big man tips

LAND OF THE PIONEERS This box canyon is a highlight along the north leg of the trail. The bucolic pastures and quiet backwoods of Vernon, Arizona--population 122--is the last place you�d expect to be the scene of a vile triple homicide. It happened, though and the sad story is standard fare in local lore. Ruins of a pioneer homestead. Pioneers began settling the rural community in the eastern White Mountains in the 1890s, making a living on the surrounding lumber-rich forests.   The ruins of an infamous pioneer cabin. Legend has it that among the early pioneers were three women who lived in a log cabin just south of town. Section 31 Tank attracts swarms of dragonflies. Back-fence chatter about the women hiding a large amount of money on their property eventually reached the ears of criminals.   The women were murdered and their homestead ransacked. No riches were found.   Today, all that remains of the tragic scene are crumbling stone foundations and piles of rusty-nail p...

Ghost of the Coyote Trail #641 Much of the Ghost of the Coyote trail follows old roads One of the coolest trail names in Arizona teases of a place steeped in magic and mystery, but the reality of the subject path is decidedly earthy.   Ghost of the Coyote Trail sounds like the kind of name a bunch of weary ranchers would come up with while sharing stale campfire coffee, a flask of booze and a pot of beans. The experience of hiking the trail aligns with this vision.  White Mountains vista can be had on the trail highpoints With its imagination-seizing moniker, the 13-mile, double loop trail located just a mile north of State Route 260 in the town of Linden,  drips with cowboy culture in a classic rangeland setting.   Open range on the long loop The 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire (the second largest blaze in Arizona history), stripped many of the big trees along the route, leaving precious little shade. The land is recovering nicely and most of the charred trees have been ha...

SPRINGS TRAIL Pinetop-Lakeside Thompson Creek Have you ever wondered about how forest trails came to be? Their origins range from repurposed game trails and Depression Era Civilian Conservation Corps projects to collaborative efforts between grassroots teams and land management organizations. The White Mountains Trail System represents the work of TRACKS, a group of volunteers dedicated to the development and preservation of non-motorized trails within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests and surrounding communities. Their ongoing work harnesses partnerships between government, business, private organizations and dedicated volunteers to raise the funds and provide labor to build and maintain a 200+ mile system of linking trails with its epicenter around Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside. Wildflowers and meadows on Springs Trail A good introduction to this system is the Springs Trail. The easy to find, 3.6-mile loop located just off State Route 260 in Pinetop-Lakeside showcases the pro...