big man tips

LITTLE BEAR: UP FROM THE ASHES Little Bear Trail, October 2016 Before the 2010 Schultz Fire charred much of the forest around Flagstaff's Dry Lake Hills, a stand of Big-tooth maples on Little Bear Trail filled a gorge overlooking cinder cone dotted plains. The sound of their whispering leaves bounced off nearby cliffs where the trail wound around one of a dozen or so switchbacks that ease the hike's 1,100 foot haul to connect with the upper trail system that flows over the slopes of Mount Elden. The maples tickled the edges of a stony ledge with broad views of O'Leary Peak and Sunset Crater jutting from stark, volcanic highlands. On really clear days, the pastel tints of the Painted Desert glint in the distance. This had been one of my favorite contemplative spots in Flagstaff. Little Bear Trail , July 2009 Little Bear Trail took the brunt of the blaze, which reduced the once deeply wooded trail to charcoal and ash. A heavy monsoon season that followed added to the damage, ...

OLDHAM TRAILS Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff Orange paint marks tress to save during 4FRI (Okay Orange) The heat is on and with it comes the annual migration of Valley hikers to the cool forests of Northern Arizona. While trekking along high country trails, you might encounter trees bearing orange or blue paint blazes. These colorful codes are part of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), a planned 20-year effort to restore fire-adapted ecosystems in Kaibab, Coconino, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto National Forests through hand thinning, logging and prescribed burns. Orange paint designates trees that will not be cut (and may also indicate treatment area boundaries) while blue marks those to be removed. An easy way to remember this: Okay Orange, Bye Bye Blue. Scars of the 2010 Schultz Fire Many Arizona forests are rife with unhealthy, tinderbox conditions. The major goals of 4FRI are to reduce fuels that contribute to unnaturally catastrophic wildfires, protect watershed re...