Arizona Trail Trek – Mogollon Rim to Mormon Lake

Pines as far as the eye can see

May 8-11

After I had a day to recover from my Very Bad Day on the Highline Trail, I was ready to keep hiking. But as I was getting ready to leave, I got a call that a news station in Phoenix wanted to do an interview with me. After some technical difficulties, I got the interview done around 10:30. I decided to dayhike southbound so that I could still get my miles in. My neck and back were still pretty sore from hitting my head on the Highline Trail. My dad, support crew extraordinaire, dropped me off on the Blue Ridge passage.

Happy to be in the cool pines!

This area marks a stark transition from the rugged deserts and mountains of Southern Arizona for one big reason- the Mogollon Rim. The Rim is an escarpment of cliffs that marks the edge of the Colorado Plateau. Once you are on top of the Mogollon Rim, all of a sudden you’re in the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the world! The trail is at 7000 feet elevation, the weather is cool, and the walking flat and easy. It’s like a whole different trail.

Singletrack through the pines

I descended to the East Clear Creek crossing, only there was sadly no water to cross. All thoughts I’d had of taking a nice break near the creek vanished and I hiked on. I spent some time catching a horned lizard, one of my favorite trail activities.

Just a tiny horned lizard

The trail meandered among the pines and then came to the highlight of the passage: hiking in General Springs Canyon. What a beautiful piece of trail, next to a running creek on a perfect day with big fluffy clouds in the sky. I had to take a break to dunk my feet. My body has been holding up well on this hike, except for my middle toe on my right foot. It started hurting a week or so ago and now won’t stop. I keep it ensconced in a wrapping of Band-Aid Blister Bandages to cushion it. I hurt it during river season last year and the endless rocks of Arizona have given it quite a pounding.

Beautiful General Springs Canyon

After my creekside break, the trail followed along the stream until it reached General Springs Cabin, built in 1918 as a fire station.

General Springs Cabin

I hiked toward FR 300, which runs along the edge of the Mogollon Rim. The trail descended steeply and then crossed the East Verde River, the same river I’d played in near the LF Ranch in the Mazatzals.

Coming off the Mogollon Rim

The running creek was too good to resist, so I dunked my feet again and enjoyed the sound of rushing water and birdsong.

Feet-in-the-creek break

I reached Washington Park and my dad right as it was getting dark, he had just seen a bear cross the road nearby. We went back for one last night in Pine.

One last look at the Mogollon Rim

The next day, I didn’t get on the trail until 11:30, I had a bunch of emails and planning for the next segments to do. My dad dropped me off where I left off so that I could backpack for the next three days to Mormon Lake.

I had a small piece of the Blue Ridge passage left before crossing Highway 87. It was a gorgeous day, the weather was fantastic and after a while I realized that I could hike in a skirt instead of pants. I stopped to change and eat a snack and continued hiking.

Skirt weather!

After a while, I came to a road crossing and trailhead that looked way too familiar. How could it be- I ended up back at the trailhead I’d been dropped off an hour before!! I had gotten turned around after my break and I walked right back the way I came! Since the sun was overhead and the pine forest looks all the same, I hadn’t realized my mistake. Feeling sheepish, I turned myself around again and hiked the next half-hour of trail for the third time.

Finally I crossed 87 and the trail continued on singletrack toward Jack’s Canyon. I reached the 500-mile mark of the trip and had a little celebration.

Five Hundred Miles!!

The trail through Jack’s Canyon was pleasant, winding along the canyon bottom. Took a break to enjoy some strawberry jalapeno goat cheese and crackers and goat milk fudge from Fossil Creek Creamery- yum!!

The singletrack ended and I hiked along a series of two-track roads for the rest of the day. My right foot was really sore, sometimes sending shooting pains up my middle toe if I stepped on it wrong. The rocky roads didn’t help matters any. I found a spot to camp among the pines with soft needles covering the rocky ground.

The next day was spent traveling a series of two-tracks. I thought I’d see people out for the weekend but maybe they were kept away by the cold, incessant wind. Only saw two guys camped near Bargaman Park. Stopped to talk to them and they filled up my water bottles and gave me a cold pineapple juice. I saw many groups of elk and lots of birds, often when I would approach one of the water sources. One red-tailed hawk sat in a tree, screaming over and over again to others in the area.

Hiking two-track roads

Beautiful Iris

I hiked until it got too dark to see the trail and set up camp. My feet were killing me, having been relentlessly pounded by the rocky ground. Made dinner and called my dad, who suggested he meet me tomorrow morning and take my pack so that I could carry minimal weight for the final 9 miles into Mormon Lake.

The next morning it was cold with a biting wind and overcast. The remaining miles to the end of the passage were pleasant singletrack through bright green grasses. My dad met me at the trailhead with a second breakfast and a coffee- yay! I offloaded some of my stuff and continued on to Mormon Lake. Thanks Dad!!

Singletrack through the grasses

Micro Chicken with a fancy feather

I crossed Lake Mary Road and made my way along the windblown trail. I was all layered up and still chilly while hiking! The trail wound through the ponderosa pines and soon I was at the junction for Mormon Lake Lodge. Hiked down the mile-long access trail to meet my dad at the lodge and say hi to Larry Snead, former director of the Arizona Trail Association. It was snowing! Just flurries, but remember just over a week ago I’d been overheating hiking out of the East Verde River valley. My dad groaned about the weather, he lives in the Chicago area and they’d had the worst winter ever and now here he was, back in the cold again!

Hiking toward Mormon Lake

Mormon Lake Lodge

It was always such a treat to see my dad at the end of a day of hiking. He would drop me off, then go on his own adventures exploring the area, then we’d get together and share stories and pictures. He’s definitely where I got my sense of adventure from. So glad he has been such a big part of the hike, he’s the best support crew ever! He came out and helped me a lot when I was section-hiking the trail in 2008-09 and it’s so much fun to be able to do it all over again. It’s been almost 20 years since I moved away from the Chicago suburbs, so to spend this much time with my dad is definitely something I’ll cherish about this journey.

My dad and I went into Flagstaff for the night to warm up and got dinner from my favorite- Pato Thai- and checked into a hotel with a hot tub. It was just what I needed for my windswept, chilly, footsore self.

Up next: a guest blog about the Women’s Backpacking Trip!

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