If you are like me, then when you go for a hike, you probably get really warm; a fantastic way to mitigate that is to hike after a snowstorm. Not only is the perfect sea of powder calming and aesthetically pleasing, but it creates a surreal feeling that you are the first person to make contact with the untouched snow. Hiking in snow is a very different experience, it is soft and pleasant to walk on and if you trip/slip, it’ll be like a nice cloudy pillow, gracefully waiting to catch your fall. Because snow is a very inefficient surface to walk on, you may find that your calves burn, but not to worry, because you’ll find it hard to focus on your calves when you’re surrounded by a winter wonderland.
In the event that you find yourself wanting to hike on a snowy morning, then I have a few short and easy recommendations for you. My first recommendation is to check out Woody Mountain (8045 ft); it is a short 2-mile walk along a groomed service road. The path is unmistakable and smooth, especially when caked with snow. The path averages an easy to medium grade and isn’t very steep, which makes for a pleasant hike. For reference, the hill from NAU’s South campus to North campus, near Gabaldon, is steep in some areas than most of the Woody Mountain Trail. Woody Mountain is just outside of Flagstaff and offers beautiful outlooks of the peaks, downtown Flag, and a distinct view of the NAU campus.
If you get it in your head that the difference between a hill and Hell is just a fine line; then I recommend you make more out of the snowy day and do another hike not too far away! A fantastic leisurely walk out towards sunset crater happens to be named Robinson Mountain (7,911 ft), which is a subsidiary peak of the better known, O’Leary Peak (which I mention in my previous blog). Round trip, this hike will take you anywhere from 2 to 3 hours, depending on the speed at which you take it. The climb up to the peak of Robinson Mountain is also very forgiving to beginners; the trail is a very clear service road that eventually turns into a foot-stomped trail. It is also an extremely beautiful hike; out here, you’ll find tons and tons of wildlife ranging from beautiful red-tailed hawks to skittish elk grazing the grass. If you decide to go onto the beaten path to go and explore the forest this weekend, you may find that you left a trail behind yourself.
View of Snowy Peaks from Robinson Mountain
Directions to Woody Mountain:
- From NAU, head south onto S Knoles Dr
- Turn right onto W Riordan Rd
- Turn right onto S Milton Rd
- Turn left onto I-40BL W/W Historic Rte 66 (signs for Los Angeles/Interstate 40 W/US-66 W) and stay on for 1.9 miles
- Turn left onto S Woody Mountain Rd
- Continue straight through the roundabout onto a dirt road
- Continue for ~2-3 miles until you reach Rogers Lake
- Continue for about 200ft until you reach a parking area
- Then walk back to Rogers lake and the sign to the Woody Mountain trailhead awaits you
Directions to Robinson Mountain:
- From NAU, Take S Knoles Dr and W University Dr to S Milton Rd
- Take I-40 E and US-89 N to Fire Rd 545/Loop Rd for 19.3 miles (~23 min)
- Turn right onto Fire Rd 545/Loop Rd and drive for about a mile
- Turn left onto 545A (O’Leary campsite)
- Continue straight until you reach a parking lot
- Walk on the service road for about 1.5 miles and continue up the O’Leary trail.
- On the 1st or 2nd switchback of the O’Leary trail, you’ll notice a small trail heading to the top of another summit, take that trail to reach the summit of Robinson Mountain