Coconino National Forest - Lockett Meadow/Inner Basin Trail/San Francisco Peaks

Trail info: appx. 3.6 miles roundtrip (Meadow to Inner Basin and back)
Location: Take AZ 89 east out of Flagstaff - Turn left at Forest Road 522 which is opposite the entrance to Sunset Crater NM

Early October is definitely the time of year to visit Lockett Meadow as it’s alive with the beauty of golden aspen leaves shimmering in the sunlight. Getting there is a bit interesting as you will need to drive several miles on forest road 522, a narrow, winding, low maintenance road with sharp drops. There is a camping area there, and of course, the highly scenic Inner Basin trail, the passage to the heart of the San Francisco Peaks. The meadow area and much of the trail features stands of aspen contrasted by the dark green pines with mountain peaks towering in the background. We ascended towards the basin on this fine day under a few clouds, but mostly sunny skies, the scent of pine filling our noses. Even with it being a weekday a good number of other hikers were out making this popular fall trek. This walk is a bit rocky so good hiking boots are a plus for the journey. It is generally a gradual climb with nothing to steep to handle and the trail is wide and well defined unlike many of my excursions as of late. As spectacular as the hike up was, on reaching the inner basin we realized that the leaves there were a bit past prime. It was an enjoyable trip nonetheless, just not at the level of color we’d hoped for. This is such an amazing place to be where mountain peaks surround you and on a good day the basin provides a view all the way to the painted desert. A touch of snow, barely visible, capped Mt. Humphrey and from the forecast it seemed likely that more was on the way. The fall air was a bit brisk and occasional gusts of wind brought golden leaves raining upon us, while the mountains were constantly creating various cloud formations overhead. We spent some time enjoying the views, watching clouds, and snapping pictures before returning to the meadow. Wonderful day and at a perfect place for an autumn outing.

If you are looking to travel to Flagstaff, AZ or anywhere else, be sure to click over to my travel site.

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Coronado National Forest- Mt. Lemmon - Aspen Trails

Circuit: Aspen Trail / Aspen Draw / Mint Spring / Marshall Gulch Loop

Trail info.: Mileage (total loop) 8.3 miles + distance along road (?) / Elevation (low-high) appx. 7400-8600 ft

Location: starts at Marshall Gulch Picnic Area

With autumn underway I decided to check out the Aspen Trail and enjoy some fall color. The leaves were pretty close to peak color on much of Mt. Lemmon and it was a great cool day for a long loop that would lead me through much of the aspen stands on the mountain. I began at the Marshall Gulch picnic area and hiked up the Aspen Trail from there. It didn’t take long before I was immersed in the largest area of Aspen you’ll encounter on the whole trail. The leaves were dropping quickly likely because of dry conditions so I was happy I picked this for my outing. I slowly walked admiring the trees and trying to capture some of their beauty on film (err... memory card). The trail climbs gradually from the gulch and through the forest and until you pass the big trail junction where several trails converge it is not too difficult. Eventually the trail climbs fairly steeply with many switchbacks as it works its way up to radio ridge (where the radio towers are and the ski lift ends). This ascent provides some outstanding views along the way which give a good excuse to stop and catch your breath and avoid heart failure. Dropping down the Aspen Draw trail I once again wandered through some Aspen trees as I descended into the valley and the town of Summerhaven. I strolled through quite a bit of the town as I worked my way back to the Mint Spring trail to continue my loop. I was quite excited to see more aspen as I started up the Mint Spring trail. Here new aspen are growing in an area where the old growth pine forest burned away several years ago. There were also some nice views at this point in the trail. Once you curve around the slope the trail becomes nothing much other than a hike through burnt trunks of trees until it gets close to the trail junction. I then finished my trip with one of my favorite sections of trail on the mountain, Marshall Gulch. Sadly, there wasn’t much water in the stream due to the dry weather but enough to enjoy the sound of trickling water here and there. Today my hiking pace was just about perfect as I made it back to my vehicle just as it was getting dark with the glorious moon light guiding me back the last 1/8 of a mile or so.

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