|
| | | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 2.52 Miles |
67 AEG |
| | Hiking | 2.52 Miles | 1 Hour 30 Mns | | 2.52 mph |
| 67 ft AEG | 30 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Mary and I packed up the pups and headed for Scholz Lake. The drive up I-17 was a bit busy but otherwise pleasant. After the obligatory pit stop at Cordes Junction, we next stopped at the Pilot truck stop in Bellemont, which is very nice. BTW, I-40 is Semi-Truck Central. Yikes. Often we were the only passenger vehicle in sight.
Anyway, after the lovely drive along Garland Prairie Road, which is fine for all vehicles, we carefully navigated bumpy FR-62 and got to the trailhead around 10:45 or so and started the hike. The trail is just to the left of the sign and starts off rocky and narrow for a little while until it opens out onto a great view of the lake, which looked full to my untrained eye. Clumps of cattails lined the shore with tall green grasses behind those. The area is fairly open but with still plenty of trees for shade. The weather was perfect, warm and not hot, with a pleasant cool breeze. We wandered up and back the west shore, snapping pictures and letting the dogs lead the way.
On our only break, we spotted what looked like a bald eagle. It flew across the lake away from us and settled into a tree on the opposite shore, like the Stellar's Jay on our last trip, too far away to get a picture. On our way back, a group with binoculars confirmed that it was a bald eagle and it had a nest with a baby bird in that tree.
Storm clouds were threatening from the northeast when we returned to the trailhead around 1:00. We stopped on the way to I-40 for a nice shady picnic lunch of fried chicken, baked beans, pasta salad, cherries, Cheetos and cookies. The storm hit when we were eastbound on I-40 with lightning, thunder, torrential rain and occasional hail and stayed with us to Flagstaff. Then it was back to the Phoenix Inferno after a great day in the high country.
PS - bonus points to anyone who remembers the Phoenix Inferno.
PPS - Absolutely loved Garland Prairie, and especially the dark dense forest along the road closer to I-40. I can imagine those being quite spooky after dark. |
|
Wildflowers Observation Light
|
|
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
