Weather: 67ยบ, mostly cloudy, windy
About this Hike: I needed some nature time this Sunday afternoon. I decided to check out a hike I've bookmarked near Pine. The plan was to hike along Arizona Trail (AZT) Passage 25 down to an area called Oak Spring.
Rather than park at the 'official' trailhead for this hike at the Pine Trailhead, I opted to utilize a dirt road on the west side of 87 so I could avoid having to cross 87 from the trailhead. This also would put me closer to the segment of AZT that I intended to hike. Overall this was a good strategy, although the road was a little rutted and bumpy.
Despite being close to Pine neighborhoods, this hike felt more remote. As I left rooftops and ranches behind, it began to feel a lot more remote. I crossed a small, trickling creek and then several other dry ones. That canyon that contains Oak Spring came into view. It is an impressive canyon, easily accessed by the well-maintained AZT. While this is part of the AZT, a junction sign indicated the official trail name to be Walnut Trail (#251).
The canyon area is a lush riparian environment. Ponderosa pines again come into view, having faded for a bit on the more desert portion of this hike between here and the trailhead. The first creek in the canyon was dry. Bigtooth maples have just put on their spring leaves...something I made a mental note of for this fall. A little further into the Oak Spring canyon revealed a sign and side trail to its namesake. The spring was tricking and the spring box was full. I also checked out a grassy meadow directly up the bank from the spring.
Having reached this area in about an hour, I decided to hike on a little further. I climbed out of Oak Spring and hiked the AZT along the top of what seemed to be a mesa. There were good views to the south of Houston Mesa, Granite Dells, and the Mazatzals. The environment up here was rocky and high desert grassland, yet the juniper, gamble oak, and occasional pinion pine were surprisingly thick.
Seeing another riparian-looking area with ponderosa pines ahead, I opted to press on a little further. At this point the trail became what was clearly an old two-track road. A utility line bisected the trail overhead. I hiked through the riparian area, climbed again, and opted to make this my turnaround point. This was 4.5 miles, making for a nine-mile Sunday afternoon out-and-back today.
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