TELEPHONE TRAIL

Sedona

We dog lovers have always known that it’s the little breeds that catch you off guard and bite you in the shorts. Often delivering surprising energy, robust tenacity and pugnacious character, small breeds pack a lot of attitude into compact bodies. I’ve come to learn that this same observation can also apply to hiking trails. Case in point: Sedona’s Telephone Trail #72. For years, I avoided this trail because of its short length. Mistake.

A brisk, vertical ascent, demanding terrain and a couple of queasily-close-to-the-edge segments make this the Jack Russell terrier of Red Rock Country hikes.

The thigh-burning climb culminates at a bizarre row of rock “windows” overlooking Oak Creek Canyon making for a primo, adrenalin-charged photo opportunity.

Although the official trail ends at the 1.25-mile point, a maze of informal footpaths and old roads on the rim beckon further exploration. Those with good route-finding skills can use these “no-name” paths to connect with nearby Thomas Point, Harding Springs, and Cookstove Trails which also ascend the slopes over Highway 89A.

LENGTH: 2.5 miles round trip (on trail)

RATING: moderate-difficult

ELEVATION: 5,380 -6,380 feet

FEE: a Red Rock Pass ($5 daily fee per vehicle) is required to park along the road. These are available at the Oak Creek ranger station and most retail shops (like Circle K) in the Sedona area. NOTE: if you choose to park in any of the campgrounds along 89A---bring more cash, as most charge an additional $8-9 for this privilege.

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, travel north on I17 to exit 298 (SR 179, Sedona-Oak Creek). Go west (left) on SR179 to the “Y” intersection with US89A in Sedona. Veer right (northeast) through the traffic roundabout and go 10.9 miles on 89A to milepost 385.1 and park in a turnout under a large cliff on the right. The trailhead is located roughly 100 yards up 89A on the right---look for a red-toned, metal sign on the embankment.

INFO:

Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National Forest, (928) 282-4119

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/telephone-tr.shtml

RED ROCK PASS PROGRAM:

http://www.redrockcountry.org/passes-and-permits/index.shtml

MORE PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1552751877467.59604.1795269672&l=a7eea3e49b

HAY MEADOW

HAY MEADOW

Near Clint's Well

We love smelling trees. Not just any old species---we prefer “yellow bellies” -- the crème de la crème of local aromatic timbers.

Yellow bellies are mature Ponderosa pines with distinctive yellow-brown, scaly plates enveloping their trunks. This species can live 300-600 years and it takes between 150-250 years before the smoother ash brown bark the trees are born with evolves into the fragrant veneer we love to savor. When warmed by the summer sun, the bark emits an olfactory spectrum of scents like butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon, cherry-almond and a pungent delight I’ve dubbed “eau de bois”. No tree smells exactly like its neighbor and connoisseurs will gravitate toward the complex aromas of the largest, crustiest specimens. Because northern Arizona—specifically the Mogollon Rim-- is home to the world’s largest swath of Ponderosa pines, it’s easy to find a forest to inhale by hiking various Rim-area passages of the Arizona Trail.

Hay Meadow is a good place to start. Following a portion of the 32-mile Happy Jack passage #29, this hike features some truly gourmet pine sniffing opportunities. Mostly flat, the route passes through a patchwork of conifer-oak woodlands and sun drenched meadows before dipping 400 feet into the narrow corridor of Jack’s Canyon. Near the end of the canyon, trail signage tends to succumb to the ravages of toppled trees, winter runoff and rock slides, making the route difficult to find. It’s here where we end the casual “Hay Meadow” trek, returning the way we entered---a blithe band of bark-breathing backpackers.

LENGTH: 7 miles roundtrip

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,838’ – 6,585’

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 125 miles one-way

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go north on I17 to Camp Verde. Connect to SR260 east (toward Payson) and travel 31 miles to the SR87 junction. Turn left (north) and go 9 miles on SR87 to Clint’s Well. From here, continue 8.3 miles to the turnoff for the Moqui campground (FR138). There will be a “Moqui” sign a few hundred feet before the road on the right. Turn right onto FR138 where a sign located roughly 50 yards in from SR87 reads: "Blue Ridge Campground/Moqui Campground/138". The trailhead is on the left about 100 yards from SR87.

ALTERNATE: From Phoenix, take Loop 202 east, connect with SR87 north and follow it through Payson and Pine-Strawberry all the way to the trailhead. It's a few miles longer this way, but the scenery is nice.

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

From the trailhead, hike back out to SR87, cross the highway heading north to a gated dirt road (FR9852). Pass the gate and follow the road a few hundred yards to the signed turnoff for the AZ Trail on the right. From here, watch carefully for AZT signposts and rock cairns to stay on track.

INFO: Coconino National Forest, Mogollon Rim Ranger District: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/mog_rim/az-tr-happyjack.shtml

Arizona Trail Association:

http://www.aztrail.org/passages/pass_29.html

MORE PHOTOS: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1554045029795.59673.1795269672&l=2e1073128a

MORMON MOUNTAIN

MORMON MOUNTAIN

Flagstaff

Wanna have a snowball fight in May? In Arizona? That’s what we did today on Mormon Mountain. Shaded with old growth timber, this hike in Flagstaff’s plateau lakes region makes a steady but gradual climb up volcanic slopes overlooking the marshy wetlands of Mormon Lake. The forests on this hill are among the very few in Arizona that have not been logged, thus, many of the trees are ancient and massive. I saw a Douglas fir with a girth of over 6 feet! All that shade—and the elevation—preserved just enough snow for us to have a few laughs before heading back down the trail to photograph wildflowers including Woodhouse phlox, Lemmon’s stars and Rocky Mountain Pussytoes that are starting to pop up through the pine needle litter.

LENGTH: 6 miles roundtrip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 7,200’ - 8,449’

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go north on I17 to exit 339 for Lake Mary Road (FR3) located just before the I40 interchange south of Flagstaff. Go 20 miles south on Lake Mary Road to Mormon Lake Road (FR90). Turn right and go 3.6 miles to the turnoff for Dairy Springs Campground. Turn right into the campground and follow the dirt road 0.3 miles to the signed trailhead.

FACILITIES: restrooms & water in the campground

INFO: Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff Ranger District, (928) 526-0866

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/mormon_lake/mormon-mtn-tr.shtml

CAMPBELL MESA

CAMPBELL MESA TRAILS

Flagstaff

Last summer while hiking the AZ Trail on Walnut Canyon Rim, we passed a sign pointing to Campbell Mesa Trail and vowed to return to explore it. A little less than a year later, we discovered that the Campbell Mesa trail is actually a series of five interconnected loop hikes. Rubbing elbows with suburbia and a manicured golf course, this system is easy to access and-- believe it or not--actually provides some solitude and decent scenic views.

This mostly flat, mesh of wide paths meanders among massive Ponderosa pines and sunny meadows with views of Elden Mountain, the San Francisco Peaks, Mormon Mountain and Walnut Canyon. Signage at the trailhead (located 300 feet up the road from the parking area) features a detailed map of the matrix including mileage between junctions---making it easy to customize your trek.

This area is heavily fire-managed through use of prescribed burns and forest thinning in an attempt to reduce the chance of devastating hot wildfires similar to the recent Shultz Fire, which destroyed much of the Dry Lake Hills area on the northeast flanks of San Francisco Peaks. Damage from this 2010  blaze is clearly visible from the Anasazi Loop.

LENGTH: 5 loops totaling 11.3 miles

ANASAZI LOOP: 2.8 miles

CONTINENTAL LOOP: 1.9 miles

CAMPBELL MESA LOOP: 4.9 miles

WALNUT MEADOWS LOOP: 3.9 miles

SINAGUA LOOP: 1.4 miles

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,723 – 6,880

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 145 miles one-way

DOGS: leashed dogs are allowed

FACILITIES: none

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix go north on I17 to the I40 junction just before entering Flagstaff. Go east (Albuquerque) on I40 to exit 201 (Country Club Road), go 1 mile south (right) to Old Walnut Canyon Road (FR303). Turn east (left) on Old Walnut Canyon Road and continue 1 mile to the parking area. The trailhead is located roughly 300 feet beyond the gate.

INFO: Coconino National Forest, Peaks Ranger District

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/campbell-mesa-tr.shtml

(928) 526-0866

MORE PHOTOS: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1532610653949.58581.1795269672&l=c9e0098e99

HARDING SPRINGS-COOKSTOVE LOOP

HARDING SPRINGS-COOKSTOVE TRAIL LOOP

Sedona

Everyone who visits Sedona eventually ends up standing on the rim at world-famous Oak Creek Canyon Vista Point along US89A. The views are breathtaking, that’s for sure, however, the combination of crowds, pavement, rails and the requisite viewing scope kinda dilutes the wilderness experience. Besides, ever since my eye socket was on the receiving end of camera-wielding tourist’s elbow; I swore off this little slice of Chamber-of-Commerce outdoors and now opt for alternative ways to peer over this majestic red rock gorge. The alternative can be found by opting to hike one or more of four short but steep trails leading up to the rim over Oak Creek Canyon. Offering savory solitude, the trails are: Thomas Point, Telephone, Harding Springs and Cookstove. Thomas Point is located directly across from the West Fork trailhead---so parking is a major ordeal. Yet, just mile up the road, it’s usually easier to find a parking spot near the Harding Springs trailhead. Of the four “rim trails”, Harding is the least steep, but will still require some respectable physical exertion. Ascending through dense stands of pines, firs and maples in brisk, switch-backing style, Harding Springs-Cookstove Loop trail gains 1,200 feet in less than a mile, connects with “no-name rim trail”, traverses the cliffs above US89A and descends along Cookstove trail. With “zero-crowdfill” and “elbow-free” natural viewing overlooks, this loop hike delivers a rarefied Sedona experience.

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

Head 0.8 mile UPHILL on Harding Spring Trail #51. At the top of the trail, a bare wooden post marks a 3-way junction. Just before the post, a rock carin on the left denotes the turn off for the “no-name Rim trail”, another carined route veers left from the post (presumably going to Thomas Point) and the third branch heading straight ahead along a short, rock-lined footpath leads to a very nice scenic overlook. Don’t skimp-- make this short detour because there are myriad “Kodak moments” to be had here. Once done cheesing for the camera at the overlook, head back to the 3-way junction and pick up the “no-name Rim trail”, heading north. This woodsy, 1.3-mile, mostly flat segment is a challenge to follow. Pay attention and look for cairns among the toppled trees and pine needle litter. Where the path crosses drainages and a seasonal creek, the trail picks up directly across the dips. There are no signs indicating the start of Cookstove Trail #143. Instead, sporadic cairns mark the way through a quagmire of rotting logs and volcanic rubble. It’s not easy to find—but if you get lucky, expect a very steep, 0.75-mile descent---seriously, it goes straight down! Once at US89A, hike 1.3 miles back to the Harding Springs trailhead.

RECOMMENDATION: hike both trails from bottom up before attempting the loop. That way, you’ll be able to better to find your bearings.

MORE PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1522791488476.57998.1795269672&l=f33ee59fb6

LENGTH: 4.15-mile loop

RATING: difficult—route finding, extreme grades, loose footing

ELEVATION: 5,400 – 6,800 feet

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 136 miles one-way

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go north on I-17 to exit 298 for SR 179 North (Sedona-Oak Creek).

Go west (turn left) and continue on SR 179 to the “Y” intersection with US89A in Sedona. Enter the traffic roundabout and veer right (heading northeast) onto US89A and go 11.5 miles and park along the side of the road between mileposts 385 and 386. The trail begins across from the Cave Springs Campground at the large forest service sign.

FEE: a Red Rock Pass ($5 daily per vehicle) is required to park along the road --available at the Oak Creek Ranger station as well as many local merchants like Circle-K.

If you want to park in any of the campgrounds along 89A, there will be additional fees.

INFO: Coconino national Forest, Red Rock Ranger District:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/harding-springs-tr.shtml

(928) 282-4119

Red Rock Pass Program:

http://www.redrockcountry.org/passes-and-permits/index.shtml