Mountain Biking on the Waterline Road

November 19, 2024 / Add comment

The Waterline Road in the San Francisco Peaks reopened in October. It had been closed for more than two years in the aftermath of the Pipeline Fire. That fire occurred in the same area as the Schultz Fire (2010) and managed to burn what had been spared by the earlier fire. After two years of work, the Waterline Road was safe for the general public to use again.

View of the burned mountainside along Waterline Road in the San Francisco Peaks. New growth is already sprouting.

Riding on Waterline Road in the San Francisco Peaks. We've finally left the burn scar and have entered the aspen groves. — Riding on Waterline Road in the San Francisco Peaks. We’ve finally left the burn scar and have entered the aspen groves.

Aspen trees starting to show autumn colors along Waterline Road.

One of the few gaps in trees along the road allows a view down into Lockett Meadow. The hill on the far right was burned by the Pipeline Fire but is beginning to recover.

We rode our mountain bikes up the road and were saddened–but not surprised–by the destruction of the fire. There had been a lot of new growth after the 2010 fire–especially with new aspen trees already attaining heights of 10 to 20 feet. All this burned in 2022. Once again, new growth is taking place but most of it is still quite small.

A view into the Inner Basin from above shows colorful aspens.

A stand of aspen along Waterline Road with the high peaks surrounding the Inner Basin visible in the distance.

Biking back down the Waterline Road. It's about 9 miles of downhill. Easy! — Biking back down the Waterline Road. It’s about 9 miles of downhill. Easy!

The Inner Basin, however, was mostly spared by the 2022 fire and here were many aspen trees in full autumn colors. Along the road there are a few locations where you can get a wider view of the trees and the mountains but mostly the only view along the road…is the road.

Aspen in the Fall

October 30, 2022 / 1 Comment

The aspen leaves have now mostly fallen to the ground with only a few patches of color left. It has been a good year for leaf peeping and I was able to capture several images that I like. But I have also captured some good photos over the years and this post highlights some of those.

My favorite is this photo taken while mountain biking in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks. Shot with fill flash and an ultra-wide angle lens.

One of my earliest photos, also in the Inner Basin, was shot on Fuji Provia film in 2005. The remaining photos are from 2008 through 2022 and are, of course, digital shots.

Mountain biking, Inner Basin Trail, 2013.

Aspen colors 2017: Inner Basin and Arizona Trail

October 21, 2017

Some years it’s easy to get great photographs of the changing colors of aspen leaves in northern Arizona. The weather is good, the timing is right, you’re in the perfect place. It all comes together.

That wasn’t this year.

We set out several times on the mountain bikes to see and enjoy the color. First we were too early; then we were too late. We were out of town on a long-planned trip and the peak color season occurred while we were gone. It happens.

Not that I’m complaining. I’ve been able to get good photographs many times in the past and there will be opportunities again in coming years.

So here is a collection of pre-season photos, post-season photos, and a few from several years ago comparing colors in the Inner Basin on similar dates but different years.

Early season colors seen along Waterline Road (09/25/2017)

Early season colors along the Arizona Trail near Bismarck Lake (09/29/2017)

Late-season aspen along Waterline Road (10/17/2017)

Mountain biking on Inner Basin Trail (10/17/2017)

Mountain biking on Inner Basin Trail in 2014 (10/14/2014).

Based on previous years, I thought we might still find some great color in the Inner Basin this late in the season. We certainly did in 2014—but not 2017.

And here are a couple from 2015—another good year for aspen photography.

Lockett Meadow and Inner Basin (10/08/2015).

An early snowfall on the higher summits juxtaposed with the aspen almost at their peak made an interesting composition. Getting this view required more hiking and climbing that anticipated—but ultimately worth it.

Fall colors and snow in the San Francisco Peaks

October 9, 2015

An early season storm brought plenty of rain at the lower elevations along with several inches of snow across the higher elevations of the San Francisco Peaks. A few days spent in Lockett Meadow, Inner Basin, and Waterline Road resulted in some colorful images.

The Inner Basin Trail above Lockett Meadows.

Groves of aspen blanket Lockett Meadows and the Inner Basin.

The aspen are showing great colors already and it will get better over the next few days. The snow across the high peaks really sets off the color—but that snow has already begun to fade away…

*Edit: added another image.

Mountain Biking through the Aspen

October 18, 2014

The aspen have been at their peak color for about a week now. In just a few more days the leaves will fall or be blown away and another fall leaf season will come to an end. We didn’t want to miss the show so we rode our mountain bikes up the Inner Basin Trail to the Waterline Road to enjoy the fabulous colors.

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 Lockett Meadow to the Waterline Road. The landscape has been described as a Monet-like scene when the leaves turn colors in the fall.

Here are a few photos from that day. It just doesn’t get any better than this: beautiful fall colors, mild temperatures, clear skies, and light winds.

Flagstaff Altitudes

Tag: Inner Basin

Mountain Biking on the Waterline Road

Aspen in the Fall

Aspen colors 2017: Inner Basin and Arizona Trail

Fall colors and snow in the San Francisco Peaks

Mountain Biking through the Aspen