A Walk in the Woods

Show Low, Arizona (Monday, October 11, 2021) I love the outdoors, which is to say that I love being outdoors: raking needles that fall from the pine trees in our yard, relaxing on our deck with a good book, taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood with my wife Debra, hiking through the forest on my own or with a friend. These outdoor activities and others are “chicken soup for my soul!”

I had options when I woke this morning, but the one I chose was a solo hike – a walk in the woods. Spoiler alert: I had a wonderful time!
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There were over 200 miles of nonmotorized trails in and around Show Low to choose from. Which trail did I hike? Buena Vista, a mere four miles from my home. 

This trail, located in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, is a 10-mile loop – actually, it is made up of two intersecting loops, the first about two miles and the second about seven miles. I know, I know – two plus seven equals nine, not ten. Well, the other mile is the path from the trailhead to the first loop – a half-mile out, a half-mile back.
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Buena Vista is rated “moderate” for hiking (and “difficult” for mountain biking, as there are many major uphill sections along the trail). I hiked the full trail earlier this year. It was a good challenge for my hiking skills. 

Today, I planned a five-to-six-mile hike that included a couple of secondary trails. Since I averaged around 2.5 MPH on past hikes, I figured this one would take two to two and one-half hours, depending on how often I stopped to take pictures. At the end of my hike, the “tale of the tape” was five- and one-half miles in two- and one-quarter hours. Spot on!
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I started my hike at 7:30. The weather was picture-perfect: There was a slight breeze, the sky was totally blue, and the temperature was 40 degrees. It felt colder in the shade, though – and there was plenty of shade – so I was glad I donned a long-sleeved thermal top when I dressed this morning. 

I passed Hansen Tank, a small manmade reservoir, as I walked the flat path from the trailhead to the first loop. This reservoir was named for Jens Peter Hansen, a Denmark native who settled here, with his father, in the 1890s. The tank served two purposes – a watering hole for his livestock and a swimming hole for his kids. At some point, Jens and his father built a barn near the edge of the tank “with a floor suitable for both dancing and threshing wheat.” The barn was long gone, but recent rains had filled the tank.

When I reached the first loop, I turned right and moved counterclockwise. In this direction, I arrived at the second loop in one- and one-half miles. I hiked counterclockwise on the second loop, too.
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Both loops followed portions of an old logging road through a forest of oak, Manzanita, and pines. It was wide enough in most places to accommodate ATVs and other vehicles. This was not my favorite type of trail. Rather, I fancied narrow trails – those just wide enough for hikers and mountain bikers – as they offered, IMHO, a “more intimate” experience with Mother Nature.  

So, I was not surprised when, after another mile and a quarter, I left the primary trail in favor of a secondary trail I spotted near marker #26. (Primary trails were posted with white diamond trail markers that were numbered every quarter mile.) From the map I snagged at the trailhead, I could see that this trail intersected Buena Vista near marker #5. 

To this point, the trail rose about 300 feet from the trailhead – not much of a challenge, given how far I had traveled. In fact, my hike was relatively flat from start to finish, with a total gain of a bit more than 400 feet. Still, the overall distance provided a good workout!   

This trail meandered a mile and a half through the woods – somewhat dense at times, less so at others, with old growth as well as new. In many places, the branches formed a natural awning over the trail. I did not spot any wildlife this day, but I stopped often to listen to the chirps and cheeps of birds that roosted high up in the trees.  

A half mile in, I came across a “sculpture” – a rusted axle that was stood on end and leaned against a dead tree. Why, I wondered, would someone haul this piece of junk here? Atop the axle, as if it were an artist’s easel, was a small, hand-painted stone, about the size of my opened hand. It appeared to be a nature painting – a fish or two floating (?!) above a pond. Not quite the artistic quality of a “Bob Ross” painting, mind you, but pleasing to look at none the less.   

​From marker #5, I walked a half mile on Buena Vista to marker #3, where I picked up another secondary trail that deposited me near the path to the trailhead. Along this short trail – it was less than one-half mile – I spotted some wildflowers, another painted stone in the nook of a tree (“Laugh”), and a bizarre hanging sign – “Wild Horses” painted on a bone of some sort. Hmmm…

Too soon, it seemed, I reached the trailhead – the end of another hike. There was “weather” in the forecast the next day or so – rain with the possibility of snow. I will give it a day or two to dry up, and then will hike another trail because…I LOVE BEING OUTDOORS!