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. 

Webber Weekend

Weather:  85º clouds and sun, humid

About this Hike:  This weekend consisted of two hikes:  West Webber Canyon on Friday and then East Webber Canyon on Saturday. 

I've visited West Webber a couple times previously. Since the relatively low-grade fire that went thru there in September of 2024, I wanted to see how the area is recovering. It's never total decimation, and there's plenty of healthy forest left. Around West Webber creek the bigtooth maples and other deciduous trees are  growing in thick. The weather was cloudy and humid for this hike, although it never rained. 

I encountered some cattle in West Webber Canyon, including a protective bull watching over the herd and calves. I gave him plenty of space, and oddly enough, seemed to find a side trail. Some of the trees were pink-tagged while large, black lengths of PVC hose piping were run along the creek. It definitely was not unexplored territory. 

If I had the time, I could have continued on Geronimo Trail to East Webber, but Friday was just a quick afternoon hike. I came back today (Saturday) and opted to start East Webber by parking below the rim at Geronimo Trailhead. The first 2.7 miles of this hike follow what looks like old roads that are fairly exposed and hot. You're bypassing the private property perimeter around Geronimo Camp. Cutting thru the camp would be a great shortcut, as they've built their own trail access. If only...

I guess we can thank the Geronimo Campers (I believe its Boy Scouts) for the trail markers along Webber trails. These far exceed the standard used by the USFS to mark trails. Not to mention, I believe Geronimo campers do some maintenance on these trails, too. 

Regardless, I reached the entrance to East Webber and then the real fun began. This area also suffered a fire a few years ago. Much like West Webber, fire damage seems to be minimal with plenty of healthy and in-tact forest to enjoy. The scenery is often old-growth ponderosa, spruce, and fir. Their trunks are blackened, yet the crowns are green and healthy. The forest floor was alive with a green carpet of ferns. 

The trail meanders along Webber Creek, crossing a few times. The creek was flowing good today, although not so much as to make crossings difficult. The trail began to get a little more overgrown, and I reached a yellow sign indicating 'Swimming Hole.' In fact there was a nice pool of water with a trickling waterfall. This made a good lunch break spot.

Beyond the swimming hole the trail begins to deteriorate quickly. The map indicates it may go on a bit further, but I wasn't about to go bush whacking. The overgrown canyon had an eerie feel to it, and I figured there was a reason the GPS track stopped here. 

I made good time on the hike back, spurred on by a looming thunderstorm on top of the rim. Eventually I got rained on, but it was a welcome respite on what was a hot day for hiking. Regardless, I'm glad to have enjoyed both ends of Webber Canyon. 

Fred Haught

Weather:  79º and sunny

About this Hike:  About five years ago we explored the Fred Haught Cabin. Back then the Mogollon Rim felt so exotic. Now Rim Country is home, but that still doesn't take away the allure of this unique microclimate in the high country of Arizona. 

After doing Barbershop last weekend, I felt I wanted more of the same for this weekend. Returning to Fred Haught seemed like the perfect solution. 

The hike starts at the General Springs Cabin. This restored cabin is quite possibly the most in-tact of all the Cabin Loops sites. However, the front door has been removed and you can now wander inside. It hasn't been graffitied, set of fire, etc...yet. Inside you can clearly see the log-beam construction. There is a small room at the back of the cabin. 

I carried on with my hike. Fred Haught meanders through meadows carved out by the General Spring. The creek was full of water, and I was surprised to see some sizable fish in the pools. Old-growth ponderosa dominates this landscape, with areas of spruce and fir mixed in. 

The sign that vaguely indicates a half-mile side hike to Fred Haught Cabin is still standing and easily visible. The cabin is nothing more than some rotting timbers arranged in a square and flat rocks stacked to make a fireplace and chimney. I have my doubts that any of this is original construction. 

I decided to follow the Fred Haught Trail a little further. Forest Road 95 ended up being my turnaround point. The area was now grassland with what ponderosas remain in an otherwise heavily logged landscape. 

The repeating cycle of old-growth forest, stream, and meadow along the Mogollon Rim never gets old. I was glad to enjoy this part of Cabin Loop again.

Barbershop Spring Hike

Weather:  70º, sun

About this Hike:  Originally I was going to spend this weekend at South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I was finally going to explore Shoshone Point and South Kaibab. Only the weather didn't cooperate. And work didn't cooperate. I cancelled my prime campsite in Mather Campground and opted to stay home.

Regardless, getting back to Barbershop this spring has been on my short list. With sunny skies, cooler temps, and rain a few days ago, now seemed like a perfect time. The Barbershop trailhead off FR-321 was completely empty. 

We enjoyed the hike thru massive old-growth spruce and fir, mixing with plenty of ponderosa pine. The meadows were green with grass, and Barbershop Creek had some muddy water in it. 

When we reached Barbershop's terminus at Houston Brothers Trail, it was a different scene. Cars filled most all available parking spots along FR-139. Ironically, we saw just one backpacking couple on the trail the entire afternoon. Perhaps everyone was hiking on Houston Brothers. 

This lush ecosystem—largely void of any desert plants—remains a favorite escape on the Mogollon Rim.

U-Bar to Dane Spring / Canyon

Weather:  65º, sunny

About this Hike:  Nearly two months ago we hiked Barbershop Trail.  At that time I mentioned the original plan was to hike up to the Dane Spring Cabin--a plan that was quickly scrapped when we began to take in the beauty of Barbershop Trail. 

Hoping to catch some fall color, we decided to return to the rim today to explore U-Bar trail up to Dane Spring. In September we parked at Buck Springs. That weekend the Mogollon Monster 100 race was going on, and the trailhead at FR-321 was a bustling aid station complete with RVs, spectators, and copious amounts of propane to power all the festivities. The 321 road was a different story today. Quiet and peaceful, with just one other car at the trailhead. 

The brief introductory segment of this hike was on Barbershop Trail. It became quickly apparent that fall color was far past peak. The aspens were bare, although a few bigtooth maples clung to their last colorful leaves. 

We turned north at the U-Bar junction and hiked up to the Dane Spring Cabin. It looks like it has gotten some maintenance and reinforcement since I last saw it in June of 2022.

I debated turning around and going back to Barbershop. The massive old growth blue spruces and other conifers in this canyon never cease to amaze me. Instead we pressed on. The trail begins to hug the rim of Dane Canyon. We met a trail runner who advised us we would drop into Dane Canyon just up ahead, and a drop into Barbershop Canyon was still further ahead. 

We opted to check out Dane and Barbershop Canyons. Both looked dark and a bit foreboding from their respective rims, but an easy hike down well-maintained trail took us into forested meadow. Both canyons' creeks had some water. 

The foliage was not as majestic as what is found along the Barbershop Trail. Occasional stands of fir and spruce often gave way to ponderosa, grassland, and pale iron-colored rock and soil. 

Despite the name, Barbershop Canyon past Dane Canyon is not part of the Barbershop Trail. Otherwise, this would have an interesting loop opportunity. We turned around after exploring the bottom of Barbershop and made our way to FR-321. We arrived back to the truck right at sunset as the November air was beginning to get chilly. There was a moonrise and then some opportunities for star gazing. 

It was a beautiful day on the Mogollon Rim. 

Foggy Fall Mormon Mountain Hike

Weather:  60º, 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. 

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....

West Webber Come-Back

Weather:  55º, sunny

About this Hike:  On July 13 I visited West Webber Trail. It was hot that day, but I noted the large stands of maples along Webber Creek. I made a plan to return in the fall to see some color in those maples.

September came along, and with it the West Fire. I watched the fire maps nervously as the fire perimeter inched ever closer to West Webber Trail. Eventually it got into the canyon. 

Now that the fire is extinguished and at least some of the closure order is lifted (East Webber remains closed), I decided to return to West Webber to see what is left. There was one trail report posted on All Trails that indicated the forest in this area is largely intact. 

This proved to be true. Most of the fire that went through Webber was likely low intensity. Most old growth evergreens seem to have survived. That said, there are occasional stands of pine where the roots must have gotten scorched. The canopy is unburned, but still the tree has died. This is also true for many of the aforementioned maples. Some are still alive, some are still green, but many have died with just a little bit of scorching at the base of their trunks. Some of them were beginning to change color, albeit the fall color is much more pale and muted compared to the color show in See Canyon. 

All through the canyon some trail maintenance is going to be needed. There's a lot of deadfall. As those scorched trees fell over, they often tore huge holes in the ground. The burned sections of black soil are often soft and easy to sink into. You definitely want to use some caution right now on this trail. 

The smell of fire and ash hangs heavy in the air, in stark contrast to the usually pleasant fragrance of a conifer forest. A winter of rain and snow will likely help to wash the ash away, while a little trail maintenance will fix the deadfall issues. 

The fire damage seems most noticeable near the top of the rim where West Webber Trail is a series of extremely steep switchbacks. Here the ground is very black, although it improves by the time you reach the top of the escarpment. 

I'm glad I was able to come back here this fall. Watching the West Fire from Payson, I had my doubts this ecosystem would survive at all. And in a short amount of time this area should heal itself and continue to be a beautiful Rim Country hike. 

Railroad Tunnel & Pump Station

Weather:  78º, partly cloudy

About this Hike:  Just over four years ago we explored up on the rim near General Springs Cabin. After a day of hiking, I wanted to head down the rim just a bit to Railroad Tunnel Trail. This descent was steep and rocky. We were in the height of the pandemic, and THAT Brewery in Pine was closing their takeout window by 7pm each night. 

Pressed for time, I never did make it to the tunnel on that trip. Come four years later and the pandemic still hasn't gone away, but at least life is somewhat back to normal. Now that Payson is home, I decided to give the tunnel trail another shot.

Instead of a long drive up to FR-300 and then another lengthy drive along 300, I opted to hike this bottom-to-top instead. 

After an interesting drive in along Houston Mesa Road, I joined numerous other hikers at the Washington Park Trailhead. The hike started out very enjoyable as it paralleled the East Verde River. Crossings came easy thanks to numerous footbridges. 

Eventually the trail joined an old road that parallels a utility line. I'm very certain this is the same utility line we followed four years ago on top of the rim. It comes down from Blue Ridge Reservoir. 

The old road had a few little springs that gushed from the side of the rim and washed across the dirt two-track. The final scramble up to the tunnel was steep and rocky. I took my time and verified my footing. 

The unfinished railroad tunnel was an interesting site to see. It doesn't go very deep A sign at the trailhead explains that the railroad project was...umm...railroaded by a lack of funding. Unlike your average naturally occurring cave, the tunnel wasn't very cool inside. Unfortunately people have graffitied the walls quite a bit too.

Outside the tunnel is the ruins of what appears to be a well-persevered old cabin. On the hike back down look carefully along the hillside that parallels the old road. There is another ruin site that looks like an old cabin. I scrambled up there and ate my lunch. 

As I was approaching the trailhead, I decided to extend my hike a bit on the Pump Station Trail #296. This trail appears to not be receiving much maintenance. It doesn't even exist on the All Trails map. The sign indicated it would be just over a mile to FR-32. 

The name of this trail intrigued me, and I was curious to see if there was any pumping infrastructure. As I approached the East Verde River, the trail was getting harder to follow. People were throwing boulders off a steep hillside into the river and creating loud splashes. I decided not to go any further. 

Along Pump Station there is a vein of red rock that looks very Sedona-esque. In fact, one creek in this area has an impressive drop off that I'm certain would be a beautiful red rock waterfall when it is flowing. 

On the drive out I was able to get a glimpse of Pump Station's namesake. While the area is gated and closed off, a sign indicated this is the Phelps Dodge Pump Station. Makes sense considering Phelps Dodge was the mining company that built Blue Ridge Reservoir in the 1960s. 

Today was another enjoyable hike right in my backyard and an easy drive from Payson. 

Turkey Spring and W. Webber via Milk Ranch Point

Weather:  90º, sunny

About this Hike:  All the guides I read to this hike talked about starting at the Geronimo Boy Scout camp and hiking up the Rim. While undoubtedly a great hike, there are conflicting reports on how to even access the trailhead, with restrictions placed on some access points by the camp.

I decided instead to hike this top-down by starting at Milk Ranch Point on the Rim. I parked near the Turkey Springs trailhead off FR-218. Across the road is a meadow called Dickenson Flat. A cool feature on the flat is a large sign made of white-painted rocks. It reads, "PHX → 75," and is intended for airplanes heading down to Sky Harbor. It's also readily visible on satellite images. 

The hike down Turkey Springs started in nice forest. It quickly gave way to exposed hillsides and manzanita scrub. The trail is a steep hike down, albeit just short of two miles to the Webber junction. The views of the Rim are fantastic—almost Grand Canyon-esque in places. 

I chose to use the Webber trail for the hike back up the Rim because unlike Turkey Spring, Webber has a lot more shade. Webber is in a lush canyon of maple, oak, spruce, fir, and ponderosa. Tree cover provided a welcome respite from the hot sun. A trickling creek paralleled the trail for a while. 

Webber trail is only about two miles back up to FR-218. The elevation gain is steady at first, but when you hit the switchbacks it really intensifies. I'd say most of the ~1,600 feet is gained on these switchbacks. The steepness and heat forced me to take this hike slow and take in the scenery. The sides of the Rim are so steep here; it's incredible a trail was able to be built at all.

Once back on top of the Rim, the forest changes quickly. Gone are the spruces and firs, replaced by less dense ponderosa pine and grassland. I reached the 218 road and followed it for a mile back to where I was parked. While closing the loop with a road is typically not enjoyable, this one wasn't too bad. Sections of the road were shaded. I scoped out numerous potential camping spots along the way. 

My final stop was a walk through the aforementioned Dickenson Flat. Doing this hike using Turkey Spring for the descent and Webber for the ascent was perfect. Despite hot weather, I thoroughly enjoyed today's excursion. 

Clover Creek and Tom's Canyon

Weather:  89º, sunny

About this Hike:  It's hot this Fourth of July weekend. I headed up above 7K feet hoping for some respite. Until the afternoon, I was largely successful. 

Over the Memorial Day weekend this year I explored Pivot Rock Canyon. As I neared the end of that hike, I intersected with FR-142 and also saw an old ATV road going up what's called Tom's Canyon. I decided to make a return trip via FR-142 and see what's up along Tom's Canyon.

The ATV road is easy to follow. Tom's is what you'd expect on the Rim this time of year:  some wildflowers, lots of butterflies, a dry but marshy creek, and ponderosa pine everywhere. I would estimate the ATV road lasted for less than a mile. Beyond that, Tom's Canyon was narrow, overgrown, and impassable. I decided to turn around and head back toward AZ-87. Today's big hike still awaited me.

Knowing that Tom's would likely be short, I planned a larger hike for today along Clover Creek Canyon. My map indicated it was accessible by two different forest roads. In fact, the trailhead is only accessible via FR-611. FR-10B seems to exist only on maps and perhaps in memories. 

The trailhead is well defined as is the path itself. It begins in a large meadow. A sign at the trailhead explains how this meadow was restored just over 20 years ago. There is some interesting infrastructure in the meadow that may have been part of that restoration project. 

At the boundary marker for West Clear Creek Wilderness there is a cattle fence with a well-disguised gate. It took me a minute of studying it to figure out how it opens. For a brief moment I feared the hiking area might be closed. 

Clover Canyon is open and I continued on past the wilderness boundary. The hike follows, and often crosses, a meandering creek. Many of the pools were full of crystal-clear water (hence the wilderness-area name). I saw crawdads scooting about in one of the pools. 

Lush creekside meadows give way to a narrower canyon the further you go up Clover. Typical striated sandstone forms the canyon walls. Ponderosa forest eventually becomes spruce and fir. Wildflowers and butterflies were in full colorful effect today. The namesake clover and wild grasses that fill the meadows of this canyon just don't seem to belong in Arizona. I remember seeing so many of these same plants in our yard when I was a kid growing up in Upstate New York. 

I fell just short of where the All Trails map shows the hiking path to end. The canyon was overgrown and narrowed quite a bit. It was impassable from this point on. 

The hike out went surprisingly fast. It was afternoon now and getting hot quickly. Near the trailhead a patch of prickly pear cactus were full of bright yellow and orange blossoms—a reminder that despite feeling like it's in the Northeast, Clover Creek Canyon is in fact in Arizona. 

Pivot Rock Canyon

Weather:  74º, sunny

About this Hike:  Pivot Rock Canyon sounded like a good Memorial Day hike. I would be going north on 87 to the rim while everyone else would be heading south and back to Phoenix. My assumption proved correct. 

Pivot Rock Canyon is accessible via either FR-616 or FR-142. I chose the 616 access point. This was due to less time spent on dirt roads to get to the canyon. I like hikes with a reward at the end. However, by doing this via 616 the reward comes at you right away in the form of a cool spring head. 

In what is apparent headwaters of this canyon's namesake stream, cool air and water gushed from what I believe is a man-made cut in the rock. There is also a rusty old pipe, indicating this spring has in fact had some human manipulation. 

The trail was mostly easy to follow, although I don't believe this is an official, maintained trail. There were no signs or even cairns; it just follows the creek. The next reward came into view. It was a balanced rock formation that likely served as the namesake for this canyon. Eventually the trail joins an old ATV road and then it becomes easier to follow.

The creek was flowing nicely today. Not too strong so as to make crossing difficult, but not dry either. Further up the canyon the creek waters did disappear underground and then the rocky creek bed was dry. The water would eventually re-appear at a later point further up-canyon. 

The area is surrounded by beautiful ponderosa pines and narrow, grassy meadows. There were plants bearing three leaves. These had stalks of beautiful yellow flowers. I'm not certain they were poison ivy, but I carefully sidestepped them rather than risk finding out the hard way.

There was one final reward near the end. The ruins of an old cabin came into view. It reminded me of Cabin Loop on another part of the rim. 

I intended my return to be via the way I came. As the ATV road ended and footpath began again, I lost the trail. I ended up in a treacherous area searching for the trail. I thought I found it only to look up and see a pile of paper towels. I knew right away. And then the smell hit me. I had stepped in human feces. Some people are so disgusting. And I wasn't on the correct trail.

I eventually got back on the correct path. And naturally, I followed what appeared to be a good path. It was obvious this was an ATV trail. I hadn't come in this way. Aggravated, I studied my GPS and realized I had gone up a side canyon tributary. I opted to keep following the ATV road knowing it would eventually intersect 616, which it did. The Forest Service is in the process of building fences and trying to keep people off these decommissioned ATV roads. In fact, the roads themselves no longer exist on most maps, nor are they numbered. A sign warned of a $5K fine for motorized use. Based on the fresh tire tracks, this is going unheeded. 

My return to the trailhead was nearly a mile along hot, exposed FR-616. I missed getting to see the spring head again, so I guess getting my reward at the beginning was a good thing.

Military Sinkhole Via 260 Trailhead

Weather:  90°; sun; windy

About this Hike:  Driving eastbound from Payson on AZ-260, I've long been intrigued by a sign indicating a left turn that's aptly named '260 Trailhead.'   

This is an uncomfortable left turn.  The highway is four lanes total (two in each direction) with a solid center line.  There's no center lane for making a left turn.  Oh, and the speed limit is 55 mph, with most people doing far in excess of that.  

Military Sinkhole trail ascends the Mogollon Rim from 260 Trailhead.  If the left turn were not safe, my Plan B was to drive a few more miles and park at Military Sinkhole Vista on top of the rim and then hike this trail in the opposite direction.  Thankfully, with no traffic behind me, and a gap in oncoming traffic, I was able to make the legal, but treacherous, left turn into 260 Trailhead parking lot. 

I was surprised to find a large gravel lot with bulletin boards, a latrine, and well-signed trails branching in multiple directions.  

From the parking lot I began my ascent on Military Sinkhole Trail.  The forest service website labels this as Trail #966, but the signage at the trail has it as Trail #179.  Regardless, the ascent up the rim takes place over about two miles and just over 1,000 feet of elevation gain.  It starts out in a vein of "Sedona-esque' red rock, but quickly becomes shadier.  In fact, this section of the hike has the best forest.  A thick blend of firs, spruces, and ponderosas are complemented by plenty of maple and oak.  I might need to come back here in the fall.  

The trail crests on the rim at Military Sinkhole lookout site, which is part of the Rim Lakes Vista Trail.  Forest Road 300 (Rim Road) is still paved at this point, and the vista lookout sites have paved parking lots.  This means expect lots of tourist traffic.  

Despite the higher elevation, the forest on this part of the rim changes.  Mighty ponderosas dominate with no firs or spruces in sight.  The pines are spread apart, and the forest floor feels almost like high desert grassland.  Open grassy meadows are abundant while old logging roads criss-cross the landscape. 

I opted to cross FR-300 and continue along the trail.  I found what I'm certain is the Military Sinkhole.  It's just a shallow depression in the ground.  Maybe it fills with water during the wetter seasons.  Being as it was still early in the day, I continued my hike following the trail and Old Rim Road to the 235 Road Trail.  I hiked to a feature on the map called 'Lake Three.'  Lake Three was void of any water, but it was beautiful, grassy elk meadow.  This was my turn around point.  

Despite the forecasted highs on the rim top being in the low 80s, it was hot.  The wind picked up in the afternoon, which was a welcome relief. Despite the shade of the thicker trees, the hike down only got hotter as I descended in elevation.  

I've long been curious about 260 Trailhead, and I'm glad to have explored this area.  And of course, I found a few other trails that I'll need to come back and explore again in the near future.  

Completing the Cabin Loop

Weather:  69º - 79º  dry, sunny

About this Hike:  The title of this post is a bit deceptive.  I did not complete the 24+ mile Cabin Loop on Arizona's Mogollon Rim.  Hikers choosing to complete the full loop (which has to be done over several days) have the opportunity to explore six historic Forest Service cabins.  The cabins are in varying states with some being rebuilt and preserved, to others that are merely a foundation and some crumbling ruins. 

Previously I have been to the General Springs Cabin and then a few miles up the trail to the remains of Fred Haught Cabin.  These two are among the easiest and most accessible.  

All of the cabins on Cabin Loop have some degree of road accessibility, even if only by a properly equipped 4x4.  Over the course of two days, I visited the four of cabins that I hadn't previously been to.  These include Pinchot Cabin, Aspen Spring Cabin, Dane Spring Cabin, and Buck Spring Cabin.  Using several different maps and mapping tools, I compiled routes that involved forest road driving plus hiking to access each cabin.  

All Trails is my preferred hiking GPS app.  While the Cabin Loop trail is well documented on All Trails, it doesn't have a comprehensive map with the cabin locations dropped as waypoints.  I downloaded and printed a map from Coconino National Forest with each cabin location and used this in tandem with the All Trails maps to find each cabin.  The print map proved invaluable on this adventure. 

Dane Spring and Buck Spring were especially challenging to find.  I spent the first hour after parking on a fruitless hike.  I drove up FR-321 and parked at an equestrian fence area.  My study of the map indicated that by beginning my hike here I was shaving some time/mileage off.  There was even a side road with a sign reading "Dane Spring - 1."  The topography was challenging, and I was frequently going off trail.  I never seemed to be moving in the right direction for Dane Spring. 

Finally I backtracked on FR-321 and parked at a signed trailhead.  From there I easily found Dane Spring.   

This same trailhead also gave access to Buck Spring, and a sign pointed the way.  To access Buck Spring I used U-Bar and Barbershop Trails.  The Buck Spring segment of U-Bar doesn't even exist on All Trails.  I found All Trails' recording feature helpful to build 'bread crumbs' on the map, should I have needed assistance on the return.  Thankfully the path was worn enough and there were some markers.  

FR-137 also accesses Buck Spring, but this would have been considerable extra road miles from FR-321.  Instead I opted to hike, which is much more direct and involves a steep drop into a ravine with a climb back out.  Once I reached the Buck Springs meadow I found a well-maintained historic cabin and a campsite with a huge teepee-style tent.  Apparently there is good road access into Buck Spring.

The next day I set out to conquer Pinchot Cabin and Aspen Spring Cabin via FR-139.  This area is a spaghetti-mess of roads and side roads.  My guess is these roads exist to support logging operations and possibly fire suppression.  

I again started my hike on U-Bar Trail which has a signed crossing over FR-139.  There are grassy meadows around the road here, but parking in one of those is not fire-wise (and likely illegal).  I drove another half mile or so north on 139 and found a side road with dirt/rock surrounding.  This made a good parking area. 

Some of this hike involved trail, but a lot of it was over old forest roads.  As I made the descent into the meadow for Pinchot Springs I came across a couple and their campsite just above the meadow.  The Pinchot Cabin is still complete, although it is crumbing, especially around the roof.  

Another mile and a half hike got me to Aspen Spring Cabin.  This mile and a half was the most beautiful part of the hike.  It paralleled a flowing creek and meandered through forested meadows.  

For the return, I found an access road to Aspen Spring Cabin that took me back up to U-Bar Trail.  It shaved considerable mileage off the hike, but also meant missing out on the return thru that beautiful aforementioned scenery.  Regardless, I was tired and ready to be finished. 

I was also tired of the washboarding on FR-300 Rim Road.  The side roads on the Mogollon Rim seemed to be in better shape.  Using my map, plus the signage placed by the Forest Service, it looked like I could return to the pavement via FR-139 and FR-95.  This ended up being a good choice.  It reduced my dirt road driving, and FR-95 is an absolutely stunning drive through Clear Creek Canyon.  

This weekend the rim felt foreboding to me.  I had plenty of maps, but I was still intimidated by the sheer remoteness.  I feel like I sharpened my route-finding skills and ended up discovering some beautiful new places in the process.  Of course, Coconino National Forest does a good job of maintaining the roads, signage, etc.

Pine Canyon

Weather:  82º, dry, sunny

About this Hike:  First let me say that I didn't come into this hike with high expectations. The lower end of this trail begins at a large trailhead in the town of Pine. I've hiked Highline Trail and likely portions of Pine Canyon trail from this very trailhead in the past.  It's hot, dry, exposed, and definitely not the best scenery Rim Country has to offer.  However, there is an upper end to Pine Canyon.

The unmarked upper trailhead for Pine Canyon Trail 26 is a quick turn off AZ-87 heading north from Pine/Strawberry and just passed the AZ-260 west junction.  We used a map and carefully watched for the turn off.  There is a rollaway cattle gate that you have to open and then close after you drive your vehicle through.  Once back near the trailhead, there's parking for a few cars and a couple numbered OHV roads branch off as well.

Once parked the trailhead was easy to find, as large signs denote it.  The trail began in thick ponderosa forest and then quickly descended into the canyon via switchbacks.  The scenery here is incredible.  Pine Canyon is more majestic than I ever imagined--a little bit of Grand Canyon and maybe a bit of Oak Creek Canyon too.  The forest is thick and heavy, but the trail is well blazed and marked.  

The switchbacks eventually level out and the trail traverses beautiful forest.  It also parallels Pine Creek which was flowing strong in mid-May, but not too strong for a couple creek crossings.  There are a lot of interesting, well-signed side trails to check out including Tiny Cave and Darling Rocks.  The tiny cave is exactly what it sounds like, but we didn't get too close since it's in the creek bottom and there was poison ivy and poison oak in the vicinity. 

The main trail is denoted by red metal blazes nailed to trees.  However, many trees had orange spray paint marks on them.  The spray paint was very fresh and also detracted from the otherwise wonderful forest smell.  As I loudly made a comment about, "How many gallons of orange paint is out here? Are they putting a fresh coat on the whole forest?" I rounded a corner and ran into a forest service contractor with two gallons of orange tree striping paint in his hands.  Foot in mouth moment.

He was a friendly gentleman with an even friendlier black lab.  He explained that the striping project is in preparation for forest thinning.  Overgrown forests are full of fuel, and I would hate to lose Pine Canyon to a fire. However, I also hate the thought of them sawing down all those trees with the orange stripes.  There are a lot of orange-striped trees out there right now.  

We reached an interesting bridge that the placard said was built in 2016.  The bridge crosses Pine Creek and from there the trail continues another six miles into the town of Pine.  At this point we also reached Camp Lo Mia which is an LDS church camp for women.  The fenced property had No Trespassing warning signs all over, and we decided this was a good turn around point.  In fact, when you've reached the camp you're closer to civilization than you realize.  From highway 260 the road that runs up to the camp branches out into residential neighborhoods full of cabins.  

We turned back and explored the Darling Rocks side trail on the way back up.  The trail eventually became a little overgrown and poison ivy was present.  The Darling Rocks is a large rockslide pile.  A sign denotes this, and there's also a well-worn memorial placard posted as well.  While the side trail is considered an out-and-back, it was considerably lengthy and there was the aforementioned poison ivy.  My All Trails hiking GPS app showed an off-trail jaunt would return us to the main trail.  This proved tricky because I followed the orange-marked trees at first, thinking the forest service contractor had likely come from the main trail.  I had to study the GPS map on my phone carefully in order to stay on course.  I also tested the ground before every step with my hiking pole.  The ground was very soft in spots, almost like you would step and full into a booby-trapped pit.  

A steep climb up a short embankment, and Trail 26 was back in sight.  We left the forest behind and headed back up the switchbacks.  The rocks of Pine Canyon was illuminated completely different now in the late afternoon sun.  

I am so glad to have discovered this.  I've probably passed this trailhead countless times heading to Rim Road (FR-300) or Blue Ridge Reservoir.  Pine Canyon definitely outdid my expectations.  

Cabin Loop Fred Haught - Take Two

Weather:  60º and sunny

About this Hike:  Last year I wrote about a bust of a hike attempting to explore the Fred Haught portion of Cabin Loop Trail.  This year we finally made it back for a do-over.

I should first clarify that in my post last year I mistakenly said we parked at the monument for Battle of Big Dry Wash.  In fact we parked at the Fred Haught trailhead, which is just passed the turn-off from FR300 (Rim Road) for Battleground Ridge.  The actual monument is about eight more miles up FR123. (Sidenote, I want to go back and explore FR123 more.)

Regardless, this time we had proper hiking GPS and followed the correct trail.  Fred Haught and the Arizona Trail run together for a few miles in this area.  I had hoped for some fall color, but this section of the forest is mostly conifer.  The only fall color we found was a small stand of aspens, but it was reflecting beautifully off the water in the creek that parallels Fred Haught Trail.  

About four miles in we reached a sign that pointed to the Fred Haught Cabin.  The sign is unclear, appearing to read either '5 miles' or '.5 miles.'  It ended up being the later.  About a half-mile through a meadow brings you to the remains of the Fred Haught Cabin.  

Next on the Cabin Loop is Pinchot Cabin. We hiked hard and fast, but reached a sign advising two more miles to the cabin.  Based on the time of day, we made a judgment call and turned around.  THAT Brewing Company in Pine was calling our name for dinner and drinks. 

What I did learn from this hike is that you don't have to hike the entire 24-mile Cabin Loop in order to see many of these cabins.  In fact, Pinchot Cabin has road access via FR139 / 139A.

Seems every time I visit the Rim, all I do is learn of more areas I want to explore. Guess I'll need to head back to Cabin Loop area again sometime soon. 

Cabin Loop & Blue Ridge Reservoir Pipeline

Weather:  73º, sunny

About this Hike:  Many hiking blogs and websites warn that the Cabin Loop Trail is not easy to follow in spots.  That may be true, but you have to actually be on one of the trails first...

We followed Rim Road (FR 300) to Battle of Big Dry Wash Monument and parked there.  The plan was to follow Fred Haught Trail as an out-and-back for so long as we had daylight. 

The General Springs Cabin is in the meadow area immediately north of the battle monument.  Of all the cabins on the nearly 20-mile loop, I'd say it's the easiest to get to.  After admiring the restored old cabin, we continued following the rough dirt road north.  The directions did say Fred Haught Trail follows an old road for a while....

We stopped to admire all the pipelines and pumping infrastructure coming out of Blue Ridge Reservoir—after all, the plan was to kayak the lake tomorrow.  At one point I noted a trail marker on a tree and we began to follow it.  Right into a dead end in the woods.

Confused, we returned to the meadow.  Behind the General Springs Cabin I noted a trailhead.  We were wrong the whole time.  Fred Haught Trail did not follow the forest service road, as I had originally believed.   The trailhead did have a warning posted about a washout some seven miles north or so.  With daylight running low, we hiked just a short jaunt on Fred Haught, me kicking myself for the wrong turn and wishing we had more time to explore this beautiful trail.

The final bust was when we returned to the parking area and I insisted we cross the street and at least check out the Old Railroad Tunnel Trail.  My hiking partner was not happy.  I got close to the tunnel, but we were now in a time crunch and the trail was too treacherous. 

We were off Rim Road before dark and back to Pine just before THAT Brewing Company closed it's takeout window at 7 PM. 

While a bust of a hike, it's another excuse to escape the summer heat and come up to Rim Country to do it right next time. 

See Canyon #184 - Up the Rim

Weather:  88º, humid, partly cloudy

About this Hike:  See Canyon has been on the bucket list for a while now.  A last-minute deal at Kohl's Ranch outside of Payson meant this was to be another rim weekend. 

See Canyon trail traverses the Mogollon Rim, and if you're daring (as we were), allows you to hike up the entire rim in just under four miles.

There are two trailheads for #184.  One is in the little community of Christoper Creek just off AZ-260 E, and this is the one we opted to park at.  From Christopher Creek Loop, you simply turn onto FR 284 (confusing, since the trail number is 184) and follow it to a large parking area.  FR 284 is a good dirt road with a few sections that might be considered light rock crawl.  Other than that it's good, packed dirt. 

The other trailhead is on top of the rim.  It branches off from FR-300, also known as Rim Road.  Think of this like the Grand Canyon:  Get the easy downhill part over with first, and then hike back up it afterward!

We're the type who like to eat the frogs first...  This meant climbing the rim first and then taking it easy on the way down.  The hike starts in typical, beautiful Arizona high-country forest.  There are several crossings over Christopher Creek, which had just the right amount of water following weeks of monsoon activity this summer.  It's noteworthy to mention that the numerous washes along this trail were otherwise dry. 

Trail 184 eventually begins its steady ascent to the top of the rim.  The worst is at the end, with a steep section of light scree that requires some careful hand and foot work to ensure stable footing.  Shortly thereafter the sound of OHVs becomes more apparent.  Rim Road comes into sight. 

The hike down is a nice way to decompress.  Christopher Creek is at ~5,900 feet, while the Rim Road trailhead sits at close to 7,900 feet.  This hike involves nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain in just under four miles! 

While we didn't see abundant wildlife on this hike, we did meet a few interesting fellow hikers. These included people with loppers and axes that mercifully were not something out of a horror movie... In fact, they were part of a service organization that maintains the trails.  A sign denotes this not too far from the trailhead.  Their service was appreciated, as soft, monsoon-fed grasses were making for some light bushwhacking in spots. 

Last year some people at Beaver Creek near Sedona were water angels to another hiker that was with me (and didn't prepare accordingly).  Our hike might've been cut short if they hadn't saved the day with an extra water bottle.  I've wished to pay this forward, and today was our chance.  We met a friendly, but exhausted couple on trail in need of some extra water.  Word of advice:  Trail #184 is NOT a mountain biking trail.  Unless, that is, you like carrying your bike up 2,000 feet over nearly four miles.

Epilogue:  This hike took about four hours total.  Next on the agenda was a drive up Rim Road to Bear Canyon Lake for some kayaking.  One more beautiful canyon-bound, pine-enshrouded, rim lake checked off the bucket list. 

On the way up to Bear Canyon Lake we spotted the Rim Road trailhead for See Canyon #184.  We also spotted a familiar couple now on their mountain bikes pedaling along Rim Road. Kind of ironic...