Flowers Flowers
But dozens of smaller, much less crowded lakes are scattered across the mesa. If you want to escape the masses, take a stroll to one of the most impressive and surprising of Anderson Mesa’s less-known lakes. The out-and-back hike to Deep Lake is actually a three-fer because the route, which follows forest roads 9117F and 82D, passes by three lakes.
The trip begins with a half-mile walk on a rough two-track with great views of the San Francisco Peaks before the road bends east. Here, where FR 9117F becomes FR 82D, the first of several livestock fences that protect the sensitive ecosystem from marauding cattle surrounds the reedy, birdy marsh of Post Lake.
After tracing the lake’s wildflowerrimmed perimeter, the road swings north through an airy landscape with standout views of 8,449-foot Mormon
Mountain. At the 1.1-mile point, the road begins its fly-by of Als Lake.
The next mile is a simple walk through fragrant juniper woodlands where rabbits and deer might dart by as you work your way to the junction with FR 9484D at 2.3 miles.
Continue another quarter mile north on FR 82D, and soon the gated entry to the Deep Lake area comes into view. Even without water, as it was on my visit, the yawning bowl that provides refuge for over 100 bird species is a standard-bearer for an increasingly rare and fragile ecosystem. A short footpath leads down the lake’s edge for a closeup view.
Length: 6 miles round trip.
Rating: Easy.
Elevation: 6,964-7,131 feet.
Getting there: From Interstate 17 just south of the Interstate 40 interchange in Flagstaff, go right on Lake Mary Road (County Road 3). Continue 17 miles south, and turn left on Forest Road 82E for Ashurst Lake. It’s just past mile marker 327 across from the turn-off for Pine Grove Campground. Drive 1.7 miles on FR 82E to FR 9117F on the left. Park in pull-outs along the road. FR 82E is washboard gravel suitable for carefully driven vehicles.
Details: https://www.audubon.org/ important-bird-areas.
Brandis Trail
Ten years ago, the Schultz Fire was ravaging the eastern slopes of Flagstaff’s San Francisco Peaks. The blaze that ignited from an abandoned campfire on June 20, 2010 burned more than 15,000 acres before it was contained 10 days later.
It was followed by one of the wettest monsoon seasons on record, which lead to devastating flooding. Without trees and other vegetation to stabilize and absorb runoff, heavy rains created rivers of debris that further eroded the terrain.
Ten years later, the area is in recovery mode, transitioning from what had been thick, coniferous woodlands, alpine meadows and forested foothills into a much different, starkly beautiful destination.
The Brandis Trail, at the edge of a residential area less than a mile from U.S. 89 north of Flagstaff, wanders through the fire scar and is a good path to follow to see how the forest is regenerating.
The 1.4-mile, straight-shot route heads west toward the peaks, beginning with a short hike among unscathed pines. Within a quarter mile, though, views of charred tree trunks that hover precariously over acres of toppled logs deliver a gut-punch to those who recall the woodsy, pre-fire environment.
The upside is that the near-treeless terrain is now replete with unobstructed views of nearby O’Leary Peak, an 8,916foot lava dome volcano and Sunset Crater, a young, 8,042-foot cinder cone and focal point of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
The Brandis Trail roughly traces a drainage gorge where resurgent shrubs, wildflowers and saplings are encouraging signs of life. Healthy swaths of silvery rabbitbrush, mountain gromwell, penstemons, Rocky Mountain beeplant
and Apache plume add color and sink stabilizing roots into the fragile soils.
The trail gets a little sketchy where it crosses the winding drainage several times. To stay on track, know that at the crossings, the trail picks up directly on the other side, not down the wash as random footprints might suggest.
At the 1.3-mile point, a livestock gate stands near one of the few shady areas on the trail. Pass through (close it behind you), and continue on to the turnaround point at the Deer Hill Trail junction.
Length: 3 miles round trip.
Rating: Easy.
Elevation: 6,840-7,212 feet.
Getting there: From the Interstate 17/ 40 interchange in Flagstaff, go east on I-40 to Country Club Road (Exit 201). Go 8.2 miles north on U.S. 89, turn left on Brandis Way, and go 0.8 mile to a parking apron at the corner of Brandis Way and Ostrich Lane. The trailhead is at the end of a fenced easement at the end of Brandis Way. Respect private property by not blocking driveways or attempting to drive on the easement.
Details: htps://www.fs.usda.gov /rmrs/2010-schultz-fire.
Little Elden Trail
Wildflower season is in full bloom in Flagstaff ’s Dry Lake Hills. One perennially productive wildflower area is the Little Elden Trail to Schultz Tank. This multifaceted gem traces the north flanks of 9,018-foot Little Elden Mountain through a mix of mixed-conifer woodlands, aspen glens, sunny meadows and a variety of blooming plant communities.
From the trailhead, follow the 0.3mile access path to the Little Elden Trail, which doubles as part of the Arizona Trail’s Passage 32.
The route heads right (west) at the sign and begins with a shady walk among pines and firs, with a smattering of aspens tucked into clearings. Where the trail crosses drainages, plots of rich green ferns swaying over the narrow footpath gently brush the shoulders of passing hikers.
Roughly 0.8 mile in, reminders of the 2010 Schultz Fire begin to appear in the form of charred logs and gangly snags.
Ten years removed from the fire, this section is now a sprawling meadow flush with wildflowers and brambles that have taken root among blackened, matchstick-like stumps.
The loss of the tree cover has revealed previously obscured views of O’Leary Peak and Sunset Crater to the northeast and the scorched edge of the Kachina Peaks Wilderness to the northwest.
The recovering meadows of hip-high grasses foster a botanical garden of blooming plants. Look for fruity raspberry shrubs, the frothy cream-colored blooms and dark fruits of blueberry elder tree that grow sporadically in bright fields.
Delicate Western blue flax twines around Fendler’s ceanothus bushes and acres of paintbrush, butter and eggs, thistle, mountain parsley, common mullein, lupines, purple locoweed, gooseberry shrubs and other sun-loving varieties splatter vivid colors on the forest floor.
After about a mile of exposed grassland hiking, the trail heads uphill and ducks into moist, canyon-bound woodlands in the drainage areas near Schultz Tank.
This beautiful segment features slopes with sprouting aspen saplings as well as ravines cluttered with oldgrowth conifers draped in moss.
The wetter microclimate here supports a whole other type of wildflower habitat.
An understory of spreading dogbane, yellow columbine, Richardson’s geranium, curly dock, wild roses and fragrant wild geranium grow profusely in damp slivers of space among roots, boulders and gigantic trees.
The Little Elden Trail ends at a signed junction where classic Dry Lake Hills routes take off in all directions. Follow the signs 0.2 mile to Schultz Tank; meander around the peak-reflecting pool and popular recreation hub. Then return the way you came.
Length: 5.6 miles out and back. Rating: Moderate.
Elevation: 7,320-8,000 feet.
Getting there: In Flagstaff, go north on U.S. 89 to Forest Road 556 (Elden Spring Road, just past mile marker 429). Turn left, and go 2.4 miles to the Little Elden trailhead on the right. The hike begins at the trailhead kiosk.
Details: https://www.fs.usda.gov /coconino.