Mountain Hiking

When we used to summer in Lake Tahoe we did a lot of hiking in the surrounding forest.  Since we have been stuck on the desert the last few years, hiking has kind of been sidelined.  Although I do a lot of walking in the desert I wouldn’t call it hiking.  And this time of year I don’t do much at all because it is way too hot.

Now that we are back in the White Mountains, we’ve started hiking again.  The White Mountain Trail System has  200 plus miles of trails with an average elevation of 7,000 feet.  So we have plenty of trails to explore. These trails are used by hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and cross country skiers.  Nothing motorized is allowed.

Last Wednesday we traveled 50 miles to hike part of the Mogollon (pronounced muggy-own) Rim.  What a beautiful hike it was.

This is the Visitor Center for the Mogollon Rim and Woods Canyon Lake.  Unfortunately due to budget cuts this is only open 4 days a week and we weren’t there for one  of those days.  DAMN.

Scroll down and enjoy some of the sights we were privileged to see on our hike.

Hard to see in the picture but there is actually water falling down these rocks.  I bet during the spring thaw it is a full fledged waterfall.

One of my favorite wild flowers along the trail.

 

Rex the hiker…..I finally talked him into using hiking poles.  They really help walking in uneven terrain and as an added bonus, they give your hands something to do.

I walked by this a couple of times before I decided to take a picture…..doesn’t this rock formation look like a house??  I just thought is was way cool.

There is an organization called TRACKS, which is a volunteer group that plans, builds, maintains, and enjoys the trail system.  It is an organization I plan to become involved with when we are finally able to spend the entire summer in these White Mountains.  Their web site is: www.tracks-pinetop-lakeside.org if anyone is interested in learning more about the White Mountain Trail System.