Pacific Crest Trail: One of the Local Bits

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Hiking, nature, outdoors, Pacific Crest Trail, photography

Although the Pacific Crest Trail extends from Mexico to Canada, there was no danger that Bryon and I were going to make Sunday’s hike a grand excursion. We simply headed east toward Sunrise Highway.

By the middle of the day, some of the trails were crowded with hikers and mountain bikers, so we looked for one that wasn’t congested with cars.

Manzanita shrubs grow along the trail. The wood is distinctive (and very hard).

The observatory, visible in the distance.

The scenery changed as we moved along. We only covered about two-and-a-half miles each way, but we could see the impact of recent fires along the trail.

The wind was picking up speed through the canyon here. The trees, though singed, were relatively intact. 

These trees were on the direct opposite side of the trail from the trees above.

The view at the top of the hill, where, the wind gusted up to 50 mph. (On the way back the breezes slowed down a bit, and stayed between 20 and 30 mph.)

 

 

 

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Sweetwater Reservoir

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Hiking, outdoors, photography, Sweetwater Reservoir

It’s January, or at least that’s what the calendar says. Last Sunday, the thermometer said otherwise:  72 degrees.California drought conditions are widespread and severe, and farther north there are fires.Although the land is not exempt from the heat, the effects are mildly tempered by its location near the reservoir.This is a popular trail with cyclists, joggers, and hikers. Bryon and I did a 3-mile round-trip hike, but it’s possible to do a longer one.Miners’ lettuce. It actually has a mild flavor. I had no idea why it was left there.Leaves along the trail.

Lava River Cave

Tags

Arizona, Flagstaff, Hiking, nature, photography, summer

Buster decided to sit this one out. He’s 13, and we weren’t sure he wanted to go digging around in a cave.Doesn’t look like much from here, but come closer …It goes almost straight down, into the cave.A few intrepid pups (and their companion) hiked the cave. Note the booties, which protect their paws from sharp rocks.A view down the cave. We knew to bring extra layers, since it can be cold here (32-40 degrees F). In July, isn’t that the point of this hike?Lava cave floor. My husband Bryon helped me over the rough spots. In spite of my excellent trail shoes I twisted my ankle a few times. (Luckily nothing serious.)At the split. “Stay to the right,” we were told. “It’ll be easier.”“Easier” is relative. Alex is 6’3″. (Even I had to crab-walk this.)A view of the ceiling.A second view of the ceiling. The cave changes to reflect humidity and other ambient conditions.A Rorschach test. (Not really–a view of the walls.)The sign says, “DUCK”. In case you needed the reminder.Grafitti at the turnaround point of the hike. This is supposed to be the warmest point of the hike. I couldn’t tell, since I had already taken off and tied my sweat jacket around my waist.I wasn’t sure about the significance of the boat, either.Mold growing from litter left by prior hikers.

Veit Springs Trail

Tags

Arizona, Flagstaff, Hiking, nature, photography, summer, Veit Springs Trail

Although Buster was probably sore from the previous day’s hike, he needed no coaxing to join us for our next outing.The trail is also known as the Lamar Haines Loop, named after a local leader in the conservation movement.Mushrooms make themselves at home here. I don’t know whether or not these are poisonous.Ferns and aspens along the way. Remains of an old cabin.Spring house near the old cabin.Note the petroglyphs on the top of the wall where the stones meet overhead.Buster, ready to go.Tree bark.One of the locals.Vintage graffiti.

Life After Wildfire

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Arizona, Aspens, Flagstaff, Hiking, nature, photography, summer, Wildfire

The Yarnell Hill Fire burned throughout the week, and flags remained at half-staff throughout Arizona. As we hiked through Lockett Meadow, it was not hard to think about the sense of loss that will remain after the press attention subsides.The Schultz Fire, Arizona’s largest wildfire in 2010, burned over 15,000 acres. The eastern slopes of the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff still show fire damage.Sunset Crater is in the distance. Monsoon clouds overhead, but not enough rain here.The trees are still fragile. The aspen grove of the Inner Basin had been spared because the firefighters worked so hard to save it.

Man-made damage takes many shapes.Sometimes it can be whimsical.Nature can keep you guessing.A wildflower on the path.Note to self:  come back when the leaves change.The hike was a steady uphill climb, making the return trip a downhill jog. Don’t be fooled:  there were other hikers who had come from as far away as Phoenix to escape the summer heat (110 degrees F).Buster, cooling off before getting back on the trail.Clouds moved overhead, as an afternoon monsoon threatened anything from a light shower to a flash flood. Luckily we made it back to the car without being rained on.

West Fork Trail

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Arizona, Hiking, nature, outdoors, photography, Sedona, West Fork Trail

“It’s a good day for a hike.” Bryon got behind the wheel and we headed toward Sedona. Since we had to be back in town for business later in the day, it had to be nearby and/or quick. The West Fork Trail was perfect!

We pulled off the road so I could take this picture. West Fork Trail is just down the road from here.

Apple and pear trees in the orchard, waiting for spring.

Ferns carpet the orchard floor, which is also covered with snow.

Don’t be fooled by the sun–it was cold out here.

Remains of an abandoned house. Other walls are covered with ivy.

Heading toward the trailhead.

After seeing sun and snow in the orchard, I did not expect to encounter a wall of ice as we started walking down the trail.

Bryon, not easily dwarfed by the surroundings.

The water was clear and cold.

Down the creek the ice was thick enough for us to cross from one side to the other.

Crossing the creek on the trail the second time we came here.

Did I want to look through a macro lens or a wide angle one? Luckily I did not have to choose just one.

If you look carefully you can see that beavers have been here–the gnawed branches give them away.

Pine trees and yucca plants, an unlikely winter pairing.

It’s hard not to keep looking up at the cliffs along the way.

The view from the end of the trail (or the start of it).

Follow That Vortex!

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Arizona, Boynton Canyon, Hiking, nature, outdoors, photography, Sedona, Vortexes

Sedona is known for its cluster of vortexes (vortices?), or sites of energy concentration. Those who come to Boynton Canyon may seek the Kachina Woman or the spires. Bryon and I were not so ambitious:  we pointed to the red rocks in the distance and decided, “Let’s go that way.”

At the start of the hike, we crossed a dry creek bed. During summer monsoons, this could flood.

Desert plants coexist with pine, even in the snow.

As we headed up the mountain we could see the sandstone layers of the mesa.

Is the Kachina Woman here? We don’t see her.

Small stone formations mark the path to follow. I don’t know who built them.

One of the neighbors came through. Deer perhaps?

The spires are on the right.

Getting close to the base of the cliff.

Distant mesas.

Under the cliffs. I think we’re about half a mile from Devil’s Bridge at this point.

Sheets and layers of rock. At this point, I couldn’t tell you whether I had encountered a metaphysical phenomenon. I only knew that when I looked up, my head began to spin.

Getting up and back may have made me almost dizzy, but the views were worth it!

Walnut Canyon

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Arizona, Hiking, photography, travel, Walnut Canyon National Monument

Even the ranger admitted that the name of the trail is somewhat of a misnomer:  “They call it the Island Trail, but it’s shaped like a peninsula.”

Here’s what we saw as we headed into the canyon. The Visitors’ Guide is on the right.

Desert plants surviving in the snow.

I can only imagine the classified ads for these places: “1-3 BR, Great views. Must see to believe. Call for appointment.”

“… a stratum of rock, softer than those above, had been hollowed out by the action of time … The overhanging cliff made a roof two hundred feet thick. The hard stratum was an everlasting floor. Thus the houses stood along in a row; like the buildings in a city block, or like a barracks.”
-Willa Cather, on a visit to Walnut Canyon in 1912

Heading down into the canyon.

One of the dwellings.

Mormon Tea. This plant is a member of the ephedra genus and was used by native tribes as a beverage and medicinal tonic.

The trail was partially closed due to weather and safety conditions. However, we were able to look inside.

The view from inside.

Bryon, who is 6’5″, provides a sense of scale.

A view across the canyon.

As we made our way back up the path I thought of Willa Cather and the tourists who had come a hundred years before us. They had been more adventurous to come this way, unencumbered by modern conveniences, untethered by technology. Even so: we had nothing on the communities who had lived here hundreds of years before us. Their great grandchildren had long since died or moved on. I understood why: as soon as I made the vertical climb back to the Visitors’ Center, I had to stop and rest before crawling back to the car.

Wupatki National Monument

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Arizona, easy hike, Hiking, nature, photography, travel, Wupatki National Monument, wupatki pueblo

It is possible to visit all of the pueblos in a day, but we made two trips so we didn’t feel rushed. This is an even better idea if you want to visit in the summer and have the time. Bryon suggests that, because the days are longer, visit some of them in the morning, spend lunch in Flagstaff, and come back in the afternoon when it’s a little cooler. (Keep in mind that the Visitors’ Center closes at 5:30 p.m.–at least during the winter–so plan accordingly.)

We started our visit at the Wukoki Pueblo, which was an easy hike.

“Do they mean, ‘No papooses allowed?'”

The back side of the pueblo.

What you can see from the top of the pueblo–across the street, if you will.

The afternoon sun was beginning to set, and it would be cold(er) soon.

Weathered sandstone formation.

Citadel pueblo:  check out the view from this one.

Here’s what you see from the Citadel Pueblo: a huge limestone sink. A professional basketball court and sideline seats could easily fit inside it.

Here’s a view from the Box Canyon Pueblo.

One of the rooms inside the Box Canyon Pueblo.

Box Canyon Pueblo.

Even the plants seemed timeless.

Wupatki Pueblo is the largest pueblo in the monument.

There are several parts to the pueblo complex.

Desert foliage.

“Don’t touch the pottery!” We saw more warnings than pottery.

The sun was starting to set. We needed to head back to contemplate (read: make) dinner.

Sunset Crater

Tags

Arizona, Hiking, photography, Sunset Crater Volcano, travel, trees

Armed with a national parks pass, we set off to see how far we could go. Arizonans looking for winter sport amusements were heading for Snowbowl or Wing Mountain.  Bryon and I wanted only a break from the excitement of getting our older son moved into a larger apartment so his younger brother could join him and start college. After a few days of wrangling with the registrar’s office and the apartment manager, why not blow off some steam at the nearest volcano?

This part of the trail is on the southwestern edge of the Sunset Crater above the Bonito Lava Flows.

As we predicted, we had the place (almost) to ourselves, encountering two families with children and a Forest Service ranger making her rounds.

It’s hard to estimate how deep the snow is at any one point. Our estimate was between six and twelve inches.

Southern face of the Sunset Crater.

We saw no animals during our hike, but we knew they were there.

A cinder cone forms during the early stages of an eruption as magma rises upward through a central vent. As the gases in the magma are released, the solid components of the magma land around the vent and form a cone.

A late-night errand?

Southern side of Sunset Crater, on the Lava Flow Trail.

Cinder cones come in various sizes and shapes.

A view from the northwest side at the Cinder Hills Overlook. Hikers are no longer allowed to go into the crater because the traffic would cause the sides to erode.

It was an easy hike. If you’re in the Flagstaff area, grab your camera and check it out.