A SUMMER GUIDE TO RIM COUNTRY [p. 16] JULY 2016 JULY

“IT’S A HARD RAIN” ESCAPE • EXPLORE • EXPERIENCE BY TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS p. 36 — WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE WILLIAM —

THE MOGOLLON RIM It’s pronounced MO-GEE-YUN, with the accent on the first syllable. Locals say “Muggy-own.”

plus TUCSON’S TREE-RING LABORATORY

“I like this place and could willingly waste in it.” time my willingly and could place this like “I BIGHORN SHEEP A GUY NAMED GUEISSAZ CAMPBELL MESA LOOP CANYON DE CHELLY NATIONAL MONUMENT OUR FRIEND JERRY JACKA Grand Canyon National Park Canyon de Chelly 2 EDITOR’S LETTER 42 OUT OF THE ORDINARY National Monument Even at a place like the Grand Canyon, 3 CONTRIBUTORS Flagstaff where the per capita of offbeat characters Mogollon Rim 4 LETTERS is well above average, Eric Gueissaz stands Strawberry out. Not only does he live off the grid in Alpine 5 THE JOURNAL a house made of rocks, he looks as if he People, places and things from around the belongs to another time — like someone PHOENIX state, including a look at longtime Arizona out of a tintype portrait. Tucson Highways photographer Jerry Jacka; Can- By Matt Jaffe yon de Chelly National Monument, then Photographs by David Zickl Sasabe and now; bighorn sheep; and where to get great Thai food in Flagstaff. 48 TREE ENTERPRISE POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE Although it’s located hundreds of miles 16 RIM COUNTRY from the nearest bristlecone pine, the “Mountain, forest, valley and streams Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research in Tuc- are blended in one harmonious whole.” son has been conducting groundbreaking July 2016 That’s how Captain George M. Wheeler research since 1937. In the process, its sci- described the Mogollon Rim in the late entists have learned valuable information 1800s. Although time has brought a few about climate change. They’ve also solved GET MORE ONLINE roads and campgrounds, the allure of the mysteries at ancient ruins. www.arizonahighways.com Rim remains the same, especially in the By Noah Austin summer, when outdoors enthusiasts need Photographs by Bill Hatcher a dose of Mother Nature. /azhighways Edited by Robert Stieve 52 SCENIC DRIVE @azhighways @arizonahighways Blue Range Loop: You won’t see many 36 IT’S A HARD RAIN signs of civilization on this scenic drive in Although it begins as an innocent cloud in the White Mountains, but you will see ever- a clear blue sky, El Nubé, as it’s known, can greens, red rocks and maybe an endan- turn deadly when it fills with water, grows gered species. an angry white tail and dumps millions of ◗ The setting sun illuminates precipi- By Noah Austin tation from a monsoon storm in the gallons of rain onto the desert floor. It can Photographs by Rebecca Wilks Grand Canyon, as viewed from Lipan happen in a matter of minutes, causing Point on the South Rim. floods, wreaking havoc and leaving locals 54 HIKE OF THE MONTH George Stocking with a reverential respect mixed with fear CANON EOS 5D MARK II, 1/80 SEC, and wonder. Campbell Mesa Loop: Most of the hikes F/11, ISO 200, 131 MM LENS on the Coconino National Forest require An Essay by Terry Tempest Williams FRONT COVER: The jagged rocks some planning, but not the Campbell Mesa and Brooke Williams of the Mogollon Rim’s Promontory Loop. This easy trail, just minutes from Butte contrast with the tree-covered downtown Flagstaff, can be done as an expanse of the Tonto Basin below. To afterthought. learn about the Mogollon Rim, turn to By Robert Stieve page 16. Nick Berezenko NIKON D200, 1/5 SEC, F/22, ISO 100, WHERE IS THIS? 56 MM LENS 56 BACK COVER: The water of the East Verde River in Central Arizona flows beneath a boxelder branch. Jack Dykinga ARCA-SWISS F-FIELD, FUJI VELVIA, 6 SEC, F/45, ISO 50, 180 MM LENS

2 OCTOBER 2015 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AVAILABLE Prints of some photographs in this issue are available for purchase. To view options, visit www.arizona highwaysprints.com. For more information, call 866-962-1191. www.arizonahighways.com 1 editor’s LETTER CONTRIBUTORS

DAVID ZICKL Eric Gueissaz, the subject

Kohl’s Ranch. Unfortunately, the cabin was JULY 2016 VOL. 92, NO. 7 of Out of the Ordinary (see destroyed in the 1990 Dude Fire. Eric Gueissaz’s page 42), has been living cabin, however, is still standing. 800-543-5432 on the Kaibab National www.arizonahighways.com Pronounced “gay-suh,” Eric Gueissaz is per- Forest and exploring the haps the most eccentric of the many eccentrics Grand Canyon for four PUBLISHER Win Holden who live at the Grand Canyon. He’s a throwback, decades. But before that, EDITOR Robert Stieve Matt Jaffe writes in Out of the Ordinary. “With he was a chef, and that ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, clear blue eyes, an epic nose that knows no end DIRECTOR OF gave him a common bond SALES & MARKETING Kelly Mero and a bushy, drooping mustache extending across with photographer David MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Vaughn - his cheeks, he looks as if he belongs to another Zickl, who made the pho- ASSOCIATE EDITOR Noah Austin At first I thought I was dream- time.” His cabin is from another time, too. tographs that accompany EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Nikki Kimbel ing — about Tibetan throat-singers or hump- When he took possession of the old mining Matt Jaffe’s story. “Cooking is also one of my passions,” Zickl says, “and while we waited PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jeff Kida back whales. But then I realized I wasn’t even shack in 1973, it was little more than a shell, with for the light to get right near his house, Eric shared a quiche he had made and a bottle of CREATIVE DIRECTOR Barbara Glynn Denney sleeping, and the sound was coming from no electricity, heat or running water. Today, it’s a red wine. He also shared his quiche recipe.” The two trekked 15 miles on a bumpy dirt road ART DIRECTOR Keith Whitney outside my tent. It was an eerie sound, like the solar-powered rock house with an elaborate sys- to the Bass Trailhead. “I’ve seen that area from the Colorado River a number of times, but MAP DESIGNER Kevin Kibsey mournful dirge of those wailing spirits outside tem for collecting rainwater, a greenhouse and an never from on top,” Zickl says. “Like most Grand Canyon guides, Eric knew the history and PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Bianchi Scrooge’s window. I had no idea what it was, and I was a little spooked, but impressive garden. Still, it’s a work in progress for name of every rock formation in my viewfinder. And even at 75 years old, he made hiking when I got the nerve to look out, I saw that I was surrounded by a herd of the 75-year-old native of Switzerland, who, Matt WEBMASTER Victoria J. Snow the Canyon look easy.” Zickl, a regular Arizona Highways contributor, plans to return to the more than 40 elk. says, is “part of a long tradition of outsiders — CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Nicole Bowman Canyon this summer to photograph river guides. They were drawn to the grassy meadow for the same reason I was: lush adventurers, artists, rogues and eccentrics — who FINANCE DIRECTOR Bob Allen open space in the middle of the world’s largest pure stand of ponderosa discovered the Grand Canyon and then made the OPERATIONS/IT MANAGER Cindy Bormanis pines. It was my first time camping on The Rim, about 25 years ago. I knew chasm their life’s great passion and cause.” there were a lot of elk in the area, but I had no idea they’d sneak into my Terry Tempest Williams and her husband, CORPORATE OR TRADE SALES 602-712-2019 campsite overnight. I wasn’t dreaming, but waking up in the midst of Brooke, have a similar passion for their home in SPONSORSHIP SALES REPRESENTATION On Media Publications that peaceful herd had the surreal quality of an unbelievable dream. So, Castle Valley, Utah. “We can’t help but feel part Lesley Bennett I watched from my tent, for almost an hour, while the cows filled their bel- of the natural cycles that have been spinning 602-445-7160 lies and the bulls courted the cows, hoping to lure them into their harems. It around since time began,” Brooke says. One of was a rare introduction to the Mogollon Rim, a place I’ve loved ever since. those cycles is something they call El Nubé. It’s LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [email protected] 2039 W. Lewis Avenue I’m not alone, of course. The Rim is a summer playground for all kinds of a storm cloud that can dump millions of gallons Phoenix, AZ 85009 nature lovers. It was a favorite of my predecessors, too. In April 1966, Editor of rain onto the desert floor. “When it strikes,”

Raymond Carlson made it our cover story. “The Rim,” he wrote, “is scenery, the coauthors write in It’s a Hard Rain, “El Nubé GOVERNOR Douglas A. Ducey history, virgin wilderness, so rough only small portions are accessible by opens like a vein. Massive rock- and weed- and DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT conventional auto, the rest a challenge to the jeep-driver or the sturdy moun- wood-filled waters pulse through our valley, OF TRANSPORTATION John S. Halikowski

tain goat.” He used the words “unimaginable beauty” to describe the vistas. flooding, widening, roaring down the arroyo as ARIZONA TRANSPORTATION Although time has brought more roads — and more people — the unimag- it bends around our house.” BOARD CHAIRMAN Joseph E. La Rue inable beauty remains the same. And I say that with some authority, because, Like the storms they write about, their essay VICE CHAIRMAN Deanna L. Beaver as I write this, I’m looking at a copy of our 1966 issue, which features some is powerful. I’m not sure who wrote what, but MEMBERS William F. Cuthbertson of the same landmarks you’ll see in this month’s portfolio. Promontory Butte, together, they’ve crafted an impressive collection Michael S. Hammond Woods Canyon Lake, Hi View Point ... geographically, the rocks and the of nouns, verbs and adjectives. In fact, even their Jack W. Sellers BROOKE WILLIAMS AND TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS trees are the same. It’s the people of the Rim who have changed. emails are well crafted. When we asked Brooke Steven E. Stratton Married writers Brooke Williams (left) and Terry Tempest Williams, both accomplished As a general rule, there’s more civility today. There was a time, however, what he likes most about his desert home, he Arlando S. Teller authors, collaborated on It’s a Hard Rain (see page 36), this month’s essay on desert when bad guys were chained to oak trees and cattle rustling was a way of wrote about the “thousand different shades of storms. “We’ve been together for more than 40 years,” Brooke says, “and our relationship Arizona Highways® (ISSN 0004-1521) is published monthly by the Arizona has been based on loving the wild world.” The first half of that relationship was spent in life. You’ll learn more about that in A Rim Country Almanac by Emily Lierle. In red the cliffs turn at sunset,” and being in the Department of Transportation. Subscription price: $24 a year in the U.S., addition, our cover story includes a beautiful essay by Kelly Vaughn and a midst of deer herds that move past their home $44 outside the U.S. Single copy: $4.99 U.S. Call 800-543-5432. Subscrip- Salt Lake City, but in 1998, they moved to a house on a dirt road in Castle Valley, a small profile of Pearl Grey. “like peaceful brown tides.” tion cor­respon­dence and change of address information: Arizona High- town in Eastern Utah. “Here, we can’t help but feel part of the natural cycles that have ways, P.O. Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Periodical postage paid at First published in 1966, The Legend of Pearl Grey tells the tale of a man Peaceful brown tides. That’s so good. I wish Phoenix, AZ, and at additional mailing office. CANADA POST INTERNA- been spinning around since time began,” Brooke says. As you’ll read, the Williamses’ essay better known as Zane Grey. According to writer Edward Peplow Jr., Grey’s I’d written it. I could have used those words to TIONAL PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT (CANADIAN­ DISTRIBUTION) SALES centers on El Nubé, their name for the cloud that brings rain to their corner of the world. books “made America conscious of Arizona and the West, of the cowboys, describe what it’s like to wake up with a herd of AGREEMENT NO. 41220511. SEND RETURNS TO QUAD/GRAPHICS, P.O. BOX “The idea of one particular cloud came to me while wandering south of our house and see- 875, WINDSOR, ON N9A 6P2. POST­MASTER: Send address changes to Ari- the Indians and the gunfighters, of the shimmering deserts and the rug- elk on the Mogollon Rim. zona Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Copy­right © 2016 ing what the last floods left behind,” Brooke says. As for the name? “We think a lot about ged mountains that have captured the imagination of the movie-going, TV- by the Ari­zona Department of Trans­­por­­tation. Repro­duc­tion in whole or in sources of imagination and what a mystery it is,” he says. “I’m not sure why the cloud has part with­­out permission is prohibited. The magazine does not accept and a Spanish name; it just does.” Terry’s latest book, The Hour of Land, a story of 12 national watching world.” Many of those books were set in Arizona, and many more ROBERT STIEVE, EDITOR is not responsible for unsolicited­ ma­ter­ials. were either written or conceptualized at Zane Grey’s cabin near present-day Follow me on Instagram: @arizonahighways parks, was published in June, while Brooke’s next book, Open Midnight, about “that magi- cal place where the inner and outer wilderness meet,” will be out next spring. This is the PRODUCED IN THE USA Williamses’ first joint contribution toArizona Highways. — NOAH AUSTIN

2 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL MARKOW PHOTOGRAPHS: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RAECHEL RUNNING, BROOKE WILLIAMS, TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS www.arizonahighways.com 3 LETTERS [email protected] THE

iconic photographers JOURNAL J is hard for an Arizona native. That’s why I look LIVING IN INDIANA forward to my Arizona Highways each month. This month I was pleased to see the article on Bob Bradshaw [Iconic Photographers, May 2016]. As a resident of Sedona in the late ’60s and ’70s, I remember him as one of the men who everyone Bob Bradshaw

KAYLA FROST

knew. Of course, back then, most people in Sedona or decades, Bob Bradshaw was knee-deep in the Wild West — or, at least, Hollywood’s version of it. When he moved to Sedona in 1945, the area F was becoming popular as a backdrop for Western knew most everyone else. I also loved your story about films. Bradshaw stepped in as a foreman on many of their sets, photographing the climactic moments of the movies when he could. Over the years, he worked as an extra, loca- tion scout, stunt double, carpenter and supplier of horses and equipment for 28 films (such as 1950’s Broken Arrow), 19 televi- the Apache School [Old School, May 2016]. It reminded sion shows and 77 commercials. Many Westerns were filmed on Bradshaw’s ranch, including 1968’s Stay Away, Joe, starring Elvis Presley. Bradshaw captured not only behind-the-scenes shots from me of my own school days during the early ’60s, when Westerns, but also beautiful landscapes of the Southwest. He opened Sedona’s first photo store in 1949, and it’s still in operation as Rollies Camera. Bradshaw was a longtime contributor to Arizona Highways and published several books I attended Cochise School. Thanks for bringing a little before his death in 2008.

LEFT: Bob Bradshaw’s photograph of Navajos herding sheep in Monument Valley appeared in the December 1968 issue of Arizona Highways. sunshine to this former Arizona girl. ABOVE: “I just did the easy ones,” Bradshaw said of his stint as a stunt double in Wild West films. “I wasn’t crazy.” Cathy Hoover, Orleans, Indiana 10 MAY 2016 PHOTOGRAPHS: ABOVE BOB BRADSHAW TOP COURTESY OF BRADSHAW COLOR STUDIOS www.arizonahighways.com 11 May 2016 Mind the Gap Rock climber Chris Tatum traverses always enjoy receiving and reading word fewer, for the sake of brevity! For during all my teens. However, I do a gap between two towers of the each issue of Arizona Highways. Your your publication, with a circulation of not ever remember a wild ride such as Mace, a 400-foot-tall sandstone I recent article and photo about Navajo more than 100,000, that’s 100,000 words “Rottweilers after an alley cat.” formation in Sedona. “When you National Monument [National Parks every time it’s used. You could do some- I laughed so hard I hurt myself. If a climb the Mace, you end up on top of Centennial, April 2016] brought up a thing notable with that fact. person ever really liked a horse and that the lower tower,” photographer John question I have long held. In the photo, Bill Barnhart, Cody, Wyoming animal wanted to follow you like a pet Burcham says. “To reach the summit what are the tall poles and what were and be your “buddy,” the outlook on of the higher tower, you have to step across the exposed gap, grab a few they used for? ’m an 11-year-old Boy Scout who, until life might be quite a bit different in this small holds and climb to the top.” Harlan Miller, Lawrence, Kansas recently, was going to go to Fossil crazy world of ours. That happened to To learn more about Sedona, call the I Springs for an overnight backpack- me. There might have been a slight Sedona Tourism Bureau at 928-282- EDITOR’S NOTE: That’s a good question, Har- ing trip. That trip was going to get me reason: I sometimes carried pieces of 7722 or visit www.visitsedona.com.

lan. We passed it along to Curlinda Mitchell, from first class to star Scout. I strongly carrots in my pockets. CANON EOS 5D, 1/2000 SEC, F/3.5, ISO 160, who is a park ranger at the monument. She says disagree [with the U.S. Forest Service Dan Warfield, Yuma, Arizona 20 MM LENS the tall poles are Douglas fir or spruce trunks decision] to close the creek to over- that the dwellings’ inhabitants harvested from night campouts. My Scout troop has ne of our dearest of friends retired at the area. She says their primary use was prob- been going to Fossil Springs for more an early age to Prescott after years of ably to hang things up. than four years, and I’ve enjoyed every O careful research and diligent plan- trip. You have to be extremely durable ning. For years the Marcels spoke so hetorically, is it ever too late to cor- to walk into Fossil Springs and out in highly of your majestic state that anyone rect a historical inaccuracy? Reference one day, and for a group of 11-year-old listening in on our conversations would R is often made to the so-called kids, it would be impossible. [This deci- never guess they were transplants from “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.” Even the sion] will prevent people from coming New York. They had enormous love most uninformed neophyte can tell you and enjoying all the beautiful falls and and passion for their new home. They that this gunfight did not take place ponds and exploring nature. Also, it will hiked many trails and knew everything there. Over at the Courthouse Museum rush people out, forcing them to leave there was to know. Then they sent us in Tombstone they’re calling it a “street all their trash behind because of the a gift subscription to entice us to visit. fight,” yet another inaccuracy. It took limited time. People will stop coming Your photos are awesome, exquisite and place in a vacant lot in the same block and experiencing one of the best spots powerful. Every picture brings back a as the O.K. Corral, but not “at” it. It in Arizona. I hope you can discuss the memory or forces us to create a wish list doesn’t help to repeatedly have the mov- availability of overnight permits in your for our next visit. ies and the iconic song by Frankie Laine, magazine. Preserving the area is impor- Karon Pennisi, Westbury, New York along with every writer, repeating this tant, but so is the accessibility of it. inaccuracy, along with your own publi- Brody Nelson, Gilbert, Arizona contact us If you have thoughts or com- cation. As one wit said, the truth won’t ments about anything in Arizona Highways, we’d readily fit on a movie marquee. It should ccolades to Kelly Vaughn for Wild love to hear from you. We can be reached at editor@ arizonahighways.com, or by mail at 2039 W. Lewis at least correctly be referred to as the [April 2016]. I was raised around, Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009. For more information, “Gunfight Near O.K. Corral.” That’s one A and greatly involved with, horses visit www.arizonahighways.com.

4 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN BURCHAM national parks centennial J

EDITOR’S NOTE: Next month, the National Park Service will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Leading up to that milestone, we’re spotlighting some of Arizona’s wonderful national parks.

Members of the Day family wade near White House Ruin in an undated photo. Canyon de Chelly National Monument

KAYLA FROST

PEOPLE HAVE LIVED IN logical remnants that include Canyon de Chelly in North- pictographs and Puebloan eastern Arizona for more than ruins constructed on a dra- 4,500 years — about 19 times matic 500-foot sandstone cliff. longer than the United States The biggest village still stand- has been a country. The first ing is Mummy Cave Ruin, which humans to set up camp in is composed of almost 70 the canyon were the Archaic rooms. The monument, which people, hunter-gatherers who is free to enter, is full of attrac- lived from 2500 to 200 B.C. tions: scenic drives, 10 over- Then came the Basketmakers, looks, camping, ranger talks the Ancestral Puebloans, the and a hike into the canyon. Hopis and, now, the Navajos. Dozens of Navajo families YEAR DESIGNATED: 1931 still live traditionally, farming AREA: 84,000 acres and raising livestock, within WILDERNESS ACREAGE: None the boundaries of Canyon de ANNUAL VISITATION: Chelly National Monument. 813,686 (2015) Besides its spectacular ELEVATION: One of several overlooks along natural beauty, the red-walled 5,000 to 6,000 feet the south rim of Canyon de Chelly National Monument offers dra- canyon is known for archaeo- matic views of the canyon floor. NAVAJO NATION www.nps.gov/cach

6 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM FITZHARRIS PHOTOGRAPH: MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA www.arizonahighways.com 7 J history photography J

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

■ Mormon pioneer Eras- tus Snow, known for co-founding the Arizona town of Snowflake with William Flake, is born on July 3, 1839, in Vermont. ■ On July 8, 2011, officials declare the Wallow Fire fully contained. The blaze burned more than a half- million acres in Eastern Arizona, making it the largest wildfire in the state’s recorded history. ■ The Navajo Nation establishes Monument Guests socialize outside Southern Arizona’s Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Rancho de la Osa in the 1930s. Rancho de la Osa which contains the Mit- tens, Merrick Butte and There are many impressive dude ranches in Arizona, but few, if any, other iconic formations, have a history to match that of Rancho de la Osa, which has been hosting on July 11, 1958. famous film stars and powerful politicians for almost a century. ■ On July 18, 1882, the Arizona Daily Star reports KATHY MONTGOMERY that Johnny Ringo, dubbed “Tombstone’s hen the photo above was made in were inspected before entering the U.S. deadliest gunfighter,” Hayden Flour miller Ben Butler examines freshly the 1930s, Rancho de la Osa, which In the 1920s, John and Louisa Wetherill, was found dead in the milled flour at the Queen is located on the U.S.-Mexico who operated a summer guest ranch in Kay- Chiricahua Mountains. Q&A: Jacques Barbey Creek facility. border at Sasabe, was one of the enta, leased part of La Osa to use as a winter W PHOTO EDITOR JEFF KIDA most celebrated and historically rich dude retreat for their patrons, including Hollywood ranches in Arizona. In its long history, it hosted star Tom Mix and novelist Zane Grey. an impressive roster of guests, including film In addition to celebrities, La Osa drew poli- 50 YEARS AGO JK: The photo above is from graphs in one visit? fingers, feel it and smell it. I left PHOTO IN ARIZONA HIGHWAYS stars, novelists and politicians. ticians early on. Sturges served as a Republican Hayden Flour Mills, which you JB: No, I went back multiple times. the mill area and was setting up WORKSHOP Spanish missionaries first built a trading National Committee representative. James Fin- photographed for a story in our I found it easier on later trips — another shot, and I happened to post on the property in the late 17th or early ley, who bought the ranch from him, served in February 2016 issue. How did you I became less of a nuisance and look back and saw Ben framed in 18th century. The trading post later became the Arizona’s Territorial Legislature. prepare for this project? more of a fly on the wall. It was this doorway. ranch’s cantina, said to be the oldest continu- Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt are said to JB: I researched directions on how more low-key, and the employees ously occupied building in the state. have stayed at the guest ranch in the 1920s. to get there, but that was about it. there were more comfortable with JK: You followed a timeless pho- The ranch itself dates to an 1812 Spanish Dick Jenkins, who would become a player in Once I was there, I spent two hours me. It’s like watching a movie or lis- tography lesson, which is to give Canyon de land grant and became part of the United state Democratic politics, took over the prop- just walking around and looking at tening to a piece of music a second a subject space and allow privacy. Chelly States with the Gadsden Purchase of 1854. In erty in the 1930s and later was joined by his things before I even picked up the time: You get a chance to find the What else do you like about the October 20-23, Chinle the late 19th century, Civil War veteran Wil- sister, Nellie. Lyndon Johnson, then a congress- camera. I approached it almost as off moments. photograph? Join Navajo photographer liam Sturges of Chicago acquired the property; man, visited in the late 1940s, and Adlai Ste- if I was going to a winery — it had JB: It’s a horizontal and a vertical LeRoy DeJolie for a spec- tacular tour of Canyon de he planted orchards and gardens and built the venson recovered at La Osa following his failed The treacherous yet ever- that flavor of care and attention. JK: This photo was one such at the same time, and the small Chelly and Canyon del residence. presidential bid in the ’50s. William Clayton, spectacular Canyonlands My grandfather had a mill, back moment with Hayden Flour’s window at the top left corner bal- Muerto, along with photo The property was a two-day horseback ride who built a house at the ranch, is said to have National Park in South- in Pennsylvania, that supplied miller, Ben Butler. How did this ances the dark area at the bottom sessions with Navajo weavers, potters and jew- eastern Utah was the cen- flour to the troops at Valley Forge, shot come together? right. And Ben just had these time- from the nearest railroad stop, in Tucson, but drafted the Marshall Plan there. elers in traditional dress. it supported excellent grasslands. Subsequent Owners Richard and Veronica Schultz terpiece of our July 1966 so I had some connection to the JB: Ben is such an artist, which less gestures, things he’s been Information: 888-790- owners added acreage and turned La Osa into retired and closed the guest ranch in 2014. issue, which also featured subject. really fits into the artisanal qual- doing for years. It was like watch- 7042 or www.ahpw.org a sizable cattle operation. At the nearby port of They remain hopeful someone will buy the an article on the White ity of the mill. It was cool to just ing a musician practice — and that entry at Sasabe, thousands of Mexican cattle property and reopen it. Mountain Scenic Railroad JK: Did you make all your photo- watch him look at flour in his mill was like a Stradivarius violin. and a profile of celebrated SASABE Rancho de la Osa, 520-240-3797, www.ranchodelaosa.com local cartoonist Bil Keane. To learn more about photography, visit www.arizonahighways.com/photography.

8 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPH: ARIZONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP JACQUES BARBEY ABOVE, RIGHT DEAN HUEBER www.arizonahighways.com 9 J iconic photographers

Jerry Jacka

KAYLA FROST

hotographer Jerry Jacka’s name has been echoing through the halls of Arizona Highways’ World Headquarters for decades. In our July 1976 issue, then-Editor Tom Cooper said Jacka had contributed “well over 1,000” P photographs, mostly of scenic landscapes and Native American art, in the preceding 18 years. He’s contributed many more since, and he’s also published several books, often in collaboration with Lois, his writer wife of 63 years. The Arizona native has found joy not only in creating his art, but also in the relationships he’s formed while doing it. That includes a partnership with Stewart Udall and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, with whom Jacka worked on a book about Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s 1540 expedition. Onassis called Jacka a “poet of the camera,” a statement that helps explain why his photographs are still gracing the pages of Arizona Highways.

ABOVE: Jerry Jacka’s career has revolved around Arizona’s places and people. As Stewart Udall wrote: “His love of Southwestern landscapes is matched by his interest in Indians and their arts and crafts.” RIGHT: Jacka’s photograph of a man on horseback on Hopi Tribe land appeared in the September 1980 issue of Arizona Highways. Jacka didn’t know the rider was in the photo until after the film was processed.

10 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPHS: ABOVE COURTESY OF JACKA FAMILY RIGHT JERRY JACKA www.arizonahighways.com 11 J dining nature J

in the heart of downtown Flagstaff, Tre- rattanapun was armed with his own Thai recipes and confidence in his abilities. Faithful locals and spice-seeking tourists have responded, keeping this cozy spot packed. If there is a calling card of Thai cuisine, it’s pad thai, a stir-fried noodle dish with eggs, ground peanuts and bean sprouts. It’s the sauce that takes Pato’s version to a higher level, Trerattanapun says. The key is using real tamarind paste, which he acquires from a market in Los Angeles. Although Pato’s portions are generous enough for leftovers, many diners leave empty-handed, unable to resist the rich and spicy noodles. The eggplant with basil leaves is just one of the dishes on Pato’s menu that feature the house sauce, an intoxicat- ing blend of Trerattanapun’s own oyster sauce and chile oil paste. Eggplant is often maligned as spongy or mushy, but don’t blame the vegetable — it’s all in the preparation. In this rendition, eggplant chunks are stir-fried with vegetables, fra- grant basil and the house sauce, creating a balance of flavors and textures that can turn around even the strongest skeptics. While the menu boasts a traditional mix of curry, noodle and rice dishes, it would be premature to make any deci- sions without consulting the specials board. The fish basil frequently appears on this board, and it definitely is some- thing special. A stir-fried combination Pato Thai Cuisine of fish, oyster and soy sauces envelops a deep-fried fillet of sole, instantly reward- When Paul McCartney passed through Flagstaff a few years ago, ing diners for veering away from the menu. he could have eaten anywhere, but he chose Pato Thai Cuisine, a cozy And sometimes, menus just aren’t downtown restaurant that can make even eggplant taste great. necessary. When Beatles legend Paul McCartney stopped in Flagstaff on his JACKI LENNERS 2008 Route 66 road trip, Trerattanapun closed his doors early and created a spe- NIPON “PAUL” TRERATTANAPUN HAILS It wasn’t until he opened a Thai restau- cial off-menu vegetarian feast for McCart- from Thailand and owns Pato Thai Cui- rant in Southern California that he real- ney and his now-wife, Nancy Shevell. A sine in Flagstaff. But don’t expect him ized his limitations. small photo of McCartney with the Pato to regale you with tales of growing up in “Hey, the owner doesn’t know much staff, a permanent reminder of an unfor- Desert Bighorn Sheep the kitchen and treasured family recipes. about Thai food,” Trerattanapun over- gettable evening, is displayed above the Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) can be found in mountainous areas When he took ownership of his first heard in the kitchen. Afraid of what cash register. across the Southwest. They prefer desert habitats that include steep ledges and restaurant 20 years ago, Trerattanapun would happen if the kitchen staff walked Rock-star status is not required to grassy basins, although this young one seems drawn to the turquoise water of found himself balancing spreadsheets out, he headed back to Thailand for a dine at Pato, but the bold and spicy fla- Havasu Canyon. Desert bighorns have a plant-based diet and feed on a variety more than flavors — he left the back-of- three-month culinary crash course. vors will make even the tone-deaf sing of grasses, weeds and cactuses. — Brianna Cossavella the-house work to culinary professionals. When he opened Pato eight years ago with gastronomic joy.

FLAGSTAFF Pato Thai Cuisine, 104 N. San Francisco Street, 928-213-1825, www.patothai.com

12 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN BURCHAM PHOTOGRAPH BY AMY S. MARTIN www.arizonahighways.com 13 J lodging

the digital world. And that’s a wonderful thing. Mike and Karen Muench bought the property, which once was part of an 80-acre homestead, in the 1990s. They built the house in the early 2000s and opened it as a B&B in 2004. Mike worked for the city of Phoenix until 2010. Now retired, he and Karen live at Up the Creek and operate the B&B with Mike’s sister, Sue Roberts. “We hope our guests feel that this is more than just a B&B,” Mike says. “It’s a place to unwind from the pace of the big city, to relax and to enjoy the peace and beauty of the area.” Typically, three rooms are available for rent. For single guests and couples, the Sunny Cottage and Sunset Glow rooms each offer a king bed and a private bath- room. Larger groups often spring for the Misty Morn Suite, which includes a sit- ting room with a sleeper sofa and a bay window overlooking the Tonto National Forest. The suite’s bedroom features a private balcony, ideal for stargazing far away from city lights. That’s not to say you should stay in your room — the hosts encourage their guests to explore the whole house, including the sunroom, the hydrotherapy spa and the backyard sitting areas. Two large and friendly dogs, Ridge and Nana, are happy to keep you company wherever you sit. Off the property, there are ample hik- ing opportunities, including the trail to Fossil Creek just to the west. To the east is the Strawberry Schoolhouse, con- sidered the oldest school still standing in Arizona. But if you’re heading out to explore, don’t leave without a homemade Up the Creek B&B breakfast — on a recent morning, it fea- tured fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, ham No cell service, no landlines, no TVs ... if you’re trying to get off the grid, with grilled pineapple, sweet potatoes there’s no reason not to head for this first-class B&B on the Mogollon Rim. and Irish soda bread. Whatever you do during your stay, NOAH AUSTIN you’ll be amazed at how quiet the place is without the hum of digital devices. LET’S GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY: You want 4G service? Try No-G. There’s Maybe that’s part of the reason Up the At Up the Creek Bed and Breakfast in the no cell reception. No landlines, TVs or Creek, in addition to being a first-class Mogollon Rim town of Strawberry, your computers in the guest rooms, either. In B&B, has become a popular wedding des- smartphone will be good for checking the short, your stay at this charming B&B tination — there’s no chance of a ringing time, making photos … and that’s about it. includes a complete lack of connection to cellphone interrupting the ceremony.

STRAWBERRY Up the Creek Bed and Breakfast, 10491 Fossil Creek Road, 928-476-6571, www.upthecreekbedandbreakfast.com

14 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK BEREZENKO Mogollon Opener 0716 r.

THE RIM “Mountain, forest, valley and streams are blended in one harmonious whole.” That’s how Captain George M. Wheeler described the Mogollon Rim in the late 1800s. Although time has brought a few roads and campgrounds, the allure of the Rim remains the same, especially in the summer, when outdoor enthusiasts need a dose of Mother Nature.

Edited by Robert Stieve

“Mountain, forest, valley and streams are blended in one harmonious whole.” That’s how Captain George M. Wheeler described the Mogollon Rim in the late 1800s. Although time has brought a few roads RIM COUNTRYand campgrounds, the allure of the Rim remains the same, especially in the summer, when outdoors enthusiasts need a dose of Mother Nature.

A late-autumn fog shrouds cypresses, piñon pines and ponderosa pines along a creek EDITED BY ROBERT STIEVE below the Mogollon Rim. Nick Berezenko

16 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 17 A PORTFOLIO

he Mogollon Rim runs generally from northwest to southeast — with extreme local variations — across approximately the eastern two thirds of Arizona and one third of the way down from the northern boundary of the state. It is the Texposed lower edge of the great Colo- rado Plateau and is the result of titanic upheavals of the Earth’s crust during the late Mesozoic times, which raised the plateau and caused the land to the south to drop. The Mesozoic Age was that of dino- saurs, of marine and flying reptiles and of armored fishes. In those times, mil- lions of years ago, huge swamp forests covered large areas of what is now the plateau, and relics of them are found today in the dinosaur tracks, the petri- fied forests and the great beds of coal and pools of natural gas and oil found above the Rim in Navajo country and the Four Corners area. The section of the Rim above the Pay- son country frequently is referred to as the Tonto Rim, a name popularized by Zane Grey in his book Under the Tonto Rim. This name derives from the name misapplied to a tribe of the Apache nation that roamed the area when the American first arrived. It was misap- plied, for the word “tonto” in Spanish

Sunset lends its glow to ponderosa trunks at a vista near Kehl Springs Campground off Forest Road 300 — also known as the Rim Road. Joel Hazelton

18 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 19 means foolish, and the Tonto Apaches were any- battlements of some gigantic fortress dominates the thing but fools. entire Payson country. No matter how dense the A singular feature of the Rim is that it affords the forest, how abrupt the nearby mountain, always world’s best view of the world’s largest pure stand there is the Rim, visible just around the next turn of ponderosa pine, the vast forest that follows the and felt like almost palpable presence even when course of the Rim across Arizona into New Mexico. not seen. The average elevation of the top of the Rim is From a little distance it appears to be a sheer and approximately 7,000 feet, with its highest point in solid wall of rock, impassible and impenetrable. In the Payson country Baker Butte, due north of Pay- the diurnal kaleidoscope of light and shadow its son and a little east of Strawberry, at 8,076 feet. moods run the gamut from serene to sullen, from A towering escarpment rising like the mighty protective to ominous, from pastoral to Wagnerian. But it is always there, the immutable, fixed fact that finally become the refer- ence point of life in the Payson country. Upon closer approach the Rim becomes suddenly three dimensional. Sharp foothills pile atop one another so loosely it is always a surprise to find another behind the first. Between them and sometimes on their tops are occa- sional little mountain meadows; and often their feet fall off precipitously into deep and rugged gorges. From this vantage point it becomes apparent the face of the Rim is broken by scores of canyons that make its upper edge almost sawtoothed. Each canyon has a distinct personality. One will be steep and narrow, another wide with walls not so sheer. One will be choked with vegetation, another bright with light colored, bare rock. Some are straight and open, others twisting and writhing. Some say welcome; others say keep out. Even the exposed bare rock on the uppermost reaches of the cliff faces var- ies. In spots it is vertically corrugated, dark brown stone, elsewhere horizon- tally striated layers of sedimentary rock ranging from mauve to pink to deep rose. Always it is massive, always solid, always there.

— Edward H. Peplow Jr., originally published in the April 1966 issue of Arizona Highways

LEFT: Woods’ roses (Rosa woodsii) greet the sunrise at Woods Canyon Lake. The lake is a popular hiking and fishing destination, as well as a spring and summer breeding ground for bald eagles. Nick Berezenko RIGHT: Haigler Creek cascades over rocks and feeds a lush riparian area in the Hellsgate Wilderness east of Payson. Joel Hazelton

20 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 21 “Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” — George Washington Carver

“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” — George Washington Carver

The calm water of Bear Canyon Lake northeast of Payson reflects surrounding pine trees and the hues of sunrise. Nick Berezenko

22 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 23 Description: Sunrise on Woods Canyon Lake, Mogollon Rim. Photo by: David Muench. D_071624A.tif.

NEED HR

LEFT: Mist combines with sunlight to bring an eerie feel to Woods Canyon Lake. David Muench ABOVE: Lichen grows on boulders amid ferns and tall pines along the Highline Trail, a section of the Arizona Trail, north of Payson. Randy Prentice

24 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 25 Sandstone ramparts catch the light of sunrise near the Mogollon Rim’s Hi View Point. In the distance are the Mazatzal Mountains. Nick Berezenko

Sandstone ramparts catch the light of sunrise near the Mogollon Rim’s Hi View Point. In the distance are the Mazatzal Mountains. Nick Berezenko

26 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 27 State University. The more WHEN YOU GO than 80 rooms in the ruins housed Native populations between A.D. 1000 and 1250. The site, which is listed on the A RIM COUNTRY ALMANAC National Register of Historic Places, can be accessed via Family feuds, scattered “diamonds,” death-defying lions and a miscellany of other Houston Mesa Road north of information that may or may not be of interest as you make your way to Rim Country. Payson. BY EMILY LIERLE Fossil Creek Fossil Creek, west of Pine and Strawberry, flows from its headwaters on The Rim south to the Verde River. Al Fulton Point which sits at an elevation ing to the legend, Fulton Forest Road 64 (Control Road). Early explorers noticed that Located at the top of The of 7,529 feet. It’s named for and his brother had driven Turn left (west) onto FR 64 the creek, saturated with Rim, about 30 miles north- a man who, the story goes, their flocks of sheep through and continue 4 miles to Forest travertine minerals, creates east of Payson off State was murdered in 1888 by Wilford Scarlet’s cattle range, Road 65. Turn left (south) onto “petrifications” — objects, Route 260, is Al Fulton Point, an angry rancher. Accord- and Scarlet ran the sheep FR 65 and continue 4 miles such as rocks and twigs, that toward a sinkhole. Fulton fell to Diamond Point, which fea- resemble fossils but instead Al Fulton Point, atop off his horse and was killed. tures spectacular vistas have a travertine coating. the Mogollon Rim, offers There’s a modest tombstone of Rim Country. Also along expansive views to the marking his grave today, FR 65 is the Diamond Rim south. Nick Berezenko Gila County and it once read: “Al Fulton, Quartz Crystal Collection Site. The Payson area became Murdered 1888.” It later was part of Gila County in 1890, Campers relax at a campground along Tonto Creek in this undated Josef changed to “Al Fulton, Shot but there were no jails in the Muench photo. Northern Arizona University Cline Library 1901” — perhaps to mask the area for several years. So, possibility that Fulton was when a criminal awaited became a state, Mogollon scenery was wild and grand; wrongfully hanged. By the transport to the county jail in was appointed to oversee in fact, beyond all that I had way, the Mogollon Rim Visitor Globe, he or she was chained the province. In addition to ever dreamed of; more than Center is located at Al Fulton to an oak tree on Main Street. The Rim, the New Mexico that, it seemed so untrod, so Point. ghost town of Mogollon fresh, somehow, and I do not Leo the Lion and that state’s Mogollon suppose that even now, in Beeline Highway In September 1927, the Mountains are named after the day of railroads and tour- State Route 87 connects Pay- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion, Mogollon. ists, many people have had son and the rest of Rim Coun- Leo, was en route to New The pronunciation of the view of the Tonto Basin try to metropolitan Phoenix. York from California when the “Mogollon” has long been which we had one day from crest of the Mogollon Rim. He Its predecessor was the Bush plane carrying him crashed fodder for contention. Out- the top of the Mogollon range. called it “a strange upheaval, Highway, built in the 1930s — on the Mogollon Rim about of-towners often pronounce I remember thinking, as we a strange freak of nature, a part of that road is still in use 60 miles north of Roosevelt it “moe-gi-yon,” but locals alighted from our [military mountain canted up on one A wall of an ancient dwelling stands today. On that road, the trip at Shoofly Village. Nick Berezenko Lake. Luckily, Leo was con- insist on “muggy-on” or wagons] and stood looking side.” from the Valley of the Sun to tained in a specially designed “muggy-own.” over into the Basin, ‘Surely I Senator Barry Goldwater Payson was a nine-hour drive. Early Settlers steel cage encased in glass, One of the first adventur- have never seen anything to authored an ode to The Rim The stretch of SR 87 that The Mogollon people arrived and cowboys rescued the cat ers along the Mogollon Rim compare with this — but oh! in the foreword of the 1984 replaced the Bush Highway in Arizona from New Mexico from the wreckage after pilot was six months pregnant. would any sane human being book Rim Country History: is a much more direct route, around 300 B.C. By A.D. 1500, Martin Jensen sought help at Martha Summerhayes trav- voluntarily go through with “The Mogollon Rim is some- hence its nickname: the Bee- their culture had merged Apache Lodge. eled in a military wagon with what I have endured on this thing that every Arizonan line Highway. with the Hohokams and the her husband, a soldier, from journey, in order to look upon lives with and loves, as well Ancestral Puebloans. Rim Mogollon Rim Fort Mojave on the Colorado this wonderful scene?’ ” as jealously protects the Diamond Point Country later was inhabited The Mogollon Rim takes River to Prescott in 1872. The Mogollon Rim extends pronunciation of that word. About 8 miles south of The by the Apache people, and its name from Juan Ignacio They continued 150 more from northern Yavapai Many times I have been in Rim is a place called Diamond today, several Apache tribes Flores Mogollon, the former miles to Fort Apache. In 1908, County southeast to near the airplanes and the Captain, Point, which is named for the call the area home. governor of Santa Fe de Summerhayes authored New Mexico border. attempting to explain the naturally faceted quartz crys- The Shoofly Village Nuevo México, a province of a book, Vanished Arizona, Captain John Bourke, who ground we were flying over, tals scattered in the vicinity. ruins, located just outside of New Spain and later a ter- about her travels as an Army fought Apaches under the would pronounce the name From Payson, go northeast on Payson, were excavated by ritory of Mexico. In the early wife. Of her Mogollon Rim command of General George exactly like it looks in print. State Route 260 for 14 miles to archaeologists from Arizona 18th century, before Arizona experience, she wrote: “The Crook, once negotiated the Then, I would have to go up

28 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 29 For more information, visit www.azgfd.gov. Tonto Natural Bridge Scientists believe it took thousands of years for Pine Creek to deposit and carve the travertine that makes up Tonto Natural Bridge, which is thought to be the world’s largest natural travertine bridge. The landmark, locat- ed between Payson and Pine, is 183 feet high and forms a 400-foot-long tunnel. It’s operated as a state park today. For more information, The rolling terrain of Rim Country nestles the small town of Strawberry. Nick Berezenko visit www.azstateparks.com/ parks/tona. forward to tell him, ‘No, it’s fame by recounting a conver- a warrant. Scott and Wilson plants are the ancestors of Mogollon,’ which confuses sation with an out-of-town had spent the night at Stott’s today’s elk population, which The Tunnel him to no end. … As I have friend. She asked, “What is ranch and were also cap- has grown to nearly 35,000 In 1883, the Arizona Mineral observed in my life, it is a a ‘pure air ozone belt?’ ” The tured before the three were in Arizona. Belt Railroad, seeking a route most unusual place because, writer answered, “Nobody hanged on a large ponderosa for transporting silver ore there it is, everybody can see knows, and that’s the beauty pine. Their gravestones can Strawberry between Globe and Flagstaff, it, and it just sits there for Ari- of it.” (Payson’s air is very be found along the Hangman Strawberry, located 20 miles attempted to drill a railroad zonans to be proud of and to clean, though.) Trail north of Forest Road 300. north of Payson at the base tunnel through the Mogol- be glad that God put it there To learn more about of the Mogollon Rim, is home lon Rim. It carved out only for all of us to use and enjoy.” Payson, visit www.payson to what’s known as Arizona’s 70 of the desired 3,100 feet rimcountry.com. oldest standing schoolhouse. before abandoning the idea, Payson The Strawberry Schoolhouse as finances and geography At the heart of the 200-mile Pleasant Valley opened in 1886. Today, it’s proved unforgiving. Hikers stretch that makes up the Phoenix Park, a large open to the public from can still find the tunnel at the Mogollon Rim lies Payson, meadow near Heber, has mid-May to mid-October, end of a short but grueling which was named by one a connection to one of Ari- but only on certain days. For trail off of Forest Road 300.

publication as one of the zona’s most violent frontier more information, visit www. Water cascades over three healthiest places on conflicts. James Stinson ran strawberryschool.org. Zane Grey rocks along Pine Creek the planet in which to retire. cattle on that patch of land in Famed Western author Zane near Tonto Natural Bridge. Randy Prentice Payson, formerly known as the late 1800s before moving Tonto Creek Grey loved Rim Country so Green Valley, adopted its cur- his herd south to the lush Fish Hatchery much, he built himself a rent name from the man who grasslands of Pleasant Valley. The Tonto Creek Fish cabin on it in the 1920s near the Tonto Basin, so the writer related story, page 34). in June 1990, and a replica

helped the town acquire a Before long, members of Elk thrive in Rim Country. Hatchery, stationed in the present-day Kohls Ranch. His didn’t have to look far to find Grey’s cabin succumbed now stands in Green Valley post office: Lewis Edwin Pay- the Graham and Tewksbury Bruce D. Taubert Tonto National Forest at an porch sat on a lip overlooking inspiration for his ink (see to the weeklong Dude Fire Park in Payson. It’s operated son, a member of the Illinois families were accused of elevation of 6,500 feet, has by the Northern Gila County House of Representatives. rustling cattle from Stin- Rocky Mountain Elk been in operation since 1937 Historical Society. For more Payson is known for its son’s ranch. Eventually, the Parts of Rim Country are and was damaged by the information, visit www.rim clean air, and the town likes to families turned on each other habitats for elk — but these 1990 Dude Fire, which also countrymuseums.com. boast that it’s located in one in a prolonged, bloody feud — elk aren’t native to the area. claimed writer Zane Grey’s In 1929, Grey invited of three “pure air ozone belts” known today as the Pleasant Between 1913 and 1928, cabin. One building crumbled friends to his cabin for some in the world. That appears to Valley War — that left both about 250 Rocky Mountain and the watershed sustained offseason hunting. The Ari- be a tall tale: Brian Klimowski, families decimated. elk were transplanted here damage, but the hatchery zona Game and Fish Depart- a National Weather Service James Scott, Jamie Stott from Yellowstone National recovered, and every year ment denied him special meteorologist, says he’s never and Billy Wilson fell victim to Park. The relocation came it produces rainbow trout, treatment, stating that the heard of, and can’t find any corruption in Pleasant Valley after the Merriam’s elk, brook trout and Apache author wasn’t exempt from official documentation of, in 1888. Stott was arrested Arizona’s native elk species, trout (Arizona’s state fish) to observing the approved hunt- the phenomenon. In 2003, a on suspicion of horse theft disappeared as humans stock the state’s waterways. ing dates. Incensed, Grey left

Payson Roundup writer made by Deputy Sheriff J.D. Houck, occupied the area during It’s operated by the Arizona Kohls Ranch has been a Rim Country destination for decades. This Josef Muench shot Arizona and swore he’d never light of the town’s claim to who allegedly arrived without frontier times. Those trans- Game and Fish Department. was probably made in the 1950s. Northern Arizona University Cline Library return. And he never did.

30 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 31 AN ESSAY

CABIN LOOP

BY KELLY VAUGHN

ate last summer, I found the remnant feathers of a Stell- Mathematical Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences, in 1638. er’s jay scattered beneath some scrubby bush along the Since, biologists have determined that bone weight and den- Barbershop Trail. Whatever beast or bigger bird had sity are factors in what they call the metabolic cost of flight. In snacked on the jay had swallowed its bones, too, leav- other words, the lighter the bones, the easier it is for the bird ing only the pink-stained memory of wings and flight. to take wing. For backpackers, the same could be said — the Of all the non-raptors in Arizona, the jays are my favor- lighter, the better, the faster. ites. I’ll catch a flash of blue somewhere Sometimes I wonder if that could also be true of people and in my periphery and know that one is near. the bones of their experiences. Maybe if we could find a way Then, the high-pitched, staccato call, the full reveal and the to hollow out the memories of hard and hurtful things, we’d memory of some long-ago Mark Twain quote: “You never saw a travel a little lighter, too. Lbluejay get stuck for a word. He is a vocabularized geyser.” We planned for cold weather, but we hadn’t expected what You’ll find the jays and their funny songs during all seasons we saw as we turned onto Forest Road 300 — snowbanks. along the trail, just one of four that comprise the Cabin Loop More layers. Thicker socks. Trail System on the Mogollon Rim. Named for the earliest Where the ferns were months earlier, we found broken network of fire-guard cabins in the area — General Springs, stalks and the wet, brown skeletons of those summer wild- Pinchot and Buck Springs — the trails are manageable in seg- flowers. The trees, of course, were bare. Pinchot Cabin, ments or as a multi-day backpack. We didn’t make it to the end of the Barbershop Trail before built as part of an early network of Barbershop was my first introduction to Cabin Loop, and we knew we’d need to find a place to camp. It came at the top fire-guard cabins on the late-summer day that those feathers found their resting of a small incline, tucked between lungs of maples and pines. in Mogollon Rim place, my partner, Todd, his dog and I walked through fields I backtracked to a small creek to gather water and filter it, my Country, is a of ferns and yellow flowers, their black faces turned toward a fingers so cold I had to thaw them for a half-hour by the camp- highlight of the Cabin Loop Trail. sun that had ducked behind a swell of storm clouds. We were fire before I could move them enough to cook my meal. Joel Hazelton a fast-moving pack, racing the rain. The night was cold, and without the Rottie, I Pinchot Cabin, A family of elk, including a gangly baby, darted from the think my toes might have frozen, too. But she lay built as part of an woods and across an open meadow. The dog, a Rottweiler as on me like a bear rug, and we were both OK come early network of fire-guard cabins big as me, hesitated for only a second, then tried to take off after morning. in Mogollon Rim them. But her leash got shorter and the elk were faster, the thud A long, slow walk along the U-Bar Trail the Country, is a of their hooves fading into the roll of not-so-far-off thunder. The next day wore us down by late afternoon, and we highlight of the Cabin Loop Trail. Rottie found a trickling creek and splashed awhile, drying her- found a place to camp that was sheltered from Joel Hazelton self by rolling in the tall grass that flanked it. wind that cut viciously through the canyon. We When, finally, we reached Buck Springs Cabin, the turn- were perched atop a hill that overlooked Pinchot Cabin and around point of the day hike, the monsoon storm had started. slept the way people do when their bodies are tired and their We took shelter on the cool cement porch of one of the build- brains are awake for the sound of animals and the sun break- ings and listened to fat drops of rain hit the metal roof like a ing over the eastern horizon. million falling stars. Then, just as the elk had appeared and The next morning, we cleared camp early, made photos and disappeared again, the storm stopped. So we made the turn gathered water near the cabin, and connected to the Houston back toward the trailhead and home. Brothers Trail for the last leg of the loop. The woods were still, and the tracks of deer, raccoons WE DROVE BACK to the Barbershop Trailhead three and squirrels lingered in the snow. I had hoped for a bear. months later. This time, we planned to complete the eastern None. But then, in my periphery and against a sky that looked portion of Cabin Loop, a roughly 17-mile combination of the brighter blue because of that white ground, a flash, a sound Barbershop, U-Bar and Houston Brothers trails. Todd’s brother- and a hollow-boned jay. He danced from branch to branch, in-law, Adam, joined us from Lenexa, Kansas, and had spent then darted deeper into the woods, alive and loud and light. hours the night before carefully loading his backpack. For more information about the Cabin Loop Trail System, call the Coconino National Galileo was the first to describe the bones of birds as hol- Forest’s Mogollon Rim Ranger District at 928-477-2255 or visit www.fs.usda.gov/ low. He published the idea in his final book, The Discourses and coconino.

32 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 33 FROM OUR ARCHIVES Originally published in April 1966

THE LEGEND OF PEARL GREY

BY EDWARD H. PEPLOW JR.

e blacked the eye of more than one eye, and exceptionally fast of hand. A real devotee of physical books have sold some 30,000,000 contemporary who reminded him of fitness, he stood five feet eight and kept himself at a trim 150 copies in the United States and it; but the fact remains that the name pounds until he died. Dark-haired and lean, he put something nearly 4,000,000 copies in foreign with which he was christened was of himself into each of his heroes. lands. Pearl. Equally unlikely but true is the Success as a writer did not come easily. His initial effort, Jim Perhaps Grey was not a true fact that he received his higher educa- of the Caves, written while he was a youngster, engaged in a classicist. Perhaps, as current crit- tion in dentistry, taking his degree from variety of Robin Hood-like escapades, never found a publisher. ics charge, his works are escapist, the University of Pennsylvania in 1896. More discouraging, neither did the first four works he under- sensational, populated by stereo- Zane Grey’s cabin featured expansive views to the south, as captured in this Josef Muench photo. The cabin burned in the 1990 Dude Fire, but a replica was built in Payson. Northern Arizona University Cline Library That was exactly a century after his mother’s ancestor, a took as a half-hearted young dentist. The first three were his- typed characters, and full of an soldier in the Revolutionary War, was given a grant of land in torical novels, the fourth a biography of Col. C.J. (Buffalo) Jones. uncritical worship of strength. HOhio where a prosperous city stands today. Evidently Ebene- The latter attempt, however, was the springboard to Grey’s Nevertheless, they reflect the author’s sincerity and enthusi- warm family life he enjoyed with his wife, his daughter, Betty zer Zane, for whom Zanesville was named, was a progenitor success. Jones induced Grey to travel to Arizona to gather asm. He does achieve what he himself set as his goal, the cap- Zane, and his two sons, Romer Zane and Loren. of vigor, for not only did the material and background. turing of “… the spirit, not the letter of life.” To Zane Grey, the fact that his books sold so well and made city choose to bear his name; Ironically, today it is the biog- Few can deny he succeeded in capturing the spirit of the old him rich was a source of gratification, for it enabled him to so also did the vigorous young rapher and not the subject who West. Historians criticize the accuracy of detail in To the Last lead the kind of life he enjoyed, roaming where the whim dentist, whose writings first is remembered. Grey returned Man, his account of the Pleasant Valley war which took place called and then returning to the mammoth studio in his Span- focused worldwide popular from the trip convinced that in the Payson country. Defenders answer, reasonably, that ish-style home in Altadena, California, where he spent almost attention on what frequently the West and its people were Grey was writing not as a historian but as a romantic novelist. every spring writing. today is called the Zane Grey the ingredients of which lit- Besides which, defenders and historians agree, no one since But to Zane Grey, admittedly a bit of an egocentric, per- country, referred to in [the erary romances were made. has fully unraveled that complex tale of feuding frontier life. haps the greatest satisfaction of success was that he became April 1966] issue as the Payson They were, to him, the perfect Oldtimers in the Payson country — and in the Oak Creek virtually a legend in his own time. Accounts of his personal country. means to articulate his dreams area — will disagree about Zane Grey as a person. A great adventures added to the charm of his books, and together they Zane Grey’s book, Under the of daring and heroism pitted many claim to have known him personally (most of them as combined to fascinate a nation. Harsh as some critics were to Tonto Rim, is largely responsible against untrammeled nature. youngsters). Some say he was an egocentric, a dude. They say his work, they at least had to admit that he had given the old for the substitution of “Tonto” The direct result of Grey’s he wasn’t nearly as good a hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman dime novel a distinctly twentieth century expression and that for “Mogollon” in referring to first Arizona trip and the as he thought himself. his epics, crude as some called them, approached an American the Rim. Indeed, his works, consequent Jones biography His personal defenders point to him as an early-day saga. as much as anyone’s, made was the author’s meeting with Hemingway. Grey did win a number of world records in salt- A less critical public devoured his works and turned west- America conscious of Arizona Ripley Hitchcock of Harper water fishing, and he did bag trophy game. He did zestfully ward in imagination toward Arizona and the marvelous and the West, of the cowboys, and Bros. publishing house. roam far in search of adventure to the South Seas, the Rogue Mogollon (Tonto) Rim. And certainly every American girl the Indians and the gunfight- Hitchcock saw the young den- River country, to Catalina Island, throughout the United States. knew what Grey was talking about when his heroine in Riders ers, of the shimmering deserts tist’s potential as a writer, and Yet always his first love called him back to Arizona, to Oak of the Purple Sage gazed out across the desert and prayed that and the rugged mountains that was soon responsible for the Creek and, especially, to the Payson country. He had a cabin on “… out of those lovely purple reaches ... might ride a fearless have captured so universally publication of five Grey books. Oak Creek, but he had a refuge, a lodge, near Payson. No one man, neither need-bound nor creed-mad.” the imagination of the movie- The first of these was The Heri- can prove how much of his literary production and inspiration Many a maiden heart breathed a fervent “amen” to that going, TV-watching world. tage of the Desert, a romance of came in and from the latter. His retreat there has recently been prayer, even while her hometown beau was, in his own mind, Born January 31, 1872, young the Mormon country, in 1910, restored and turned into a sort of museum. [The cabin was a rider of the purple sage under the Tonto Rim, battling the Pearl literally fought his way which was a success. later burned in the 1990 Dude Fire.] thundering herd to the last man. to acceptance as Zane Grey. Instant best-seller status, Stevenson, Kipling, Poe and Hugo were the models he took Indeed, it wouldn’t be surprising if more than one of the Any youngster foolish enough dream of every would-be writer, for his writing, and he said he knew “by heart” Tennyson, thousands who visit Arizona’s Zane Grey land today are to tease him about his name was achieved in 1912 by Grey’s Wordsworth and Matthew Arnold. Consistent in this frame of secretly keeping these same dreams alive. In fact, it would be had to be man enough to whip Riders of the Purple Sage. After reference were his religious beliefs — nonsectarian and pro- surprising if they weren’t, for it is awfully easy to dream big,

Zane — and few were. Zane Author Zane Grey rides a horse named Don Carlos in Mogollon Rim that, success was so regular fessing strongly the spirituality of nature and man and a dedi- adventurous, sentimental dreams in the Payson country. It’s was a natural athlete, keen of Country in an undated photo. Courtesy of Ohio History Connection that, to date, his seventy-eight cation to the simple virtues. These beliefs were reflected in the that romantic kind of country.

34 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 35 IT’S A HARD RAIN Although it begins as an innocent cloud in a clear blue sky, El Nubé, as it’s known, can turn deadly when it fills with water, grows an angry white tail and dumps millions of gallons of rain onto the desert floor. It can happen in a matter of minutes, causing floods, wreaking havoc and leaving locals with a reverential respect mixed with fear and wonder. ------AN ESSAY BY TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS AND BROOKE WILLIAMS

A sudden spring storm looms over the sandstone formations of White Pocket, part of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument north of the Grand Canyon. Suzanne Mathia

36 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 37 A YOUNG MAN POINTS SOUTH TOWARD the only cloud floating in a down the arroyo as it bends around our house. It Rain fills the sky over the deep blue October sky. We are part of a group of six with reservations to passes through a deep canyon (getting deeper with red-rock formations of the hike through Upper Antelope Canyon, east of Page, Arizona. We know each flood), gushing beneath our road through Sedona area near sunset. that cloud. We call it El Nubé. El Nubé comes to the desert valley we call a culvert. Where the arroyo curves, the water Mark Frank home, softly, innocently. We are not fooled. It can change quickly, and sometimes jumps its banks and spreads out into a havoc results. broad sheet, like a moving mirror reflecting the sky. “If it moves over there,” our guide from Navajo Country says, making a When it has run its course, the roads of our valley quarter-turn to his right, “a flood will come.” The innocent cloud we call are covered in deep red mud. AEl Nubé expands as it fills with water. It grows a white tail and turns gray, “Do you want those giant boulders moved from and into a killer. your driveway?” our neighbor who grades the We ask the young man, whose name is Robert, how he knows that the roads asks. fate of French tourists killed when they were flushed by a massive flood El Nubé has paid our quiet valley a visit. into this same canyon a decade before will not be our fate. Late one day we watched El Nubé come into He says he has always watched that cloud and that the People know. He our valley. Warning calls came from people living means his “People” the Diné, or Navajo, at home in the Four Corners. closest to the storm. We waited. We watched El In the fall, where we live, El Nubé has been known to drop through Nubé’s leg touch the ground. Half an hour. Forty- the gray, quilt-like ceiling after soft, female rain has been falling for a few five minutes. Another call came from a neighbor hours. El Nubé, having grown heavy with water absorbed from the greater up-valley. “Get ready, here it comes,” as if anything storm, hovers in the south end of the valley. The leg it grows is actually a that hadn’t already been done (shoring up one tube joining it with an acre of ground. broken berm, digging a trench to channel escaped Whether or not clouds are long-lived, purposed and migratory, we water back into the aorta) could be done. We went can’t say for sure. What we do know is that during the many hours we’ve out on the porch and listened. spent mapping clouds, while many may simply move beyond our ability to First, the flash of lightning through pelting rain, observe them, others continually appear and disappear, absorbed into a followed by thunder, prolonged and distant and different dimension. Whether or not they reappear later in someone else’s deep, as if it had eaten its own echo. The flood came closer, forcing air ahead of it, creating thick wind. Then came the smell, organic and foreign, when a deep part of the Earth was being exposed If objects can be animate or inanimate, what all for the first time. The flood hissed as dry clay soaked in water. And up through our legs we felt desert dwellers understand is that clouds are the sound of gnashing, scraping and cracking rocks crashing together in the bottom of the arroyo. On one side of us, the flood thundered by in dark- alive to anyone who spends time watching them. ness. On the other, the rain-filtered light from the nearly full moon struck the black rim of the arroyo, exposing silhouettes of mature juniper trees, flood- torn and horizontal, moving by like a flotilla of ---- black boats with both roots and limbs as sails. sky is the knowledge of eagles. If objects can be animate or inanimate, This must be the desert storm for which wars what all desert dwellers understand is that clouds are alive to anyone who are named. spends time watching them. Standing there, the “awe” we felt overwhelmed Technically, El Nubé is the key element in a “microburst” storm. The both fear and concern over whether the flood “leg” is actually a rain shaft, which falls rabidly, opens and releases mil- would breach the dike built to retain it long before lions of gallons of water, accelerated by high winds, onto the ground. This our house was built. The words “awesome” and occurs after dry air mixes with raindrops inside El Nubé, causing the “awful” are both rooted in “awe.” “Awesome” is raindrops to evaporate, lowering the temperature. Cooler air is denser and overused these days and can refer to anything sinks through El Nubé, gaining speed as it falls. noteworthy with at least some “awe.” Global warming increases the intensity of these storms and the floods The word “awful” confuses us. “Awe,” by that come from them — as the climate warms, the atmosphere absorbs definition, is “an overwhelming feeling of rever- more water. One degree in temperature rise means 4 percent more water ence, admiration or fear,” suggesting that perhaps in El Nubé. whoever first coined the word “awful” about a As if part of some invisible, impossible-to-understand phenomenon to thousand years ago had only terrible, fearful expe- force water into the farthest reaches of our valley, El Nubé perches above riences that were full of “awe.” the main arterial gulch, ominous, imposing. We’ve personally experienced El Nubé and the We watch this cloud, El Nubé. floods it brings multiple times — three in one Everyone in our valley watches El Nubé. year. We’ve paid thousands of dollars to have dirt When it strikes, El Nubé opens like a vein. Massive rock- and weed- and moved into berms to guide the flow as it rushes wood-filled waters pulse through our valley, flooding, widening, roaring into the valley south of our house. Every few years,

38 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 39 we set fire to a massive plug of tumbleweeds the wind has A wide cloud releases a packed into our arroyo, call it the artery, the aorta, the main thin shaft of precipitation channel, removing any possibility of increasing the impact of over Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border. the flood when El Nubé comes. Paul Gill And it will always come. To our knowledge, El Nubé’s floods have killed no one in our valley. We are lucky. The deadly flood in Antelope Can- yon was one of five floods in August and September 1997 that proved once again wild waters can be fatal. El Nubé went on a rampage during a five-week period, killing 22 people. Those who survived those floods were permanently changed. The power of nature is not an abstraction, but a reckoning. These events are dramatically described by Craig Childs in his book The Desert Cries: A Season of Flash Floods in a Dry Land.

Illegal migrants from Mexico were swept through a storm drain while crossing the border. Eleven hikers perished as a wall of water plunged through a majestic slot canyon, leaving only their guide alive. More vanished in a flood down Phan- tom Canyon in the Grand Canyon. Surrounding these deadly floods came still more where, mirac- ulously, no one was killed. At 90 miles per hour a passenger train plunged into a flooding arroyo near Kingman, Arizona. Two hundred people fled to safety as the Grand Canyon’s Havasu Canyon flooded, exploding rafts and kayaks out of its mouth into the Colorado River.

Childs makes numerous mentions of clouds — cumulonim- bus clouds, murky clouds, convulsions of clouds. The billowing heads of clouds. He does not speak of El Nubé. What does El Nubé tell us? One day, El Nubé appeared in its traditional place in the south end of the valley. We walked out into the desert to watch. El Nubé’s leg was wider than we remembered. The wind was powerful and smelled like dirt. Without our know- ing, Rio, our Basenji, had crossed the dry arroyo on his way to the wild areas beyond. El Nubé began to rumble, flanked by a rooty-green smell tinged with damp, dry cottonwood leaves. We stood on a mound. We thought we would be safe. To the west, a dust cloud appeared as the flood flowed into view. It was hard not to panic as the flood-head roared past us, and then, we realized Rio was gone. Fear replaced panic until we saw him stranded on the other side of the arroyo, the flood above the Grand Canyon. With each rainstorm our Canyon The floods passed, dropping a frightening amount of water. We its twists and recent turns, was gone. The Phoenix stone, the Flagstaff thundering between us. Rio was blessedly on high ground, grew deeper and deeper as it twisted and curved in different wandered into the damp air. The desert came alive. Foam, left and the Tucson stones had been swept away. Gone. Our entire land- quivering, both terrified and mesmerized by the force of what canyons. We imagined life in that Canyon — trees and grasses, by the flood, appeared as lace. Tall dry grasses, those bent but scape had disappeared. In its place, the latest incarnation of El Nubé passed beneath him. We lived with Rio for 15 years and that deer and herons and warm-water fish. In our minds, we saw not broken, slowly rose as if from a bow. Pools of thick, brown had left a football field of perfect brown silt. was the only time we saw that look in his eyes. people living there, hunting and farming along the banks water trapped by the flood dotted the landscape like dirty In a world of increasing unpredictability, where global warming is On the far edge of the arroyo, wind and rain had layered of that red river. We watched tributaries form. The degree mirrors. Sage and thick junipers stout enough to stay anchored now recognized as local warming and climate change isn’t something sand and silt to form a perfectly flat, table-sized area. One day of change with each storm was marvelous. Our imagination against the flood were strewn across the desert with other relegated to the future, but is right here, right now, even in times of in July as a soft rain fell, we watched a rivulet flow across the developed as the Canyon deepened. After one storm, sites for paralyzed debris. We worried about being sucked permanently drought, El Nubé reminds us the one thing we can hold on to is humil- smooth surface through a notch formed in the edge above the Phoenix and Tucson and Flagstaff appeared and we stacked into the mud before we could reach our tiny diorama of our ity and awe — as we continue to witness, in the desert we call home, main arroyo. The flowing water cut horizontally toward the flat gray stones to represent them. We carved roads into our own Grand Canyon, excited to see how it had further been the true meaning of power. source of the rivulet, and vertically, exposing the different landscape with a sharp stick. And in starlight, stones glistened shaped by the flood. We arrived at the place along the arroyo layers deposited by recent weather. This is the story of the Colo- like city lights. where our micro-Canyon had once spilled into it. Our Canyon EDITOR’S NOTE: Terry Tempest Williams and Brooke Williams live in Castle Valley, Utah, rado Plateau, we thought. We pretended we were flying high Later that summer, El Nubé came to our valley once again. was nowhere to be found. The river with all its tributaries, all where they both write and teach. Rio has passed on.

40 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 41 Out of the

ORDINARYEVEN AT A PLACE LIKE THE GRAND CANYON, WHERE THE PER CAPITA OF OFFBEAT CHAR­ACTERS IS WELL ABOVE AVERAGE, ERIC GUEISSAZ STANDS OUT. NOT ONLY DOES HE LIVE OFF THE GRID IN A HOUSE MADE OF ROCKS, HE LOOKS AS IF HE BELONGS TO ANOTHER TIME — LIKE SOMEONE OUT OF A TINTYPE PORTRAIT.

BY MATT JAFFE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID ZICKL

42 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 43 I haven’t seen Eric Gueissaz in 16 years, but his is a face that you don’t soon forget. With clear blue eyes, Forty years of exploring the Grand an epic nose that knows no end and a bushy, drooping mus- Canyon — “up and over and around,” tache extending across his cheeks, he looks as if he belongs to as he and his friends like to put it — another time — like someone out of a tintype portrait. and the decades-long creation of his Gueissaz is, in fact, a throwback, part of a long tradition of off-the-grid ponderosa pine paradise outsiders — adventurers, artists, rogues and eccentrics — who have given Gueissaz a sincere appre- discovered the Grand Canyon and then made the chasm their ciation of his good fortune and a rare, life’s great passion and cause. Like those who preceded him, often whimsical wisdom: “We all this 75-year-old native of Switzerland and long-distance hiker know the pasture is always greener on would never presume to “know” the Grand Canyon. Instead, the other side of the fence. True! But is he revels in an endless journey of discovery. it edible?” “I look at the Canyon every day, and it’s still almost like see- He’s a pleasure to listen to, thanks ing it the first time I was here,” he says. “People will ask what to a still-rich accent and a lyrical, free- my favorite place is in the Canyon. I don’t have any. Every- form delivery that bobs and weaves, where I go that is a new place is just as important as the place sometimes punctuated with a few that I saw before. The terrain is new. The area is new. You don’t favorite phrases (“So be it” and “There ever ‘know’ it.” you go”) for emphasis, as the conversa- Mike Buchheit, director of the Grand Canyon Association tion ranges from the nature of time to Field Institute, has known Gueissaz for 21 years. “I’d put him up Swiss dairy cows with nary a pause. there with some of the legendary long-distance hikers here,” he “The other day, I was driving the says. “Eric has seen a whole lot of the Canyon and taken some shuttle bus to the North Rim and pretty ambitious and gnarly hikes. But he’s the furthest thing telling the passengers stories about from a self-promoter. Eric is more of a poet-philosopher. If he the Canyon,” he says. “One fella from comes upon some tourists in a chance encounter, he’ll share his Maine says, ‘You know, Eric, I don’t passion and stories and make sure they’re set up for success.” know you. And you don’t know me. But Gueissaz (pronounced “gay-suh”) and I arrange to meet from what you said, you never could Eric Gueissaz has been exploring the Grand Canyon since the 1970s, outside Maswik Lodge, and I quickly spot him, gray ponytail have dreamt all this, could you?’ ‘No,’ and at age 75, he still hikes in the natural wonder for up to 10 days at a time. trailing past his shoulders and arms filled with newspapers for I said. ‘Never. Not in a million years.’ his wife, Susie. She’s hanging out at Highland Mary, the his- And that’s exactly right. To me, it’s toric 1899 mining claim, a few miles from the park boundary, wonderful. Sometimes you get more out of life without expect- When he moved to Highland Mary in 1973, the house was are gravity-fed back to the house. We walk inside, where he where the couple live on the South Rim. ing or planning anything.” little more than a shell, with no electricity, heat or running shows off the greenhouse and its tropical, grotto-like shower. Gueissaz greets me warmly, and we climb into his pickup, water. Originally, only the front and the chimneys were con- Just about everything on the property has a backstory: Some then head down a dirt road that quickly leaves the park and structed of stone, but Gueissaz says he became obsessed with windows came from El Tovar Hotel, while the outdoor grill — crosses into the Kaibab National Forest, where he and Susie he automatic gate balks as we arrive at Highland Mary. turning it into a true rock house. He gathered local boulders which Gueissaz fires up for 200 guests during an annual Swiss are the only year-round residents on the entire Tusayan Ranger “C’mon, sweetheart, c’mon,” Gueissaz says. “Sometimes by hand, then, through trial and error, figured out the proper independence celebration that can last for three days — once District. Gueissaz says even though the road hasn’t continued she’s stubborn. For the most part, she goes, but today is mud mixes and building techniques. was part of the kitchen at Bright Angel Lodge. across his land since the 1980s, visitors directed by outdated Sunday. So maybe she’s resting.” Trailed by Sparky, one of his three dogs, Gueissaz leads He points out a green Eastern Windsor cookstove, circa smartphone maps still arrive at his gate. Once granted entry, Gueissaz continues a short way me to the vegetable garden, where his cat Lulu sometimes 1920, brought years ago by a buddy. “It was mine to be had, “They come down the road, and then they can’t figure out to a stone house set in a clearing near a stand of old- earns her keep by lying in the shade of the rhubarb leaves so thank you very much,” Gueissaz recalls, before describing why it doesn’t go though. Technology is outpacing reality, and growthT ponderosas and a couple of hundred yards from the and waiting for unwary mice. He and Susie have mastered how the house came together over the decades. “A little bit people just don’t get the message,” he says. Pointing at my tracks of the Grand Canyon Railway. Gueissaz delivers the high-elevation farming and grow a surprising variety of crops here, a little bit there. Friends stop by and help you. You find phone, he adds, “It’s really strange how it works. They look at newspapers to Susie, his wife of 34 years, whom he met not — tomatoes, Swiss chard, beets, turnips, leeks and kale among old bricks, then some beams from another place, and go for it. this thing and think it’s going to take them to heaven. It takes long after arriving at the Canyon in 1972. Her parents worked them. “But gardening at 7,000 feet, oh, it’s a deal,” he says. Eventually? You really got something. them to hell, that’s what it does.” for the Fred Harvey Co., and she grew up here. “I look at Susie A wooden shed houses an inverter and batteries for the solar “Who would have ever thought of all this to become a reality? Mini-rant aside, Gueissaz is anything but a curmudgeon. and feel I just showed up yesterday, you know?” he says. power system, and he collects rainwater and snowmelt, which When, in reality, there was no reality to go this way?”

44 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 45 LEFT TO RIGHT: Eric Gueissaz plans his next Grand Canyon trip with his wife, Susie. Gueissaz reads in the greenhouse of his home at a historic mining claim on the Kaibab National Forest. Gueissaz’s living room, like the rest of the house, has been pieced together over four decades. “THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TO GET OUT OF THE CANYON WHEN YOU’RE HIKING: THE GEOLOGY IS GOING TO SAVE YOU. BY KNOWING THE GEOLOGY, YOU CAN ALWAYS FIGURE A WAY OUT.” — ERIC GUEISSAZ

xactly how a Swiss national from that country’s French- Arizona alone is seven times larger than Switzerland. away, however, Gueissaz slid and landed smack on a cholla. “I Though admittedly “no spring chicken,” Gueissaz still speaking Romandy region ended up living a latter-day “Everywhere I went in the United States, it was different, picked needles out my butt for a while,” he recalls. “So be it.” explores the Canyon on hikes that can last up to 10 days. frontier existence on the Coconino Plateau is a story especially in the ’60s and ’70s. Society-wise. Culture-wise,” They reached the Sipapu without any other incidents. Gueis- While Freckles, another one of his three cats, dozes and a clas- with many chapters. he says. “But after a while, I decided, Enough with cities. Is this saz describes seeing a domed cavity with prayer feathers and sic cuckoo clock calls every 15 minutes, we settle into some Born in 1940, Gueissaz grew up in Orbe, a small town America? No. It isn’t. It can’t be. There’s gotta be more than this.” bubbling water fed by the Sipapu’s connection to a volcanic chairs, drinking coffee and munching on cookies made with north of Lake Geneva. Although Switzerland didn’t He contacted a friend in the food business who suggested thermal system. His friend Chuck got ready to photograph the zucchini from the garden, as Gueissaz weaves more stories of endureE the ravages that other European countries suffered he call someone at the Canyon about a job, and soon, the Fred Sipapu, but another friend, John, warned that would be sacri- his adventures. during World War II, Gueissaz came of age during a time of Harvey Co. hired him. He eventually worked as sous-chef at El legious. “Chucky said, ‘Aw, hogwash, man; I’m going to take Two years ago, he and his friend Bill set out on a hike on the social transition as a generation of men, including his father, Tovar and later owned and operated Café Tusayan for 10 years. pictures,’ ” Gueissaz says. Esplanade. The pair trekked down Kanab Creek and decided to returned from the war. As Gueissaz puts it: “They took a deep Gueissaz knew of the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada, but The group camped under the stars. “I’m always a light go up an unnamed canyon because it had been raining and they breath for about 10 years, then were able to look back and ask the Grand Canyon hadn’t figured in his imagination while he sleeper in the outdoors,” he says. “I sleep physically, but men- figured the Esplanade’s potholes would be filled with water. about the true meaning of life.” was growing up. “I first saw the Canyon and this region, and it tally I’m always aware, and about 3 in the morning, I feel some- The pair came to an area with fresh water and cottonwood After serving his own compulsory stint in the military, Gueis- was like, Whoa! What is this? At first I couldn’t comprehend it,” thing and think, Oh, it’s starting to rain. We found shelter under trees, then stopped for a snack. Gueissaz looked around and saz asked similar questions before making a break from what he says. “How did this place come about? How is this possible? Did an abutment of wall and made a fire. Then, at 6, I looked down suddenly, on an opposite wall facing north, spotted “a big, red he characterized as the still-entrenched ways of Swiss society. someone take a dagger and, from one end to the other, dig in the dirt? to the river and saw ducks flying upstream and thought, Uh-oh. painting of an ancient person.” The whole area was filled with One day, he announced to his father that he had taken a job and Then I learned about the geology. That’s one of the things you Something is happening here.” petroglyphs and pictographs that Gueissaz assumed very few was moving to Malmö, Sweden. “When I left Switzerland, I have to understand to get out of the Canyon when you’re hik- Snow started falling on the Little Colorado. By the time the people had seen. was 23, and everyone asked, ‘Why do you want to go there? You ing: The geology is going to save you. By knowing the geology, group reached Chuck’s truck, a foot of snow had piled up on “Like I said, the Canyon forces you to [go] up and over and got everything here,’ ” he says. “Well, excuse me!” He stayed in you can always figure a way out.” the rim. Visibility was close to zero, and at first they couldn’t around to see what else is there,” he says. “There’s always the Scandinavia for about three years; “then, the horizon got even get the camper open. Eventually, the group managed to reach unexpected. It emphasizes the unknown. That’s the beauty of farther away, and there you go. So I came to this country.” Cameron to fuel up, then drove in four-wheel-drive back to this place. You never know what you’re going to find. And some- Gueissaz figured he would live in the U.S. for a few years, ueissaz didn’t explore the Canyon’s depths right away. Highland Mary, where, at 3 the next morning, the truck ran times you find nothing of interest. But the journey in between which would give him time to learn the language, experience But his first trip was unforgettable. In February 1976, out of gas as they pulled up to the house. the two points is what’s always of interest. It’s a wonderful place. the culture and travel before he moved on to yet another des- Gueissaz and four friends hiked down the Hopi Salt “From that day on, I was hooked,” Gueissaz says. “It was nice A place of sanity that has kept me healthy, real and sane.” tination. He worked in restaurants, first in New Orleans, then Trail to the Hopi Sipapu, a sacred spot near the Little and sunny. Then someone takes some pictures and everything Then he adds: “There’s this little light that should never be Salt Lake City and finally San Francisco, as it dawned on him Colorado River. The weather was good as the group was different? There’s gotta be more like that. Sure enough, extinguished, a curiosity. That way, there’s always a wonder- that the U.S. is not only a nation, but a virtual continent, too. G descended from the rim along a rough path. Right there always was.” ment about things. It’s what keeps a life a life.” 46 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 47 This piece of a ponderosa pine is one of thousands of tree specimens housed at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. Examining this specimen helped researchers determine that the tree, which grew near present-day Chama, New Mexico, was stripped of its bark by Native Americans in 1724.

B Y N O R A RP IS H E E A U T S T I N N

E P Although it’s located hundreds of H O E T miles from the nearest bristlecone O E G pine, the Laboratory of Tree-Ring R A

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Research in Tucson has been H

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conducting groundbreaking research Y

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since 1937. In the process, its scientists L

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have learned valuable information A

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about climate change. They’ve also H E R

solved mysteries at ancient ruins.

48 JULY 2016 LEFT: Chris Baisan of the Laboratory trees. Those went back 600 years or so, lab’s acting director since 2013, started “pre-settlement” condition. of Tree-Ring Research examines but they didn’t match the patterns on out. “There’s so many of these different The lab’s findings have also con- specimens in the lab’s archive. the trees from the archaeological sites. aspects of science associated with the tributed to a better understanding of OPPOSITE PAGE: The LTRR’s new building, So that meant those trees were older.” people in our department,” he says. “We climate change and drought. As Leavitt which opened in 2013, features an The turning point came in 1929, when believe that’s one of our strengths.” (At says, by understanding the past, we can abstractly tree-like exterior. Douglass and Emil Haury, an anthro- press time, a new permanent director is better prepare for the future. pology professor, were on a National expected to be in place later this year.) “I can’t sample a 2020 tree ring. No Given that the trustee, William Low- Geographic-sponsored expedition in the In the facility’s lab rooms, research- one can,” he says. “But we can use tree ell Putnam, was Lowell’s brother-in-law, Show Low area, looking for wood speci- ers examine tree samples under micro- rings to establish baselines: Is the snow- that letter may have been a miscalcula- mens. They came across a piece they scopes and record data about rings. One pack in the Sierra Nevada the lowest it’s tion. Lowell eventually got wind of his thought had promise. such instrument precisely measures ever been? Is the drought in California assistant’s airing of grievances, and “As they examined it, Douglass had a the width of each ring and feeds that the worst it’s ever been? What was the Douglass was fired. After a break from big ‘Eureka!’ moment,” Leavitt says. “He information into a computer. Around [pre-settlement] frequency of fires in astronomy and a stint as a probate judge, had memorized the chronology of large the lab are examples of specimens the Arizona or New Mexico or California? … he headed to Tucson and joined the UA and small rings going back 600 years lab has analyzed. One of them, cut from Those are the questions we can address. faculty in 1906. or so. He also had memorized the chro- a giant sequoia, is annotated with the [Tree rings] help us answer questions During his work at the observatory, nologies of the Mesa Verde and Chaco year the tree began growing — A.D. 523, that we might not be able to answer Douglass had searched for a way to con- Canyon sites. And he realized that [the around the time the Prophet Muham- otherwise.” nect sunspots — dark areas that appear specimen] bridged the gap between the mad was born — and the year it died, And now, the death-defying bristle- cyclically on the sun’s surface — to oldest rings in the modern chronology OR A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING of the world around us, it’s been said, we changes in the Earth’s climate. That and the youngest rings from the archae- must first look inward. People like Steve Leavitt take that philosophy literally. research led him to Flagstaff’s sawmills, ological sites.” But instead of seeking enlightenment through introspection, they find it on the where he began to recognize patterns In an instant, the ages of dozens of inside of a bristlecone pine. in the rings of recently felled ponderosa similar sites were known. And since Leavitt is the acting director of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (LTRR), pines. Trees cut from the same area then, tree-ring chronologies have been the first such lab in the world. It’s located on the University of Arizona’s main all seemed to have the same pattern of extended back thousands of years, pro- campus in Tucson, a city far removed from the old-growth pine forests that thinner and thicker rings. viding a record by which just about any dominate the northern half of the state. But that hasn’t hindered the lab’s In Tucson, Douglass continued his piece of wood can be dated — and a Fgroundbreaking research, which has informed our understanding of climate change, astronomy research but also renewed look at what the world was like before solved mysteries at ancient ruins and influenced how those forests are managed. his focus on tree rings. For one study, human beings began altering it. And bristlecone pines are key to the LTRR’s research. The trees’ twisted, tortured he examined 25 ponderosa pines from appearance comes in part from their uncanny ability to cheat death: When one part of various sites in the Flagstaff area. “It a bristlecone dies, Leavitt says, other parts “abandon ship” and keep growing, some- was especially noticeable that years of DENDROCHRONOLOGY, the area of times for 4,000 years or longer. And like most trees, bristlecones create rings as they marked peculiarities could be identified study that Douglass pioneered, has gone grow — one for each year of life. in different trees with surprising ease,” global. Universities in New York, That’s where Leavitt and his colleagues come in. By studying each ring, they can he wrote in 1914. “Perhaps the most Tennessee, Arkansas, Minnesota and understand the environment in which the ring was formed. In the science world, it’s characteristic feature was a group of other states now boast tree-ring labs, and a branch (pun intended) known as dendrochronology, but despite its wide-ranging narrow rings about the years 1879-1884. there are some international labs as well. influence, the LTRR remains relatively anonymous outside the science community. These could be identified in practically But the LTRR, which Douglass “When I talk about what I do, half the people don’t even catch the words ‘tree every tree.” founded in 1937, came first. For decades, ring,’ ” says Leavitt, who’s been at the lab since 1990. “And then they say, ‘What did Douglass determined that the pon- it was housed below UA’s football sta- 1950. In between are at least 50 “scars,” cone pines are posing new questions. you just say?’ ” derosa rings were thicker in years of dium, but in 2013, the lab moved into incurred when forest fires scorched a Normally, bristlecones have larger rings heavy precipitation and thinner during the Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building, side of the tree. early in their lives and smaller rings droughts. And by piecing together trees named for one of the facility’s retired Fire scars helped bring about a thereafter. But an LTRR faculty mem- FOR THE SAKE of dendrochronology, Observatory was born. of different ages, he realized, he could directors. Its new home combines an titanic shift in how forests are man- ber noticed that in the past 50 years, it’s a good thing A.E. Douglass and For the next several years, Douglass create a chronology that could be used older UA building, originally used for aged. For nearly a century, the federal the bristlecones in California’s White Percival Lowell didn’t get along. assisted Lowell, even stepping in as act- to determine the ages of other trees. purchasing and storage, with a new government’s approach to wildfires Mountains have been producing larger In the 1890s, Lowell was searching ing director of the observatory for four That was especially important for wing designed by Phoenix architecture was to extinguish them as fast as pos- rings. “They’re showing a response to the American Southwest for an ideal site years due to Lowell’s health problems. finding the ages of archaeological sites, firm Richärd & Bauer. Haury’s widow sible. Over time, the forests became something,” Leavitt says, adding that to build an observatory. Douglass was But Douglass began to chafe at Low- but Douglass found that his chronology donated $9 million for the building’s overcrowded, and Arizona and other the current hypothesis is that the trees’ one of two Harvard professors hired for ell’s research practices, particularly in wasn’t enough to date the wood found construction. states frequently fell victim to devastat- environment is getting warmer. the search, and in 1894, he headed to the relation to his theories on the surface at places like New Mexico’s Chaco Can- The LTRR is composed of about 25 ing blazes. The LTRR’s research showed But only time, and more research, Arizona Territory. Finding no suitable features of Venus and Mars. In a 1901 yon and Colorado’s Mesa Verde, two primary, jointly appointed and adjunct that before human intervention, fire will tell. Luckily for the LTRR, the sites in Tombstone, Tucson, Phoenix letter to an observatory trustee, Doug- Ancestral Puebloan sites. “At that time, faculty members, plus research associ- was a natural part of the forest life cycle. bristlecone pines don’t seem to be in or Prescott, Douglass tried Flagstaff lass called Lowell’s methods “unscien- radiocarbon dating had not yet been ates, staff and graduate students. Their Now, forest management efforts, includ- any hurry. — which, back then, was still a small tific” and claimed the astronomer was invented,” Leavitt says. “Tree-ring dat- backgrounds include work in biology, ing Arizona’s Four Forest Restoration frontier town. There, he found the best “hunt[ing] up a few facts in support of ing had been invented, but [Douglass’] anthropology, hydrology and geol- Initiative, use managed burns as part To learn more about the Laboratory of Tree-Ring “seeing” of his expedition, and Lowell some speculation.” chronologies were made with modern ogy, where Leavitt, who’s been the of their push to return forests to their Research, visit www.ltrr.arizona.edu.

50 JULY 2016 www.arizonahighways.com 51 scenic DRIVE

BLUE RANGE LOOP You won’t see many signs of civilization on this scenic drive in the White Mountains, but you will see evergreens, red rocks and maybe an endangered species. BY NOAH AUSTIN / PHOTOGRAPHS BY REBECCA WILKS

unspoiled meadows, riparian habitats and more red-rock buttes, which look as if they were airlifted from Sedona by a big helicopter. At Mile 27 of the drive, you’ll pass a school and library for the tiny com- munity of Blue. Other than that, there aren’t many signs of civiliza- tion along the road, which crosses the river several times, via one- lane bridges, as it winds north. Keep an eye out for endangered Mexican wolves, which before getting a nice view of 10,912-foot have been reintroduced in the area. You’ll Escudilla Mountain, the state’s 12th- SCENIC briefly cross over the New Mexico bor- highest peak, to the north. From there, DRIVES of Arizona’s ADDITIONAL READING: Best Back der, but you likely won’t know it until a it’s just another few miles west on U.S. 40 Roads For more adventure, pick up a copy of our book Scenic Drives, sign informs you that you’re re-entering Route 180 to get back to Alpine, the home which features 40 of the Greenlee County. of Bear Wallow Café. Stop in for a slice of state’s most beautiful back roads. To order, visit www. As you approach the end of Blue River blueberry pie — it’s hard to find a better shoparizonahighways.com/ Edited by Robert Stieve Road, you’ll climb a few switchbacks finish than that. and Kelly Vaughn Kramer books.

TOUR GUIDE t’s not how you start; it’s how you fin- stands of trees reduced to matchstick sta- mountainous, evergreen-covered primi- Note: Mileages are approximate.

ish.” That’s the mantra of gym teachers tus by the Wallow Fire, which scorched tive area opens up. Shortly thereafter, the LENGTH: 49-mile loop ‘‘I and campaign consultants everywhere, more than half a million acres in the road begins to wind downhill, past a DIRECTIONS: From the junction of U.S. routes 180 and 191 but it also can apply to scenic drives. summer of 2011. Thankfully, Alpine and group of red-rock hoodoos. The stunning in Alpine, go south on U.S. 191 for 14 miles to Red Hill Road (Forest Road 567). Turn left (east) onto Red Hill Road Take the Blue Range Loop, a 49-mile jaunt the other towns in the area were spared. views to the south continue as Red Hill and continue 12.2 miles to Blue River Road (Forest Road that starts and ends in the idyllic White And thankfully, the Wallow reminders Road approaches a crossing for the peren- 281). Turn left onto Blue River Road, which briefly crosses Mountains town of Alpine. The first leg don’t last long. nial Blue River. into New Mexico, and continue 19.3 miles to U.S. 180. Turn left onto U.S. 180 and continue 3.5 miles back to Alpine. of the loop is dotted with reminders of After 14 miles, you’ll head east on Red In summer, the river usually is only VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: A high-clearance, four-wheel- the worst wildfire in Arizona’s recorded Hill Road, where you’ll see a sign warn- a trickle here, but a depth gauge to the drive vehicle is required. Don’t attempt the drive when history. But beyond that are pristine for- ing you of primitive road conditions in left of the crossing will help you deter- rain is expected. est and riparian areas, plus expansive the fire’s aftermath. Although the road mine whether it’s safe to cross. Now on WARNING: Back-road travel can be hazardous, so be aware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of views of one of the most remote and is bumpy in spots, it’s nothing to worry Blue River Road, you’ll continue through water. Don’t travel alone, and let someone know where unspoiled places in the Southwest. about in good weather. Red Hill Road you are going and when you plan to return. From Alpine, head south on U.S. Route eventually curves to the southeast as it ABOVE: A variety of plant species shade INFORMATION: Alpine Ranger District, 928-339-5000 or www.fs.usda.gov/asnf 191, also known as the Coronado Trail skirts the Blue Range Primitive Area — Blue River Road as it winds through a remote area of Eastern Arizona. Travelers in Arizona can visit www.az511.gov or dial Scenic Byway, into the Apache-Sitgreaves the last such area in the U.S. OPPOSITE PAGE: Ponderosa pines on Red 511 to get infor­ma­tion on road closures, construc­tion, National Forests. You’ll pass through About 18 miles in, a panorama of the Hill Road cast shadows on tall grasses. delays, weather and more.

52 JULY 2016 MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 53 HIKE of the month

LEFT: Ponderosa pines line the easy CAMPBELL MESA Campbell Mesa Loop near Flagstaff. RIGHT: The wide trails make Campbell Mesa LOOP Most of the a popular mountain-biking destination. hikes on the Coconino National Forest require and the wildlife is mostly Steller’s jays some planning, but and Abert’s squirrels. However, at dawn and dusk, you might see mule deer, too. not the Campbell And pronghorns. The ungulates are Mesa Loop. This easy drawn to the grassy plateau of Campbell Mesa, which is named for Hugh E. Camp- trail, just minutes from bell, a Flagstaff pioneer who established the largest sheep ranch in the Southwest. downtown Flagstaff, At its height, the Campbell-Francis Sheep can be done as an Co.’s landholdings totaled more than 100,000 acres. afterthought. Just beyond the second intersection with Anasazi, you’ll cross through a development. At press time, most of the est, past several intersections with the BY ROBERT STIEVE barbed wire fence and come to a nice mesa was included in the footprint of other loops, and eventually back to the grouping of ponderosas. Things remain what proponents hope will become the trailhead. Although you won’t be out about the same, with gentle ups and Walnut Canyon National Conservation of breath, you should have your 10,000 downs, until, after about an hour of hik- Area. If the grass-roots coalition can con- steps. If not, there are four other loops ven if your idea of heading ing, the trail arrives at an unmarked steel vince one of the members of Arizona’s that will get you there. into the backcountry is going signpost, from which another trail veers congressional delegation to sponsor a from Park Avenue to Central left. Intuitively, you’ll want to go that bill, and if the bill passes, Walnut Can- Park, you can handle this way. Instead, keep right to stay on the yon will join San Pedro Riparian, Gila E ADDITIONAL READING: trail. It’s not as easy as walking down loop, which winds around the northern Box Riparian and Las Cienegas as the For more hikes, pick up a copy of the sidewalk, but in terms of “rough- and eastern perimeter of Campbell Mesa. only national conservation areas in Ari- Arizona Highways Hiking Guide, which features 52 of the state’s ing it,” this is about as easy as it gets. In addition to hikers, bikers and ungu- zona. Time will tell. best trails — one for each What’s more, it’s easy to get to. lates, the mesa has recently drawn the Meanwhile, back on the trail, the weekend of the year, sorted by seasons. To order a copy, visit From Interstate 17 in Flagstaff, it’s attention of local citizens who are work- Campbell Mesa Loop continues its www.shoparizonahighways. a 10-minute drive out to the Campbell ing to protect the area from encroaching easy meander through the open for- com/books. Mesa Trailhead, which is the launch point for a series of five loop trails, including the Campbell Mesa Loop. At 5.7 miles, it’s the longest of the five. It’s also the focus of this month’s trail guide Hike of the Month. The shortest route LENGTH: 5.7-mile loop DIFFICULTY: Easy is the Sinagua Loop, which is just ELEVATION: 6,640 to 6,862 feet over a mile long. In between are the TRAILHEAD GPS: N 35˚11.988', W 111˚33.795' Continental Loop (1.8 miles), the Ana- DIRECTIONS: From Interstate 17 in Flagstaff, go east on sazi Loop (2.7 miles) and the Walnut Interstate 40 for 5.5 miles to Country Club Drive (Exit 201). Meadows Loop (4 miles). Turn right onto Country Club Drive and continue 0.8 miles to Old Walnut Canyon Road. Turn left onto Old Walnut If you have the time, you can easily Canyon Road and continue 0.9 miles to the trailhead park- hike all five in a day. Or, if you just ing on the left. The last half-mile of Old Walnut Canyon Road is well-graded dirt. want to hit 10,000 steps on your Fitbit, DOGS ALLOWED: Yes (on a leash) stick with the Campbell Mesa Loop, HORSES ALLOWED: Yes which heads east (counterclockwise) USGS MAP: Flagstaff East from the trailhead on a well-marked However, because the forest is open and look at the San Francisco Peaks to the INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866 or path. Before your boots even get dusty, the trail is wide, you can usually see the northwest. There are more looks along www.fs.usda.gov/coconino you’ll arrive at an intersection with the bikes coming, which minimizes conflict the way. Then, about five minutes later, LEAVE-NO-TRACE PRINCIPLES: • Plan ahead and be out all of your trash. Anasazi Loop. Keep left and keep your between the two often disparate groups. you’ll come to the other end of the Ana- prepared. • Leave what you find. eyes peeled for mountain bikes. Camp- You might see horses, too. The mesa is an sazi Loop. Again, keep left and enjoy • Travel and camp on • Respect wildlife. durable surfaces. • Minimize campfire bell Mesa is one of those places where equal-opportunity stomping ground. the quiet nature of things. The trees are • Dispose of waste impact. the bikers can outnumber the hikers. About 25 minutes in, you’ll get a great mostly ponderosas, about 30 feet high, properly and pack • Be considerate of others.

54 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPHS: OPPOSITE PAGE AMY HORN TOP TOM BROWNOLD MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 55 WHERE IS THIS? Your Wildest D r e a m ... Just when you thought we’d never publish a wildlife guide, this happens.

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Regular price $19.95 Now $14.99 #AWGS5 May 2016 Order online at www.shoparizonahighways.com Answer & Winner Win a collection of our most popular books! or call 800-543-5432. Use code P6G7WG when Lattie F. Coor Hall at To enter, correctly identify the location pictured above and email your answer to editor@arizona ordering to take advantage of this special offer. Arizona State University, highways.com — type “Where Is This?” in the subject line. Entries can also be sent to 2039 W. Lewis Offer expires July 31, 2016. Tempe. Congratulations Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009 (write “Where Is This?” on the envelope). Please include your name, to our winner, Steven address and phone number. One winner will be chosen in a random drawing of qualified entries. Berardi of Chandler, Entries must be postmarked by July 15, 2016. Only the winner will be notified. The correct answer will Arizona. be posted in our September issue and online at www.arizonahighways.com beginning August 15.

56 JULY 2016 PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP KERRICK JAMES ABOVE, LEFT TOM STORY