Tag: Flora & Fauna

Mountain biking in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks

It’s fall and the leaves are starting to show their autumn colors in the high country. One of the many great places to view the aspen is the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks. In previous years, we would ride our mountain bikes from Schultz Tank up the Waterline Road and into the Inner Basin. But the Waterline Road is still undergoing reconstruction for the immense damage it incurred as a result of the Schultz Fire and subsequent flooding.

An alternative route is to drive to Lockett Meadow. The road to the meadow has been under construction this summer but just reopened earlier in September. So we grabbed the mountain bikes and drove to the Lockett Meadow trailhead. Because of the surrounding Kachina Peaks Wilderness, the Waterline Road and Lockett Meadow are the only routes into the Inner Basin for bicycles. Hikers have more options.

Pump station located in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks.
Pump station located in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks.

A few years ago the upper portions of the Inner Basin trail underwent some re-routing and the trail now twists and turns through a near surreal stand of aspen as it ascends from the meadow to the Waterline Road and then into the Inner Basin. The landscape has been described as a Monet-like scene when the leaves turn colors in the fall.

Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks with Humphreys Peak in the distance.
Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks with Humphreys Peak in the distance.

Once in the Inner Basin — and that’s no easy task as the trail and access road are steep — the view opens up and you are surrounded by the many summits of the San Francisco Peaks. And still higher we went up the access roads to Flagstaff Springs. The last quarter-mile of this road is rocky and steep and — we walked. This is one of the many springs in the basin that are tapped by the City of Flagstaff and piped downhill as part of the city’s drinking water.

Descending the Inner Basin trail in the aspen forest.
Descending the Inner Basin trail in the aspen forest.

The season for this route is short because in the summer it rains most days and can be a bit chilly. And the winter both comes early and stays late at these elevations. So, this is the season: mid-September through mid-October. Enjoy it while you can.

Tracks in the snow

We recently took a multiday ski backpack trip to a mountain hut in Colorado. Although the snow pack remains below normal across most of the west, there had been enough recent snow in the Colorado mountains to produce good ski conditions — albeit on a thinner than typical snow pack.

It’s always interesting to run across animal tracks in the snow. Although I own a couple of books to identify animal tracks I’ve never been particularly good at it. I can usually distinguish between canine and feline prints but not between, say, mountain lion and lynx or bobcat. Or between coyote and fox.

Feline tracks in fresh snow.
Feline tracks in fresh snow.

So we came across this set of tracks that followed a skiers trail up the mountain. The size of the prints was large enough to eliminate bobcat but that still leaves the less common lynx and more common mountain lion. Which was it?

After reading the descriptions — carefully, and a couple of times — I’m still not sure but am leaning slightly towards lynx. We know that there are lynx in this area because there are a number of signs asking for people to report any indications of lynx. But even if we’re wrong, that means these are mountain lion tracks. And they are following the skiers trail. Which was made by us. Exciting, actually!

Tracks in the snow.
Tracks in the snow.

And, then, there are these tracks higher up the mountain. I didn’t get close enough to see the details because I was more amused by the pattern of the tracks. Sort of suggests the critter was playing around in the snow.

Tracks that I can identify.
Tracks that I can identify.

And, finally, a set of tracks I can identify!

Autumn in the High Country of Northern Arizona

It’s that special time of year in northern Arizona. The thunderstorms and cloudy days of the summer rainy season are history and have been replaced with day after day of perfect weather. Warm days. Cool nights. Cloudless skies. Light winds.

Fall colors near Aspen Corner on Snowbowl Road.
Fall colors near Aspen Corner on Snowbowl Road.

And, of course, the leaves are changing colors.

The view along the road is spectacular.
The view along the road is spectacular.

It’s mid-October and the colors have hit their peak at the higher elevations of the Kachina Peaks. Lower down, the colors are quickly approaching their peak. But it won’t last long. All it takes is one windy day or another hard freeze and it will be over for this year.

Everyone has an aspen image that looks like this!.You should have one, too!
Everyone has an aspen image that looks like this!.You should have one, too!

I took some time early this morning wandering around the aspen along Snowbowl Road and found some groves in full color. Interestingly, a few groves were still green and a few others were already done. But most were hitting that perfect peak.

Autumn colors in West Fork Oak Creek Canyon

Autumn has brought wonderful colors to the flora in West Fork Oak Creek Canyon this year. The mouth of this canyon, located between Flagstaff and Sedona, lies at an elevation of about 5400 feet. With its narrow width and high walls, sunlight is strongly filtered before reaching the canyon floor. This produces a micro climate that is much cooler than would otherwise be expected for a location at this elevation.

Autumn colors found in West Fork Oak Creek Canyon in northern Arizona.
Autumn colors found in West Fork Oak Creek Canyon in northern Arizona.
Autumn colors reflected in the waters of West Fork Oak Creek in northern Arizona.
Autumn colors reflected in the waters of West Fork Oak Creek in northern Arizona.
Fallen leaves lie beside rushing waters in West Fork Oak Creek in northern Arizona.
Fallen leaves lie beside rushing waters in West Fork Oak Creek in northern Arizona.

The result is that there is large variety of flora in this canyon dominated by pine, maple, oak, and sycamore. And when the shorter and cooler days of autumn arrive the colors on these trees can be magnificent.

Mountain biking at 38 degrees

Thirty-eight degrees. Temperature — not latitude.

Fall has arrived in northern Arizona and the leave are turning colors and, in some cases, have already fallen. We went on a mountain bike ride on one of our favorite section of the Arizona Trail the other day so that we could view the aspen trees in their autumn glory. A cold front had passed through a day earlier and it was quite cold that morning with temperatures only in the upper 30s. So we bundled up with a few extra layers, caps and gloves, and off we went.

Riding the Arizona Trail at 8000 feet elevation and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. All you have to do is bundle up!
Riding the Arizona Trail at 8000 feet elevation and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. All you have to do is bundle up!
Riding an easy stretch of the Arizona Trail. The aspen leaves have fallen and left a carpet of color on the trail.
Riding an easy stretch of the Arizona Trail. The aspen leaves have fallen and left a carpet of color on the trail.

The only problem was that the rain from a few days earlier had left the trails pretty muddy and with the cool weather they had not dried yet. Suddenly we found our tires and bikes caked with mud. Eventually it became too difficult to ride as the mud accumulated on the tires, in the brakes, derailleurs, and anywhere else mud can collect. And that’s a lot of places!

A grove of aspen trees in full autumn color on the San Francisco Peaks.
A grove of aspen trees in full autumn color on the San Francisco Peaks.

New snow on the higher elevations of the San Francisco Peaks stands in contrast to a grove of aspen in full autumn color.
New snow on the higher elevations of the San Francisco Peaks stands in contrast to a grove of aspen in full autumn color.

So we abandoned the ride to return another day. Still, it was a pleasant enough day with plenty of color to view in the aspen trees in Flagstaff at 8000 feet and 38 degrees–especially with the new snow on the San Francisco Peaks.