Tag: Waterline Road

Fall colors and mountain biking in Northern Arizona

Fall is arguably the best season in Flagstaff — although it is often too brief. Winds tend to be light, daytime temperatures are warm, it rarely rains or snows, and the sky is almost always a deep, rich blue. Add to that the changing colors of the leaves of the aspen trees and a mountain bike trip and it becomes a great day.

Mountain biking through the fallen aspen leaves on the Arizona Trail.
Mountain biking through the fallen aspen leaves on the Arizona Trail.
Hillside of color found along Forest Road 418.
Hillside of color found along Forest Road 418.

A few days ago, we biked our favorite section of the Arizona Trail between Forest Road 418 and Snowbowl Road. This is a gradual uphill climb between 8000 and 9000 feet and moves through ponderosa pine, aspen forests, and open meadows. There are even a few bristlecone pines to be found here. Many aspen leaves had already fallen leaving a carpet of color on the forest floor and the trail.

Mountain biking along the Waterline Road.
Mountain biking along the Waterline Road.
Having left the bikes behind it's time to walk through the forest.
Having left the bikes behind it’s time to walk through the forest.
The pumphouse located in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks.
The pump house located in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks.
Descending the switchbacks through the aspens on the Inner Basin Trail.
Descending the switchbacks through the aspens on the Inner Basin Trail.

A week earlier we found ourselves biking the Inner Basin Trail that leads up from Lockett Meadows on the east side of the San Francisco Peaks. The aspen along the Waterline Road were already in full color at this elevation. This section of Waterline Road was spared in the Schultz Fire that burned much of the eastern slopes of the San Francisco Peaks in June 2010. Once in the Inner Basin, we stashed the bikes and hiked up the old roads through many aspen groves.

Wildflowers and rain showers in the Inner Basin

Rain has become a daily occurrence across northern Arizona as the North American Monsoon is now in full swing. The most visual result of this, of course, is the abundance of wildflowers.

We were pleased with the wildflowers that we encountered on a recent mountain bike ride that started from Lockett Meadows and followed both the Inner Basin Trail and the Waterline Road. At the upper end of the Waterline Road is Abineau Canyon and we saw these flowers and many others.

Potentilla hippiana
Potentilla hippiana
Penstomen with a visitor
Penstomen
Fireweed in early bloom
Fireweed in early bloom

On the fast downhill descent on the Waterline Road we stopped to photograph these.

Yellow Columbine
Yellow Columbine
Lupine
Lupine

Storm clouds began to gather and we made haste getting back to the car. Enduring a thunderstorm on a bike at these elevations is undesirable. We made it back to out starting point before the rain started — but not by much.

Lockett Meadow
Lockett Meadow

As we drove out of Lockett Meadows I could not resist a photo of this view. This tank has been photographed by many but usually on clear days with aspen in fall colors. There are fewer images of a light rain shower with clouds over the peaks and tiny splashes in the tank from the rain drops.

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.