THOMPSON TRAIL #629
THOMPSON TRAIL #629 Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest Parts of Thompson Trail survived the Wallow Fire Trails with good bones have a way of reinventing themselves after a major wildfire. When the 2011 Wallow Fire---the largest in Arizona history-- roared through the woodlands around Mount Baldy and Big Lake, the nearby Thompson Trail #629 suffered heavy damage that will change is character as it recovers. Because of its good bones, the classic White Mountains route that follows the West Fork of the Black River still embodies everything great about high country trails�a creek with native fish, moss-laced trees, clump grass meadows and shadowy forests teeming with wildlife. West Fork of the Black River flows along the trail But the blaze altered its feel. The fire impacted the trail in patchwork style leaving some sections intact and others charred beyond recognition. The most noticeable change is the loss of shade-casting fir and spruce trees that had covered the canyon walls surroundin...