big man tips

ABINEAU-BEAR JAW LOOP Aspens line Waterline Road on Abineau-Bear Jaw Loop. With fall foliage season right around the corner, I�m already feeling the tug of the Abineau-Bear Jaw Trail.   Its location high on the north flanks of Flagstaff�s San Francisco Mountain means it�s one of the first places to show Autumn color.   Anxious hikers who can manage the rugged, 1,870-foot, thin-air climb in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness can get a jump start on aspen overload. San Francisco Peaks seen from Abineau Canyon. Aspens abound on the Abineau-Bear Jaw Loop A short access path leads to a junction where the loop begins. You can go either way, but using the Abineau Canyon leg for the uphill climb affords the best views of the peaks without having to stop and turn around all the time. Aspen color peaks early in Abineau Canyon Abineau Canyon's deep woods. View from the top of Abineau Canyon. Damp and chilly, the moss-laced mixed conifer woodlands of Abineau Canyon is reminiscent of the alpine...

PUMPHOUSE WASH TRAIL The north leg of the trail overlooks a sprawling marsh. Pumphouse Wash is a tributary gorge of Oak Creek Canyon that runs between Sedona and Flagstaff, roughly paralleling State Route 89A. The trail wanders through moist meadows. Its rugged, lower channels�that can be accessed from SR 89A just south of the switchbacks 12 miles north of Sedona �are popular destinations for backcountry hiking and technical canyoneering. From the looks of the tangled corridor�s boulder-choked base, vertical walls, slots and pools of dubious depths, it�s difficult to imagine that its headwaters are located 600 feet uphill in unassuming meadows around the tiny community of Kachina Village. Four O'Clock flowers are plentiful in summer. Located 9 miles south of Flagstaff off Interstate 17, the mountain hamlet is an idyllic residential area of log cabins, A-frame summer homes and a hub of nature trails in the Pumphouse Wash County Natural Area. The trail stays on the brown and out of t...

Cultural Heritage Hikes at Walnut Canyon National Monument View from a "shady side" dwelling Walnut Canyon is one of Northern Arizona�s most fascinating natural wonders.   Over its 20-mile course, the 400-foot-deep gorge cuts through pine-studded plateaus and eons of Earth�s history.   Sinagua cliff dwellings Located just a few miles southeast of Flagstaff, the chasm�s wavy course was created over millions of years by a complicated series of geological events. The canyon�s tilted layer-cake appearance is partly made up of eroded limestone deposits and the lithified remains of ancient coastal sand dunes.   Edible mahonia (barberry) also has medicinal qualities. Although you�d need a Ph.D. to thoroughly understand its geological anatomy, the canyon�s more relatable human element is the focus of a hike along the trails of Walnut Canyon National Monument.   240 stairs descend to the Island Trail The park was established in 1915 to protect and preserve the cultural artifa...

ROGERS TRAIL Rogers Lake Natural Area Southwest of Flagstaff, two recreation areas with divergent personalities are now linked.   The recently completed 5.4-mile Rogers Trail tethers the event-centric, party atmosphere of Fort Tuthill County Park with the subdued wilds of Rogers Lake Natural Area. Switchbacks on Rogers Trail The non-motorized, flowy trail that straddles the open space between the two Coconino County properties has several access points and many opportunities to create short day hikes, long loops or car shuttle excursions.   A bee harvests nectar from Butter and Eggs One convenient out-and-back circuit begins at a trailhead on Forest Road 532.   From the roomy dirt parking lot, pick up the Flagstaff Loop Trail heading west and follow it 0.9-mile to the beginning of Rogers Trail.   Roughly paralleling Woody Mountain Road, the meandering, single track holds steady at around 7100 feet, sweeping easily through wildflower meadows, and shady glens.   T...

LAVA�S EDGE TRAIL Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Sunset Crater seen from Lava's Edge Trail Volcanoes are one of earth�s most powerful and mesmerizing geological features.   Simultaneously beautiful and terrifying, t hey can hibernate for years before rumbling back to life spewing fiery ash clouds and fountains of molten rock that create indescribable paths of destruction.   Recent eruptions of Hawaii�s Kilauea and Guatemala�s Fuego volcanoes remind us of the landscape-altering forces inherent in these natural phenomena. O'Leary Peak lava dome towers over the Bonito Lava Flow Although Arizona is more commonly associated with saguaro-studded deserts, gaping chasms and red rock formations, much of the state�s landscape is a product of volcanism.   The San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff is home to more than 600 extinct volcanoes that sprawl over the edge of the Colorado Plateau from Williams to the Little Colorado River.   Many familiar hiking trai...

FLAGSTAFF'S FAY CANYON Fay Canyon Not to be confused with the Fay Canyon Trail in Sedona, Flagstaff�s version is a totally different experience. The meandering trail that follows the course of a gully that feeds into majestic Walnut Canyon southeast of town is a mellow, woodsy walk.   Located just east of the heavily-traveled Sandy�s Canyon trail off Lake Mary Road, the Fay Canyon route is a quieter trek with similar qualities.   Creeping Barberry The unsigned route is a little tricky to follow. Hike up Forest Road 9477B to the 0.3-mile point, veer left at a gate and pick up a single track heading north.   For reference, there�s a sign warning of heavy horse traffic a few yards down the trail.   A ravine bisects Fay Canyon Within a short distance, the trail makes a sharp turn to the right and begins a downhill plunge on long switchbacks.   This piney segment decends on an easy grade to emerge in at the head of the canyon.   Over the next two miles, the gorg...