Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips (Lonely Planet, 1st Edition) - Aaron Anderson [80]
James LaPointe, long-time Arizona hiker
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The Weatherford Hotel is another central place to rest those barking dogs after a hard day hiking. Built in 1898 in Flagstaff’s historic city center, the small property has a faded charm and pretty good prices – as well as a few friendly ghosts. Three of the 10 rooms share a bathroom.
If it’s winter, ascend the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks at Arizona Snowbowl. The resort’s 32 ski runs are just the beginning – there’s also a terrain park that sees sick shredding by snowboarders, lessons, rentals, meals at the two day lodges and cabins for overnight stays. The powder situation can be wildly unpredictable, so call ahead for conditions. The resort is located 7 miles northwest of Flagstaff on Hwy 180, then another 7 miles on Snowbowl Rd.
If telemarking is more your style, there’s nice cross-country skiing at Flagstaff Nordic Center, 15 miles northwest of Flagstaff. Marked snowshoe trails and a sledding hill round out the winter fun. Actually, sledding is one of Flagstaff’s most beloved sports, and almost every hardware and grocery store sells cheap sleds in season.
When it’s not winter, this northern area – designated the Kachina Peaks Wilderness Area in 1984 – has a slew of hiking trails worth a day or two of exploration. The trail to the summit of Mt Humphries, the state’s highest peak (12,633 ft), begins at Arizona Snowbowl. The first third of the 4.5-mile journey consists of long, looping switchbacks up the side of the mountain. Even if you have no intention of summiting, the fields of wild flowers and stands of cool pines make the trip worthwhile.
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DETOUR
About 100 miles southwest of Flagstaff is Granite Mountain Wilderness, a center for rock climbing, hiking, fishing and camping. Just 20 minutes away from Prescott via paved roads, the popular 9799-acre area is anchored by the dark, massive slab of – that’s right – Granite Mountain. The huge boulders that line many of the hiking paths make the place feel otherworldly. Fido is welcome as long as he’s on a leash.
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Hardy hikers will love the last third of the trek to the peak – crossing barren fields of volcanic stone above the tree line, it feels like another world. A small rock shelter on the mountain top protects hikers from the cold wind that screams across the bare landscape. Be sure to bring a windbreaker and warm hat. No other trail rivals the view from up here – under perfect conditions you can make out the Grand Canyon, 50 miles north.
Several other hikes in the area afford more leisurely strolling, and most have easy-to-find trailheads and well-marked routes. Not easy, but close to Flagstaff, the steep, 3-mile trek up 9299ft Mt Elden rewards with impressive vistas. The trailhead is just past the ranger station on Hwy 89.
No matter what a trail’s level of difficulty, realize that you’re starting from at least 6900ft of elevation in Flagstaff, and most hikes start even higher than that. This means there’s less oxygen in the air, and you’ll likely be huffing and puffing more than usual. Altitude sickness is a real concern, so take it easy. Note, too, that some trails have snow on them into late spring.
If you didn’t bring your own gear, Peace Surplus has hiking, climbing, backpacking and fishing equipment, and a good-sized library of guidebooks for sale. Just a few blocks away, Aspen Sports rents backpacks, sleeping bags and tents, as well as skis in winter.
Given that Flagstaff is a college town set in the mountains, it should come as no surprise that half the population spends their weekend astride a mountain bike. But, whereas Sedona has plenty of riding trails for all levels of mountainbikers, the rides in Flagstaff range from challenging to insane. Many trails are close to downtown, but as Bryce Wright (aka “Brycicle”) of AZ Bikes explains, “The trails are pretty much straight up or straight down, and not for absolute beginners.