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INDIAN SPRINGS TRAIL # 627 Indian Springs Trail Late summer in Arizona�s White Mountains is prime time for wildflower viewing. Cooler evenings take the edge off daytime heat and mornings break in a crisp dewy dampness that hints of autumn and nurtures a colorful spectacle of blooming plants. Fields of sunflowers dress roadside pastures making the annual bloom frenzy accessible to anybody willing to take a drive and pull off onto a random dirt road. Apache Lobelia But if you want deeper access to high altitude botanical treasures, lace up your hiking boots, strap on a backpack and hit the Indian Springs Trail near Big Lake. Paintbrush and ferns The 2011Wallow Fire roared across this classic trail of fir-spruce woodlands taking out some segments while leaving others mostly intact. Richardson's Geranium The upside to the loss of coniferous canopies is a sunlight-generated surge in wildflower proliferation. The best part about loop trails like this one is its mix of sun, shade, hydrolo...

DEVIL DOG LOOP #117   Stump Tank along Forest Road 108 The year 1926 marked the birth of two American icons---Route 66 and Devil Dogs snack cakes. That year, the Mother Road, which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles, received its official numerical designation and the Drake Baking Company rolled out the chocolate cream-filled treats. So, how do these bits of trivia distill into a story about hiking? Easy�the subject route begins at the Interstate 40 Devil Dog exit and follows two decommissioned sections of Historic Route 66. Although it�s more likely that the Devil Dog Loop #117 was named for the World War I moniker for U.S. Marines instead of the kiddie lunch box staple, the trail makes a name for itself as a history-steeped walk in the forest. 1922 alignment of Route 66 For much of the 20 th century, Route 66 served as a major highway through northern Arizona. Its demise came with the construction of Interstate 40 which gradually replaced the scenic road with a modern freeway. Wal...

RED MOUNTAIN TRAIL Hiking among hoodoos Few things in life are certain but what we know for sure is; wet dogs stink, Star Trek is great, some hikers think beer is the fifth food group and Red Mountain is one of the most magical places on earth.   Okay, those first three might be dubious, but the last one---an atypical volcano north of Flagstaff--- offers a singular hike that supports the claim.   If you�re looking for a mind-boggling, surreal experience, forget theme park attractions--Red Mountain is the real deal. View of Red Mountain from the access trail Located just off Highway 180 north of Flagstaff, the 740,000-year-old cinder cone offers a rare opportunity to walk inside the guts of a formerly explosive geological wonder.   Although the mountain�s fractured and fabulous form is a sight to behold, geologists aren�t certain about what caused its northeast face to slump away exposing the internal structure. Inside the volcano Thousands of years of wind and water erosi...

SLATE MOUNTAIN TRAIL #128 View of San Francisco Volcanic Field from Slate Mountain There are a couple of curious things about Slate Mountain. First off, there�s no slate and second, the mountain is much bigger than it appears. Stansbury cliff-rose shrubs grow to 8 feet high Part laccolith (a mushroom-shaped blob of magma that formed underground) and part volcano (you know: BOOM), the 8215-foot mountain measures only 853 feet from its base to summit, but geologists estimate that the lava dome that makes up the mountain extends to 5000 feet below the surface. Cliff-rose scents the trail So, all things considered, Slate Mountain is a considerable beast. The complicated hill is composed mostly of a pinkish-gray igneous rock called rhyolite which is exposed along its flanks. Heading up the trail Kendrick Peak The �slate� misnomer comes from the flaky appearance of some of the sedimentary and igneous rocks that were contorted during the mountain�s eruptive phase that occurred between 1.5 and...