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| Hiking | 7.30 Miles |
500 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.30 Miles | | | |
| 500 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Ghost Train Chase 2: Lake Mary, AZT, and Mormon Lake hikes, all following the old Arizona Mineral Belt (AMB) Railroad grade from 1887.
Hike 1: Drove south to upper Lake Mary after work to see where the AMB grade exited the lake bed. Found it, heading south out of the lake bed into the forest like an ancient runway. Followed it south for a while through some roadcuts, noting a few old lead-sealed cans along the route, correct for the 1880s.
Hike 2: Drove a short ways south to the Pine Grove Campground turnoff, parking along the highway. I walked the campground road to the AZT route and then followed the AZT south along an obvious railroad grade, the original, unchanged AMB route. No 1920s logging railroad re-usage here. Pretty cool to see some railroad tie remnants that were over 100 years old with fully mature ponderosas growing between them. Would like to hike this passage in its entirety sometime. Enough distraction for the afternoon though, time for the main objective…
Hike 3: I drove down to the south end of Mormon Lake, arriving just before sunset, way later than I’d hoped. Parked along the highway and then headed off trail into the trees, eventually dropping into a canyon where I encountered a very obvious continuation of the AMB route, this time with a steady covering of 1920s railroad ties from the Flagstaff Lumber Manufacturing Railroad (FLM) which had laid its tracks on the abandoned AMB route from 20+ years earlier. Cool to see the elevated rock work roadbed that the FLM did, a ridiculous amount of work involved in that I’m sure. Lots of ties and a few old spikes imbedded in them. Same thing as on parts of the Anderson Mesa AZT passage I believe. It was soon dark and cold but I’d come a long way so I was going to hike it. I kept heading south along the railroad bed into the dark, frigid forest, past old bridge sites and rusty steel logging cable pieces. Heard a few elk bugles, and saw a few unidentifiable sets of eyes reflecting back at me. Eventually I had seen (or not seen in the dark) enough for one night, so I turned around and started back. I followed the canyon all the way back to Mormon Lake Road, where lights from houses were a welcome sign that I was on the correct route back to my vehicle.
Did a bit of star photography along Mormon Lake Road afterward, enjoying the solitude of a mountain road at night with beautiful bright stars above. Headed back to Flagstaff for my 10th and final night there. Wouldn’t mind a 1000 more. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
Gambel oaks full of golden color |
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| "…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
and miles later I came across a deer leg lying on the trail. Also saw a gimpy coyote who hobbling away from me on three legs. No hikers or hunters to be seen.
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