Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club
Fat Man’s Loop Day Hike

when?	Trip Report : August 2, 2014
where?	Flagstaff
the hike	We will start at the Elden Lookout Trailhead. This starts from the parking lot next to the Flagstaff Ranger Station. This is just across from the Flagstaff Mall. We will do a right turn and go though the many free standing old lava pillars. We will pass the trails to Sandy Seep and Elden Lookout always keeping left until we get to the Pipeline trail, continue down Pipeline to the Elden ranch area. We will have lunch at the Elden Spring. Elden Spring has water in it most times of the year. After lunch we will take a short jog up the Walk through Time and Forces of Nature trails. We will then return to the Fat Man’s Loop and complete the loop back to the parking lot. This includes the pass that gives this trail its name. Please note that this last 0.5 mile has 100% of the elevation loss for this trail.     Much of the Pipeline Trail passes through the Mt. Elden Environmental Study Area (ESA). This is an area set aside by the Forest Service in the mid-nineteen seventies as an outdoor study resource for schools and environmental groups. Gray foxes and coyotes can be seen along the trail as well as an occasional raccoon. Common birds encountered here are Steller's jays, juncos and a variety of hawks that hunt the rocky slopes. Open areas annually tinted bright yellow with a midsummer wash of sunflowers serve as a colorful stage. Ponderosa pines are the predominant vegetation along the trail, mixed with Gambel oaks that color the slopes a burnt gold in the fall and cliff rose that contribute a pleasant fragrance in the spring.     This is the monsoon season, so be prepared for a late afternoon rain. The trail has a mix of sun and shade.
distance	6 miles
time	5-6 hours
EC	+-600' elevation change
elevations	6900' (Trailhead) to 7470' (Mt Elden trail junction)
type	loop
starting at	Elden Lookout Trailhead 35.2303° N,  111.5792° W
on trail	100% — Fat Man’s #25 & Pipeline #42 Trails
rating	"C"     Rate yourself as a hiker.
dogs allowed	no
cost	Sharing gas expenses with the driver. The club also allows voluntary contributions of $5 per non-member.
weather	Flagstaff
meet	7:00 AM in the Fry’s parking lot on the SW corner of I-17 & Bell Road. Park behind Denny’s, near the entrance to the Deer Valley Park & Ride.
drive	In Flagstaff we will stop at the Flagstaff Mall before continuing on to the trailhead.

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