East Baldy 95

Weather:  79º, sunny

About this Hike:  Just over two years ago I hiked up East Baldy. I was intrigued by the historic plane crash site near the summit. Back in 2024 we were coming off a winter of solid snow pack, and snow fields on the mountain made for an unpleasant hike. Now coming off two lackluster winters, I knew snow wouldn't be a problem on Baldy this year. I wanted to experience East Baldy in drier conditions and see if there are any additional airplane artifacts that were buried in snow last time. 

I forgot just how nice East Baldy is. It's seldom a steep climb, and it remains within forest for most of the hike. There's a lot of unique rock formations to enjoy, and it frequently opens up into stunning viewpoints. 

Unfortunately, a lot of the surrounding forest is succumbing pine beetle--a problem happening all over the western US. Many of the spruces and firs have turned an unpleasant brownish-orange color. Some of the worst die off is in the meadow surrounding the east fork of the Little Colorado River. Thankfully, there is still plenty of healthy old-growth forest to enjoy further up-trail. 

I reached the plane crash site in just over two hours--quite a bit faster than in 2024 when I could've used snowshoes. The only obstacles that slowed me down were areas of deadfall across the trail. Most of these have a side route carved around them, but some were an obstacle course to navigate. 

I didn't find any additional airplane wreckage at the summit. The pieces that I saw two years ago are all that is easily visible. However, mother nature must know this is ultimately a gravesite. The area around the crash is a field of beautiful mountain lupines. 

The wind was howling something fierce near the summit. It was making a eerie whistle through the stands of toothpicks that used to be trees. Some of these were crashing against each other adding to the cacophony. While I ate lunch near the crash site last time, I opted not to do so today. Judging from the amount of deadfall that litters these upper reaches of Mount Baldy, I thought the risk of a tree falling on me was too high. I took some photos and then began my descent back down, glad to have enjoyed East Baldy again in warmer conditions. 

Government Springs

Weather:  79º, sunny

About this Hike:  The plan for today was to head to the White Mountains and kayak at Crescent Lake. This body of water intrigued me last summer when I camped at Big Lake. I was hoping Crescent had fared like the rim lakes--despite virtually no snowpack this winter, the rim lakes filled up to about three-quarters their capacity due to some good rainfall. 

Before heading to the lake, I set up camp at one of my favorites--Winn Campground. The camp host informed me Crescent is considered a dead lake. Upon arrival, I found very low water, mud, and scum. I'm not sure if what I smelled was the scum on the water or the pit toilets... Harkening back to my algae-filled experience kayaking Big Lake last August, I knew better than to even attempt the gross cesspool that is Crescent's current condition. Someday after a winter of heavy snowpack when its full of clean, fresh water, I imagine Crescent will be a fun lake to paddle. 

My Plan B was right across the street from Crescent at the Overland Trail. I opened a gate and parked on the other side. The forest road was in awful condition. An trail sign indicates this is in fact the Overland Trail. It went briefly through some nice forest. It opened into a meadow with a preserved multi-room cabin. The meadow seemed to be an impromptu campground, and I was left wondering how people managed to get fifth-wheel trailers back there. The Overland Trail vanished and I had no luck finding it. The GPS track would indicate I was on trail, but in reality I was walking through a cow and elk poop filled meadow. 

I opted to turn back and try to figure something else out. I thought about Thompson Trail along the Black River. Even though I've done that one a few times before, it would be better than nothing. I opted instead to head back toward Winn Campground and see what Sheeps Crossing was all about. After all, the FS feels that Sheeps Crossing merits a paved parking lot.

I started down the only trail that branched from the parking lot. Soon, I was along the west fork of the Little Colorado. I followed what is an unmapped, but well-maintained trail parallel to the river. And speaking of the river, I think this is a more enjoyable (and less crowded) hike than Thompson Trail. I was surrounded by unique rock formations, trees, wildflowers, and of course, the constant burble of the river. I noted that the trail has clearly received maintenance, and someone has posted green arrow markers on trees. Since you're in a shallow, narrow canyon, it's not hard to stay on trail--just stay parallel with the river. Aside from a few boulder fields and muddy seeps, it was an easy trail to follow.

Since it was late in the day, I only went about two miles and then turned back. Looking at the map, I suspected this trail would lead to Greer. I confirmed that it does in fact lead to Greer, and can be hiked from Government Springs Trailhead. 

While not an official FS trail, Government Springs was a redeeming hike on a day that otherwise had not gone well. It was back to Winn Campground to get ready for tomorrow's hike at East Baldy. 

Pole Knoll

Weather:  79º, overcast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

 

West Baldy #94

Weather:  81°; clouds and sun

About this Hike:  Rested up after a night at Winn Campground, I headed to West Baldy #94 to get an early start. This time of year the days start beautiful in the White Mountains—clear blue skies with not a cloud in sight. By lunchtime this often changes as the thunderstorms build in. 

I came to this hike expecting it to be another gorgeous White Mountains landscape—old growth forests, lush meadows, and the winding west fork of the Little Colorado River. My map indicated it was about seven miles to the pseudo-summit where West Baldy #94 joins East Baldy #95. 

I didn't expect to reach that summit. I planned to go as far as I could and just enjoy the magnificent scenery while keeping a close watch on the skies. As the first thunderheads began building, I planned to head for lower elevation. 

What I didn't realize is that most of the elevation gain on this well-traveled trail comes later in the hike. Meanwhile, I was enjoying the scenery. Wildflowers filled the meadows around the Little Colorado. I'd hike through an open, grassy meadow only to again be under the canopy of granddaddy lodgepole pines, firs, spruces, ponderosas, and aspens. I lost track of time. The trail was ascending very gradually, but thus far there was no steep ascent. I looked at my map and realized I was about three-quarters of the way to the summit. A few grey clouds had popped up and were offering some welcome respite from the sun's rays. The clouds weren't thundering, but I knew the weather was changing. Regardless, I was now determined to reach that summit. 

At this point the trail exits the thick forest and comes into a damaged area. On both West Baldy, and looking to the other ridge on the east, downed trees litter the landscape like toothpicks. I thought this was Wallow Fire damage from 2011, but I may be incorrect. I've heard everything from pine beetle kill, to a fire in the early 2000s is responsible for this damage. 

Despite the damage, the forest is regenerating. Parts of the landscape are covered in blue spruces that look to be about 10-15 years old based on their height. It's like a Christmas tree forest. And it's right about here where the steepest elevation gain begins. A few tight switchbacks push your ascent above 11K feet. 

I met a friendly lady on horseback who advised me to watch for a meadow full of purple wildflowers in one of the areas where the pines had died. It was magnificent. She also told me to look out for the famed plane crash site. I was able to find the fuselage on the mountainside using my binoculars. 

Finally, I pushed ahead to the pseudo-summit. I call it this because the true summit is on tribal land and requires permission to hike to. I did find the trail that would have led to the true summit. I expected a warning sign and perhaps a gate. Logs and stones laid across the trail are the only indicator this area is off limits. It wouldn't stop anyone who wanted to just step over it. I opted to respect tribal land, and plus, the summit adds about another mile each way and I was tired. Plus I now had to hike back down seven miles.

I briefly considered going down East Baldy. After all, the sign at the junction indicated it was a couple miles shorter. But linking back to the West Baldy lot where I was parked would add more mileage. I opted to return the way I came. 

Shortly after beginning my descent, the cloudy skies began to rumble. And rumble some more. The first thunderstorm popped up and dropped some rain. The rain-cooled air actually felt pretty good. I met other hikers still on their ascent. I was surprised how most of them seemed unfazed by the afternoon weather. Meanwhile, I was hustling to get to lower elevation. 

That first storm blew through and clear skies returned. I continued on my descent, but as I came within a couple miles of the trailhead, mother nature unleashed again. Loud thunder and hail came with this one. Thankfully the hail was just an annoyance and not dangerous. I still got a good soaking. Other hikers were laughing and joking about it. I wish I could be so nonchalant, but I hate getting caught in thunderstorms. 

When I originally researched this hike, West Baldy looked more scenic to me. But now that I've seen it in person, you can bet I'll be back to do East Baldy. With a little more research and planning, I might have done both as a loop, but at the same time I look forward to returning to this beautiful area. 

Thompson Trail #629 - High Road vs. Low Road

Weather:  79°; clouds and sun

About this Hike:  Getting there may be half the fun, but not when it comes to the White Mountains. The drive takes forever, which is why I'd only been to this part of the state once in the past. 

But now that Payson is home, that drive is 'only' about three hours, and I'm planning on exploring the White Mountains more in depth. With Payson weather as of late being reminiscent of the Phoenix Valley weather I left behind (triple digits and no rain), I decided to head for the 'coolest' spot in the state right now. 

I set up camp Friday afternoon at Winn Campground under threatening skies. Rain showers started just east of Pinetop and followed me the entire way to the campground. With my site picked out and camp set up, I headed out for my first hike.

Being as it was late afternoon, I planned an easy hike for this evening. I've long seen photos from the White Mountains of lush, wildflower-studded meadows with a stream flowing through the middle. I wanted this type of scenery to be my White Mountains experience. The hike on Thompson Trail did not disappoint.  

The hike begins at a well-signed trailhead off a maintained gravel road. I hiked along a decommissioned forest road and admired views of the west fork of the Black River down below. I saw what looked like a path on the river's edge and even some other hikers down there. The embankment was pretty steep, and I wondered how they got down there... 

Eventually I reached the end of the old road at a marked junction. The sign read 'Thompson Trail 0.3 mile.' I thought I had been on the Thompson Trail the whole time. Looking at my map, I saw a series of extremely tight switchbacks in the direction where the sign pointed to Thompson Trail. Those switchbacks would take me down to the river. But would there be a trail down there, or would it be marshy grass? I decided to explore, but only a little further. The trail was rocky and getting hard to follow. I opted to play it safe and return the way I came, at least until I reached a small saddle where the embankment wasn't so steep. 

Climbing down the embankment and through the marshy grass, I was able to get down to the river's edge where a well-blazed trail awaited me. I followed this all the way back to a gate on the old road, which then led back to the trailhead. In other words, I could have hiked at the river's edge the entire time. The trick is to follow the path to the left of the gate as you come in via the old road. Regardless, this was a beautiful, easy ~5 mile hike, and a good intro to the White Mountains.

I returned to camp to get ready for the next day's big hike at Mount Baldy.