bed. I was wrong on this. There was plenty of water flow in the creek. Plan B was in my hiking pack and included river sandals. I zipped off the pant legs on my convertible hiking pants and put on my sandals. 

I hiked through the creek, never going out further than above my knees in water. I reached a beautiful grotto-like area with towering cliffs, blue-green water, and hanging gardens. At this point I opted to turn around and hike upriver. This proved to be less enchanting. There were beautiful views of striated cliffs and old growth forest. However, there were more big boulders to navigate around. And while I was being extremely careful, the rocks in the creek were often very slippery. I had a few close calls and then finally a few (minor) injuries. I had enough.

Upon reaching the West Clear Creek trail, I sat on a rock to bandage my wounds, dry off, and change my footwear. The steep hike up was the only strenuous part of today's adventure.

West Clear Creek is really pretty, and I know many hikers love hiking, wading, and floating their way through the canyon. But the thing with Arizona waterways is they seldom are easily passable. They quickly go from an easy creekside hike to overgrown with prickly plants, littered with huge boulders, and covered in slick rocks. A treacherous hike like this often makes me reconsider... I don't know if I'll be back anytime soon to do any other West Clear Creek trails.

Mount Baldy Crossover 96

Weather:  71º, sun 

About this Hike:  Over the past two years I've completed both East Baldy and West Baldy trails. If I was brave and did the entire 16 mile loop in a day, I would have had to use the Crossover trail. 

We didn't feel like a hike with too much elevation gain. I thought checking out Crossover would be perfect—get some of the Mount Baldy experience without the tough switchbacks and climbs. 

We parked at East Baldy lot with the intention of possibly going up East Baldy to the rock formations, depending on how much time Crossover would take. 

Crossover ended up being better than expected. There was some minor elevation gain. Much of it goes through thick White Mountain forest of spruces, firs, ponderosas, and aspens. Occasionally it opens up into big, grassy meadows. There were a couple of water crossings, with the final one being West Fork of the the Little Colorado at the West Baldy junction. While the most significant stream crossing, it was still very easy, especially when utilizing the log bridges placed by previous hikers.

We opted to follow the West Fork for what ended up being about 2.5 miles up West Baldy. My hiking partner was starting to get ideas about trying to close the loop. We were only about one-third of the way through the 16 mile loop, and a friendly hiker advised us that the tree blowdowns at the summit were severe. She said it could add a couple hours onto the hike with all the trail finding, tree ducking, etc. We opted to return the way we came. Since we did an extra 2.5 miles on the west side, we ended up not going up to the rocks on the east side. 

My takeaway from today is that Crossover is a worthwhile trail unto itself. The scenery was better than expected, and despite no major elevation gain, this was still a great day hike in the White Mountains.

 

Reavis Ranch Return

Weather:  64º, sun early, clouds afternoon, a few sprinkles 

Time: 3 Hours to Reavis Ranch; 4 Hours Back; 7 Hours Total

About this Hike:  It has been just about four years to the day since I last visited Reavis Ranch.  Today's hike was sort of planned last minute. I've been thinking about going back to the ranch for some time now. The weather today looked absolutely perfect.

Same as in 2021, I started my hike at the Campaign Creek Trailhead near Reavis Mountain School. I was sad to see the junipers and other tall trees that offered a little shade in the parking area are now just stumps and mulch covering the ground. I have no idea why the FS did this. I had the parking lot to myself today, unlike in 2021 when  there were at least a few other cars. 

I started out on Campaign Creek Trail heading for Reavis Gap. It was about 20 degrees cooler than when I did this four years ago, yet it was still warm on the steep uphill sections climbing the gap. 

I marveled at how much healthy forest still remains in an area that was impacted by Woodbury Fire nearly six years ago. When I crested the gap on Two Bar Ridge, I kicked my phone off airplane mode. With a clear sightline toward Four Peaks and Tonto Basin below, my phone actually had service—two bars to be exact. 

Once I reached the ranch, I must admit it was a little underwhelming. The old artifacts are interesting to study and observe. It's amazing that the stamping marks are still intact on a lot of the steel equipment. Unlike four years ago, I didn't see any blossoms yet on the apple trees.  I ate lunch and probably spent no more than thirty minutes at the ranch.

In part, this was due to stormy clouds looming in the distance over the Salome and Sierra Ancha Wilderness areas. While the forecast wasn't calling for rain, I know that conditions can change quickly in the mountains. I was nervous about being caught in a thunderstorm and having to descend on the steep portions with them now being soaked and even more slippery. 

Thankfully aside from a few minor sprinkles the rain never reached the Superstitions. Unlike four years ago when I foolishly did the loop via Fire Line and Campaign Creek Trails, this time I did the hike as an out-and-back on Reavis Gap. This shaved off about two miles, making it "only" a 15-mile round trip hike. Reavis Gap is also well maintained. Fire Line and Campaign Creek Trails are faint and easy to lose. My understanding is that as manzanita and cat claw take over the Woodbury burn scar, those trails aren't getting any better... 

As I was wrapping up, I made one mistake similar to what I had done four years ago. Somehow I ended up at a gate leading into the Reavis Mountain School. This time I didn't open the gate and walk in. Instead, I had to climb up a steep ravine and force my way back onto the main trail. 

The school looked like class was in session today. I saw tents in the meadow and people working the gardens. 

This was definitely a tough day hike for a relatively minor reward. I suppose the real reward was enjoying all the rugged and beautiful scenery the Superstitions have to offer. 

Deer Creek 45

Weather:  66º, sun and clouds

About this Hike:  It's hard to believe that just over three years ago we came up and explored the South Fork trail of Deer Creek. I did not write a blog entry about that hike. 

However, back in late 2021 I noted that in addition to South Fork there are two other trails at Deer Creek Trailhead. All of them parallel each other through canyons that eventually reach the forest road near Mount Peeley—an area of the Mazatzals I've explored a couple of times.

Deer Creek trail starts off in desert ranch land. There are cow pies, cattle fence, and cattle gates everywhere. The trail parallels its namesake creek which forms a desert riparian area. At just under three  miles in is the gravesite of David Cowan. From what I've read he was an interesting explorer that settled in the Tonto Basin area of Arizona. 

We hiked along the creek and were surprised to see that it was flowing in some places, only to disappear underground again in other spots. I guess the little bit of rain and snow Arizona received earlier in the week was enough to refresh our dry creek beds. 

At about four miles in we reached the Mazatzal Wilderness boundary sign. From there on the trail conditions began to degrade. It became harder to follow. Haphazard cairns often pointed us down dead ends. We bushwhacked on a little further and I busted out my trimmers and pruned back some live oak. We were able to get down to the creek bed again and enjoyed the peaceful sound of its gentle flow. 

We opted to turn back at just over four miles. Constantly losing the trail and bushwhacking is just not my idea of a great hike. In theory you can follow this trail all the way up to the Mount Peeley parking area. I imagine this makes for a long, steep, overgrown, and rough hike. 

Regardless, now that Payson is home I'm glad to have explored this trail right in my own backyard. 

Coon Creek Ruins

Weather:  66º, sun and clouds

About this Hike:  The Native ruin sites in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness have been on my All Trails list for some time. Today I decided to pull the trigger on actually visiting the Coon Creek site. 

Parking off of FR 203 was a bit of a challenge. We located a big campsite that made for a safe parking spot. With a good map, we were easily able to modify the original hiking route, as this parking spot was past the FR 38 trailhead. This hike isn't really on trails, but rather on Jeep roads. The Jeep roads are narrow and very rocky and aren't the most pleasant hiking surface on the feet. One can drive an OHV back here and shave considerable time off the hike. 

As rust-colored cliffs came into view, the Jeep trail eventually gave out to a faint footpath. People have made all sorts of side trails, and staying on the correct one can be a challenge. A good hiking GPS is helpful here. 

Near the creek bottom the trail traverses a sandy flat with a number of scrubby trees. Cow pies are everywhere and stepping in them is pretty much inevitable. Perhaps due to this year's abysmal winter precipitation we saw no cows on this hike. Coon Creek was bone dry. 

The actual hike up the cliffside was a bit of a scramble, but not too bad. Vegetation provided plenty of handholds for the steeper sections. The reward was getting to see estimated 700 year old Salado cliff dwellings. Most of the pueblos are still surprisingly intact. The adobe walls and juniper log ceiling beams are a fascinating look back at historical architecture. 

Of course people carved their names into the those juniper beams. And the one pueblo has soot covering a lot of the interior, making me think someone lit a campfire in there at some point. 

The trail up the cliffside is very obvious. It's marked by a green gate and half a barbed wire fence. It appears this project isn't complete yet, as spools of fresh barbed wire lay on the ground. I wonder if this area is going to be closed off soon to prevent more social-media idiots from damaging the ruins? 

If that's the case, I'm glad to have (respectfully) enjoyed this piece of the Arizona's Native history. 

Wilson Mountain

Weather:  60º, sun and clouds

About this Hike:  My last recorded hike on Wilson Mountain in Sedona was in 2012. It's possible that I did it one other time in the last 12 years and just didn't record it here on this blog.

Regardless, today I decided to visit Wilson again, with the goal of reaching the Sedona Overlook and Canyon Overlook, both at the top of the mountain. Wilson is really more of a high mesa, with the top being flat and offering a few additional miles of hiking to each of the overlook points. 

Back in 2012 I probably hiked without a trekking pole, much less All Trails or any type of hiking GPS. I thought reaching the 'false summit' at the Wilson First Bench was an achievement. In fact the trail to the top goes on for a quite a few more miles beyond the bench. 

Both overlooks were stunning, with views into Oak Creek Canyon to the north and the City of Sedona to the south. The edge is a sheer drop, and I was not willing to get close to it. 

Besides the views at the top, the best part of this hike is actually near the beginning from the north trailhead at Encinoso Picnic Area. The hike goes through a red rock canyon full of maples and old-growth firs, spruces, and ponderosas. Once it climbs out of the canyon, it quickly becomes more exposed with scrub vegetation. 

The top of Wilson has suffered fire damage. Most the pines are gone, with grassland and gamble oak having taken over, between all the charred logs. There are a couple stands of surviving ponderosas near the overlook points; enjoy them while you can. 

Visiting Wilson as a more knowledgeable, more experienced, and better equipped hiker was a fun and rewarding experience. I'm not sure I will be back anytime soon, but I could always check out the Wilson trail on the south side of the mountain. This trail begins at the Midgley Bridge parking area.  

The hike down was steep and rocky--sure made me glad for that trekking pole. This was a challenging hike. Today's route was about 11 miles and 2,500 feet of elevation gain. 

Telephone Trail 72

Weather:  47º, sun, wind

About this Hike:  Many years ago on a hike at West Fork in Sedona I noted the Telephone Trail #72. I guess it slipped out of memory, that is until I spotted the little sign on the side of 89A during a drive up Oak Creek Canyon this week. 

It was chilly, but otherwise a good day for a steep hike. This one gains about 1,000 feet, all over the course of about one mile. The trail is in excellent shape and easy to follow. 

Initially it parallels the trail's namesake: an old utility line. I imagine this is no longer in service, as sections of the wire now lie on the ground right next to the footpath. 

About halfway up there's an interesting formation. Rock arch 'windows' dot a wall of pale sandstone. This is a nice spot to stop for a break. 

The final push to the summit involves hiking on a narrow 'backbone' and then into dense forest. From there, the trail gets extremely steep. The summit is worth the effort though. While still forested, the trees do thin a bit at the summit. There are phenomenal views of the mountains forming Oak Creek Canyon and also the San Francisco Peaks to the north. The beginning of West Fork is also very visible. There is a sheer drop off, if you're willing to get near the edge. 

The hike down is treacherous. I took my time, often using the traction offered by pine needles and fallen logs next to the trail. This was opposed to keeping my feet on the loose gravel and dirt path. At one point I crouched and did a controlled slide down. 

This hike packs a lot into about two miles round trip, both in effort and reward. It definitely felt like more than just two miles.