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Inner Basin Trail

Early morning hike on Inner Basin Trail, San Francisco Peaks. 2009-05-30: Saturday evening, we were sitting on the front porch after our evening walk, enjoying a cup of chai and watching the sun set. There had been rain during the late afternoon, and heavy clouds had descended over the Peaks, hiding the mountain from view. The clouds had lifted in time for our evening ritual, and we noticed there was new snow on the upper tips of the Peaks. As we sipped our tea, we joked â€œIf we were really motivated, weâ€™d get up early, hit the Inner Basin Trail at dawn, and get some good photos before the snow melts offâ€¦â€ 2009-05-31: â€¦so, at 4:00AM we stumbled out of bed, grabbed some coffee, got dressed, grabbed more coffee and rolled out the door around 4:30AM. We drove up the mountain, and hit the trail around 5:15AM. There was a bit of a breeze making the hike rather chilly. Everything was wet and green, and the aspens created a delectable aroma. Past Jack Spring (1.5 miles from the trailhead) we hit the frost line, and the vegetation sparkled (and the air was noticeably chillier). We arrived at the Inner Basin (the point where thereâ€™s a shelter and pumphouse, and all the Peaks are visible) around 6:45AM. Weâ€™d expected some shade still at that hour, and were delighted to discover the sun was shining right up through the low point in the Peaks (the north-eastern side, where the wall was blown out during an eruption), lighting up the entire Inner Basin for us. We wandered around a bit capturing various shots, then headed back to attend to our dayâ€™s activities. Hiking report View all the photos from this hike

Secret Cabin on Secret Mountain Trail. 2009-05-06: On the fourth day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to Secret Mountain Trail #109. The Mangums (authors of Flagstaff Hikes) list this as one of their favorite trails, mentioning they usually stop just past Secret Cabin on the edge of the mountain where thereâ€™s a nice view. The weather was unseasonably hot, and we chose this trail not only because itâ€™s interesting, but because it stays at fairly high elevation (instead of diving down into a canyon like so many of the trails in this area). The trail starts off running along a bit of a ridge up to a knob where there are some fantastic views. Diving down to a narrow saddle, the trail meets the top of Loy Canyon Trail, then climbs up to a fairly flat run. Around 1.0 mile are the remains of an old dry tank and corral. Itâ€™s almost easy to miss the corral because thereâ€™s just a few posts left, as well as a rusty old dredge. Off to the left just past the corral is Johnson Tank. The tank wall reveals signs of masonry work where the dirt has eroded away. Past Johnson Tank, the trail runs above and to the left of a ravine, where two more tanks hold water. The first, Masonry Tank, is built using local stones to dam a narrow, rocky section of the creek bed. The dam creates a small, shallow pond. Below Masonry Tank is Cement Tank, created from three slabs of preformed concrete. This dam creates a rather large, long, and narrow pond which runs back almost to Masonry Tank. There is a rough footpath running from Cement Tank to above Masonry Tank, a lovely diversion from the main trail. According to the Mangums, this area of forest is virgin. Near Cement Tank, the trail descends to a bench along the creek bed where another, more complete corral and Secret Cabin are situated (1.8 miles from the trailhead). Secret Cabin is in fair shape, its walls standing but its roof has collapsed. According to the Mangums, the cabin was built as a failed homestead, and was later inhabited by a family of polygamous Latter Day Saints escaping persecution, then horse thieves whoâ€™d bring stolen horses up Loy Canyon from Sedona en route to Flagstaff and northern destinations. Heading uphill past the cabin, the trail leads up to a ridge with a nice view and more corrals. The main trail leads off to the left for another 2.8 miles. Since it was pretty hot weather, we decided to follow the Mangums' recommendation: we had lunch in the shade of a tree, then turned around and headed back to the trailhead, diverting down into the ravine to explore the tanks on the way back. Trip report and full gallery

Century plant preparing to bloom

Century plant preparing to bloom. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Kaibab Plateau Trail 101

Hike on Kaibab Plateau Trail 101 (part of the Arizona Trail) from East Rim Viewpoint to Crystal Spring.

Inner Basin Trail

Early morning hike on Inner Basin Trail, San Francisco Peaks. 2009-05-30: Saturday evening, we were sitting on the front porch after our evening walk, enjoying a cup of chai and watching the sun set. There had been rain during the late afternoon, and heavy clouds had descended over the Peaks, hiding the mountain from view. The clouds had lifted in time for our evening ritual, and we noticed there was new snow on the upper tips of the Peaks. As we sipped our tea, we joked â€œIf we were really motivated, weâ€™d get up early, hit the Inner Basin Trail at dawn, and get some good photos before the snow melts offâ€¦â€ 2009-05-31: â€¦so, at 4:00AM we stumbled out of bed, grabbed some coffee, got dressed, grabbed more coffee and rolled out the door around 4:30AM. We drove up the mountain, and hit the trail around 5:15AM. There was a bit of a breeze making the hike rather chilly. Everything was wet and green, and the aspens created a delectable aroma. Past Jack Spring (1.5 miles from the trailhead) we hit the frost line, and the vegetation sparkled (and the air was noticeably chillier). We arrived at the Inner Basin (the point where thereâ€™s a shelter and pumphouse, and all the Peaks are visible) around 6:45AM. Weâ€™d expected some shade still at that hour, and were delighted to discover the sun was shining right up through the low point in the Peaks (the north-eastern side, where the wall was blown out during an eruption), lighting up the entire Inner Basin for us. We wandered around a bit capturing various shots, then headed back to attend to our dayâ€™s activities. Hiking report View all the photos from this hike

Secret Mountain Trail

Secret Mountain Trail. 2009-05-06: On the fourth day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to Secret Mountain Trail #109. The Mangums (authors of Flagstaff Hikes) list this as one of their favorite trails, mentioning they usually stop just past Secret Cabin on the edge of the mountain where thereâ€™s a nice view. The weather was unseasonably hot, and we chose this trail not only because itâ€™s interesting, but because it stays at fairly high elevation (instead of diving down into a canyon like so many of the trails in this area). The trail starts off running along a bit of a ridge up to a knob where there are some fantastic views. Diving down to a narrow saddle, the trail meets the top of Loy Canyon Trail, then climbs up to a fairly flat run. Around 1.0 mile are the remains of an old dry tank and corral. Itâ€™s almost easy to miss the corral because thereâ€™s just a few posts left, as well as a rusty old dredge. Off to the left just past the corral is Johnson Tank. The tank wall reveals signs of masonry work where the dirt has eroded away. Past Johnson Tank, the trail runs above and to the left of a ravine, where two more tanks hold water. The first, Masonry Tank, is built using local stones to dam a narrow, rocky section of the creek bed. The dam creates a small, shallow pond. Below Masonry Tank is Cement Tank, created from three slabs of preformed concrete. This dam creates a rather large, long, and narrow pond which runs back almost to Masonry Tank. There is a rough footpath running from Cement Tank to above Masonry Tank, a lovely diversion from the main trail. According to the Mangums, this area of forest is virgin. Near Cement Tank, the trail descends to a bench along the creek bed where another, more complete corral and Secret Cabin are situated (1.8 miles from the trailhead). Secret Cabin is in fair shape, its walls standing but its roof has collapsed. According to the Mangums, the cabin was built as a failed homestead, and was later inhabited by a family of polygamous Latter Day Saints escaping persecution, then horse thieves whoâ€™d bring stolen horses up Loy Canyon from Sedona en route to Flagstaff and northern destinations. Heading uphill past the cabin, the trail leads up to a ridge with a nice view and more corrals. The main trail leads off to the left for another 2.8 miles. Since it was pretty hot weather, we decided to follow the Mangums' recommendation: we had lunch in the shade of a tree, then turned around and headed back to the trailhead, diverting down into the ravine to explore the tanks on the way back. Trip report and full gallery

Kaibab Plateau Trail 101

Hike on Kaibab Plateau Trail 101 (part of the Arizona Trail) from East Rim Viewpoint to Crystal Spring.

Kaibab Plateau Trail 101

Hike on Kaibab Plateau Trail 101 (part of the Arizona Trail) from East Rim Viewpoint to Crystal Spring.

Kaibab Plateau Trail 101

Hike on Kaibab Plateau Trail 101 (part of the Arizona Trail) from East Rim Viewpoint to Crystal Spring.

Autumn hike of the Bear Jaw, Waterline, and Abineau Trails Loop on the northern side of Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks. Autumn hike of the Bear Jaw, Waterline, and Abineau Trails Loop on the northern side of Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks.

South Pocket Overlook (panorama&#x29

South Pocket Overlook (panorama). We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Jack Smith Spring

Jack Smith Spring. Early morning hike on Inner Basin Trail, San Francisco Peaks. 2009-05-30: Saturday evening, we were sitting on the front porch after our evening walk, enjoying a cup of chai and watching the sun set. There had been rain during the late afternoon, and heavy clouds had descended over the Peaks, hiding the mountain from view. The clouds had lifted in time for our evening ritual, and we noticed there was new snow on the upper tips of the Peaks. As we sipped our tea, we joked â€œIf we were really motivated, weâ€™d get up early, hit the Inner Basin Trail at dawn, and get some good photos before the snow melts offâ€¦â€ 2009-05-31: â€¦so, at 4:00AM we stumbled out of bed, grabbed some coffee, got dressed, grabbed more coffee and rolled out the door around 4:30AM. We drove up the mountain, and hit the trail around 5:15AM. There was a bit of a breeze making the hike rather chilly. Everything was wet and green, and the aspens created a delectable aroma. Past Jack Spring (1.5 miles from the trailhead) we hit the frost line, and the vegetation sparkled (and the air was noticeably chillier). We arrived at the Inner Basin (the point where thereâ€™s a shelter and pumphouse, and all the Peaks are visible) around 6:45AM. Weâ€™d expected some shade still at that hour, and were delighted to discover the sun was shining right up through the low point in the Peaks (the north-eastern side, where the wall was blown out during an eruption), lighting up the entire Inner Basin for us. We wandered around a bit capturing various shots, then headed back to attend to our dayâ€™s activities. Hiking report View all the photos from this hike

Autumn hike of the Bear Jaw, Waterline, and Abineau Trails Loop on the northern side of Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks. Autumn hike of the Bear Jaw, Waterline, and Abineau Trails Loop on the northern side of Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks.

Walking stick. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Inner Basin Trail

Early morning hike on Inner Basin Trail, San Francisco Peaks. 2009-05-30: Saturday evening, we were sitting on the front porch after our evening walk, enjoying a cup of chai and watching the sun set. There had been rain during the late afternoon, and heavy clouds had descended over the Peaks, hiding the mountain from view. The clouds had lifted in time for our evening ritual, and we noticed there was new snow on the upper tips of the Peaks. As we sipped our tea, we joked â€œIf we were really motivated, weâ€™d get up early, hit the Inner Basin Trail at dawn, and get some good photos before the snow melts offâ€¦â€ 2009-05-31: â€¦so, at 4:00AM we stumbled out of bed, grabbed some coffee, got dressed, grabbed more coffee and rolled out the door around 4:30AM. We drove up the mountain, and hit the trail around 5:15AM. There was a bit of a breeze making the hike rather chilly. Everything was wet and green, and the aspens created a delectable aroma. Past Jack Spring (1.5 miles from the trailhead) we hit the frost line, and the vegetation sparkled (and the air was noticeably chillier). We arrived at the Inner Basin (the point where thereâ€™s a shelter and pumphouse, and all the Peaks are visible) around 6:45AM. Weâ€™d expected some shade still at that hour, and were delighted to discover the sun was shining right up through the low point in the Peaks (the north-eastern side, where the wall was blown out during an eruption), lighting up the entire Inner Basin for us. We wandered around a bit capturing various shots, then headed back to attend to our dayâ€™s activities. Hiking report View all the photos from this hike

Secret Cabin on Secret Mountain Trail. 2009-05-06: On the fourth day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to Secret Mountain Trail #109. The Mangums (authors of Flagstaff Hikes) list this as one of their favorite trails, mentioning they usually stop just past Secret Cabin on the edge of the mountain where thereâ€™s a nice view. The weather was unseasonably hot, and we chose this trail not only because itâ€™s interesting, but because it stays at fairly high elevation (instead of diving down into a canyon like so many of the trails in this area). The trail starts off running along a bit of a ridge up to a knob where there are some fantastic views. Diving down to a narrow saddle, the trail meets the top of Loy Canyon Trail, then climbs up to a fairly flat run. Around 1.0 mile are the remains of an old dry tank and corral. Itâ€™s almost easy to miss the corral because thereâ€™s just a few posts left, as well as a rusty old dredge. Off to the left just past the corral is Johnson Tank. The tank wall reveals signs of masonry work where the dirt has eroded away. Past Johnson Tank, the trail runs above and to the left of a ravine, where two more tanks hold water. The first, Masonry Tank, is built using local stones to dam a narrow, rocky section of the creek bed. The dam creates a small, shallow pond. Below Masonry Tank is Cement Tank, created from three slabs of preformed concrete. This dam creates a rather large, long, and narrow pond which runs back almost to Masonry Tank. There is a rough footpath running from Cement Tank to above Masonry Tank, a lovely diversion from the main trail. According to the Mangums, this area of forest is virgin. Near Cement Tank, the trail descends to a bench along the creek bed where another, more complete corral and Secret Cabin are situated (1.8 miles from the trailhead). Secret Cabin is in fair shape, its walls standing but its roof has collapsed. According to the Mangums, the cabin was built as a failed homestead, and was later inhabited by a family of polygamous Latter Day Saints escaping persecution, then horse thieves whoâ€™d bring stolen horses up Loy Canyon from Sedona en route to Flagstaff and northern destinations. Heading uphill past the cabin, the trail leads up to a ridge with a nice view and more corrals. The main trail leads off to the left for another 2.8 miles. Since it was pretty hot weather, we decided to follow the Mangums' recommendation: we had lunch in the shade of a tree, then turned around and headed back to the trailhead, diverting down into the ravine to explore the tanks on the way back. Trip report and full gallery

West Fork of Oak Creek

West Fork of Oak Creek On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike

West Fork of Oak Creek

Stuart helping pups up over a rock fall. On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike. Stuart helping pups up over a rock fall. On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike

West Fork of Oak Creek

West Fork of Oak Creek On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike 5-frame HDR shot with a Pentax K20D. HDR generated and tone mapped in Photomatix. Metadata refined in MS Pro Photo Tools and Adobe Lightroom.

Secret Cabin. 2009-05-06: On the fourth day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to Secret Mountain Trail #109. The Mangums (authors of Flagstaff Hikes) list this as one of their favorite trails, mentioning they usually stop just past Secret Cabin on the edge of the mountain where thereâ€™s a nice view. The weather was unseasonably hot, and we chose this trail not only because itâ€™s interesting, but because it stays at fairly high elevation (instead of diving down into a canyon like so many of the trails in this area). The trail starts off running along a bit of a ridge up to a knob where there are some fantastic views. Diving down to a narrow saddle, the trail meets the top of Loy Canyon Trail, then climbs up to a fairly flat run. Around 1.0 mile are the remains of an old dry tank and corral. Itâ€™s almost easy to miss the corral because thereâ€™s just a few posts left, as well as a rusty old dredge. Off to the left just past the corral is Johnson Tank. The tank wall reveals signs of masonry work where the dirt has eroded away. Past Johnson Tank, the trail runs above and to the left of a ravine, where two more tanks hold water. The first, Masonry Tank, is built using local stones to dam a narrow, rocky section of the creek bed. The dam creates a small, shallow pond. Below Masonry Tank is Cement Tank, created from three slabs of preformed concrete. This dam creates a rather large, long, and narrow pond which runs back almost to Masonry Tank. There is a rough footpath running from Cement Tank to above Masonry Tank, a lovely diversion from the main trail. According to the Mangums, this area of forest is virgin. Near Cement Tank, the trail descends to a bench along the creek bed where another, more complete corral and Secret Cabin are situated (1.8 miles from the trailhead). Secret Cabin is in fair shape, its walls standing but its roof has collapsed. According to the Mangums, the cabin was built as a failed homestead, and was later inhabited by a family of polygamous Latter Day Saints escaping persecution, then horse thieves whoâ€™d bring stolen horses up Loy Canyon from Sedona en route to Flagstaff and northern destinations. Heading uphill past the cabin, the trail leads up to a ridge with a nice view and more corrals. The main trail leads off to the left for another 2.8 miles. Since it was pretty hot weather, we decided to follow the Mangums' recommendation: we had lunch in the shade of a tree, then turned around and headed back to the trailhead, diverting down into the ravine to explore the tanks on the way back. Trip report and full gallery

Cactus bloom. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Little Round Mountain

View into Secret Canyon from Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Little Round Mountain

View into Secret Canyon from Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

West Fork of Oak Creek

West Fork of Oak Creek On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike

Inner Basin Trail

Early morning hike on Inner Basin Trail, San Francisco Peaks. 2009-05-30: Saturday evening, we were sitting on the front porch after our evening walk, enjoying a cup of chai and watching the sun set. There had been rain during the late afternoon, and heavy clouds had descended over the Peaks, hiding the mountain from view. The clouds had lifted in time for our evening ritual, and we noticed there was new snow on the upper tips of the Peaks. As we sipped our tea, we joked â€œIf we were really motivated, weâ€™d get up early, hit the Inner Basin Trail at dawn, and get some good photos before the snow melts offâ€¦â€ 2009-05-31: â€¦so, at 4:00AM we stumbled out of bed, grabbed some coffee, got dressed, grabbed more coffee and rolled out the door around 4:30AM. We drove up the mountain, and hit the trail around 5:15AM. There was a bit of a breeze making the hike rather chilly. Everything was wet and green, and the aspens created a delectable aroma. Past Jack Spring (1.5 miles from the trailhead) we hit the frost line, and the vegetation sparkled (and the air was noticeably chillier). We arrived at the Inner Basin (the point where thereâ€™s a shelter and pumphouse, and all the Peaks are visible) around 6:45AM. Weâ€™d expected some shade still at that hour, and were delighted to discover the sun was shining right up through the low point in the Peaks (the north-eastern side, where the wall was blown out during an eruption), lighting up the entire Inner Basin for us. We wandered around a bit capturing various shots, then headed back to attend to our dayâ€™s activities. Hiking report View all the photos from this hike

Little Round Mountain

View into Secret Canyon from Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

West Fork of Oak Creek

West Fork of Oak Creek On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike

Wildflower. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Inner Basin Trail

Early morning hike on Inner Basin Trail, San Francisco Peaks. 2009-05-30: Saturday evening, we were sitting on the front porch after our evening walk, enjoying a cup of chai and watching the sun set. There had been rain during the late afternoon, and heavy clouds had descended over the Peaks, hiding the mountain from view. The clouds had lifted in time for our evening ritual, and we noticed there was new snow on the upper tips of the Peaks. As we sipped our tea, we joked â€œIf we were really motivated, weâ€™d get up early, hit the Inner Basin Trail at dawn, and get some good photos before the snow melts offâ€¦â€ 2009-05-31: â€¦so, at 4:00AM we stumbled out of bed, grabbed some coffee, got dressed, grabbed more coffee and rolled out the door around 4:30AM. We drove up the mountain, and hit the trail around 5:15AM. There was a bit of a breeze making the hike rather chilly. Everything was wet and green, and the aspens created a delectable aroma. Past Jack Spring (1. 5 miles from the trailhead) we hit the frost line, and the vegetation sparkled (and the air was noticeably chillier). We arrived at the Inner Basin (the point where thereâ€™s a shelter and pumphouse, and all the Peaks are visible) around 6:45AM. Weâ€™d expected some shade still at that hour, and were delighted to discover the sun was shining right up through the low point in the Peaks (the north-eastern side, where the wall was blown out during an eruption), lighting up the entire Inner Basin for us. We wandered around a bit capturing various shots, then headed back to attend to our dayâ€™s activities. Hiking report View all the photos from this hike

Inner Basin Trail

Early morning hike on Inner Basin Trail, San Francisco Peaks. 2009-05-30: Saturday evening, we were sitting on the front porch after our evening walk, enjoying a cup of chai and watching the sun set. There had been rain during the late afternoon, and heavy clouds had descended over the Peaks, hiding the mountain from view. The clouds had lifted in time for our evening ritual, and we noticed there was new snow on the upper tips of the Peaks. As we sipped our tea, we joked â€œIf we were really motivated, weâ€™d get up early, hit the Inner Basin Trail at dawn, and get some good photos before the snow melts offâ€¦â€ 2009-05-31: â€¦so, at 4:00AM we stumbled out of bed, grabbed some coffee, got dressed, grabbed more coffee and rolled out the door around 4:30AM. We drove up the mountain, and hit the trail around 5:15AM. There was a bit of a breeze making the hike rather chilly. Everything was wet and green, and the aspens created a delectable aroma. Past Jack Spring (1.5 miles from the trailhead) we hit the frost line, and the vegetation sparkled (and the air was noticeably chillier). We arrived at the Inner Basin (the point where thereâ€™s a shelter and pumphouse, and all the Peaks are visible) around 6:45AM. Weâ€™d expected some shade still at that hour, and were delighted to discover the sun was shining right up through the low point in the Peaks (the north-eastern side, where the wall was blown out during an eruption), lighting up the entire Inner Basin for us. We wandered around a bit capturing various shots, then headed back to attend to our dayâ€™s activities. Hiking report View all the photos from this hike

Tree on canyon rim near Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike 5-frame HDR shot with a Pentax K20D. HDR generated and tone mapped in Photomatix. Metadata refined in MS Pro Photo Tools and Adobe Lightroom.

Secret Mountain Trail

Secret Mountain Trail. 2009-05-06: On the fourth day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to Secret Mountain Trail #109. The Mangums (authors of Flagstaff Hikes) list this as one of their favorite trails, mentioning they usually stop just past Secret Cabin on the edge of the mountain where thereâ€™s a nice view. The weather was unseasonably hot, and we chose this trail not only because itâ€™s interesting, but because it stays at fairly high elevation (instead of diving down into a canyon like so many of the trails in this area). The trail starts off running along a bit of a ridge up to a knob where there are some fantastic views. Diving down to a narrow saddle, the trail meets the top of Loy Canyon Trail, then climbs up to a fairly flat run. Around 1.0 mile are the remains of an old dry tank and corral. Itâ€™s almost easy to miss the corral because thereâ€™s just a few posts left, as well as a rusty old dredge. Off to the left just past the corral is Johnson Tank. The tank wall reveals signs of masonry work where the dirt has eroded away. Past Johnson Tank, the trail runs above and to the left of a ravine, where two more tanks hold water. The first, Masonry Tank, is built using local stones to dam a narrow, rocky section of the creek bed. The dam creates a small, shallow pond. Below Masonry Tank is Cement Tank, created from three slabs of preformed concrete. This dam creates a rather large, long, and narrow pond which runs back almost to Masonry Tank. There is a rough footpath running from Cement Tank to above Masonry Tank, a lovely diversion from the main trail. According to the Mangums, this area of forest is virgin. Near Cement Tank, the trail descends to a bench along the creek bed where another, more complete corral and Secret Cabin are situated (1.8 miles from the trailhead). Secret Cabin is in fair shape, its walls standing but its roof has collapsed. According to the Mangums, the cabin was built as a failed homestead, and was later inhabited by a family of polygamous Latter Day Saints escaping persecution, then horse thieves whoâ€™d bring stolen horses up Loy Canyon from Sedona en route to Flagstaff and northern destinations. Heading uphill past the cabin, the trail leads up to a ridge with a nice view and more corrals. The main trail leads off to the left for another 2.8 miles. Since it was pretty hot weather, we decided to follow the Mangums' recommendation: we had lunch in the shade of a tree, then turned around and headed back to the trailhead, diverting down into the ravine to explore the tanks on the way back. Trip report and full gallery

Little Round Mountain (panorama&#x29

Little Round Mountain (panorama). We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Little Round Mountain

View into Secret Canyon from Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Little Round Mountain

View into Secret Canyon from Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

West Fork of Oak Creek

West Fork of Oak Creek On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike

West Fork of Oak Creek

West Fork of Oak Creek On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike

Little Round Mountain

View into Secret Canyon from Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Sunset at camp On the third day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to the western end of West Fork. The canyon starts on the Rim, intersecting Woody Mountain Road, and cuts east, where it joins Oak Creek Canyon, a total distance of seven or eight miles. At the Oak Creek end, thereâ€™s an official trailhead (West Fork #108) at Call oâ€™ the Canyon, which runs about three miles up the canyon. We decided to try hiking the canyon from the western end, where thereâ€™s no official trailâ€¦ as a matter of fact, thereâ€™s a lovely Forest Service sign explaining that thereâ€™s no official trail there, youâ€™re pretty much on your own, watch out for flash floods, and please donâ€™t die. From the bridge, thereâ€™s a well worn path that runs for perhaps 0.5 to 0.75 mile along the banks of the creek. Eventually, the canyon becomes too narrow, and walking on the banks is not possible, and it becomes a boulder hop down the creek bed. Fallen trees and very large boulders make the route a bit challenging. At this point, while the canyon is very pretty, itâ€™s not family friendly or very dog friendly (we had to give ours quite a bit of assistance). Given the amount of scrambling, I donâ€™t think this would be a very fun backpacking trail, but with an early start, I believe this could be easily done as a shuttle hike. Trip report All photos from this hike

Little Round Mountain

View into Secret Canyon from Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Autumn hike of the Bear Jaw, Waterline, and Abineau Trails Loop on the northern side of Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks. Autumn hike of the Bear Jaw, Waterline, and Abineau Trails Loop on the northern side of Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks.

Little Round Mountain (panorama&#x29

Little Round Mountain (panorama). We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Century plant preparing to bloom

Century plant preparing to bloom. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

Kaibab Plateau Trail 101

Hike on Kaibab Plateau Trail 101 (part of the Arizona Trail) from East Rim Viewpoint to Crystal Spring.

Kaibab Plateau Trail 101

Hike on Kaibab Plateau Trail 101 (part of the Arizona Trail) from East Rim Viewpoint to Crystal Spring.

Secret Cabin on Secret Mountain Trail. 2009-05-06: On the fourth day of our camping trip on the Mogollon Rim above Sedona, we headed to Secret Mountain Trail #109. The Mangums (authors of Flagstaff Hikes) list this as one of their favorite trails, mentioning they usually stop just past Secret Cabin on the edge of the mountain where thereâ€™s a nice view. The weather was unseasonably hot, and we chose this trail not only because itâ€™s interesting, but because it stays at fairly high elevation (instead of diving down into a canyon like so many of the trails in this area). The trail starts off running along a bit of a ridge up to a knob where there are some fantastic views. Diving down to a narrow saddle, the trail meets the top of Loy Canyon Trail, then climbs up to a fairly flat run. Around 1.0 mile are the remains of an old dry tank and corral. Itâ€™s almost easy to miss the corral because thereâ€™s just a few posts left, as well as a rusty old dredge. Off to the left just past the corral is Johnson Tank. The tank wall reveals signs of masonry work where the dirt has eroded away. Past Johnson Tank, the trail runs above and to the left of a ravine, where two more tanks hold water. The first, Masonry Tank, is built using local stones to dam a narrow, rocky section of the creek bed. The dam creates a small, shallow pond. Below Masonry Tank is Cement Tank, created from three slabs of preformed concrete. This dam creates a rather large, long, and narrow pond which runs back almost to Masonry Tank. There is a rough footpath running from Cement Tank to above Masonry Tank, a lovely diversion from the main trail. According to the Mangums, this area of forest is virgin. Near Cement Tank, the trail descends to a bench along the creek bed where another, more complete corral and Secret Cabin are situated (1.8 miles from the trailhead). Secret Cabin is in fair shape, its walls standing but its roof has collapsed. According to the Mangums, the cabin was built as a failed homestead, and was later inhabited by a family of polygamous Latter Day Saints escaping persecution, then horse thieves whoâ€™d bring stolen horses up Loy Canyon from Sedona en route to Flagstaff and northern destinations. Heading uphill past the cabin, the trail leads up to a ridge with a nice view and more corrals. The main trail leads off to the left for another 2.8 miles. Since it was pretty hot weather, we decided to follow the Mangums' recommendation: we had lunch in the shade of a tree, then turned around and headed back to the trailhead, diverting down into the ravine to explore the tanks on the way back. Trip report and full gallery

Wildflower. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike 5-frame HDR shot with a Pentax K20D. HDR generated and tone mapped in Photomatix. Metadata refined in MS Pro Photo Tools and Adobe Lightroom.

Little Round Mountain

View into Secret Canyon from Little Round Mountain. We headed out of Flagstaff down Woody Mountain Road for a week of camping and day hiking around the Rattlesnake Mesa area. The area is north of Sedona's Secret Canyon, on top of the Mogollon Rim. There are several trails, mostly unmaintained, heading along or off the edge of the Rim. For the first day's hike, we headed for FS Trail #9, which heads across Little Round Mountain and along the Rim around South Pocket... Read the blog entry for this hike

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