Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club
Red Mountain & Slate Mountain Day Hike

when	Trip Report : August 8, 2020
	Trip Report : September 2, 2017
	Trip Report : July 12, 2014
where	Flagstaff
the hike	Seeing considerable holes in the schedule, perhaps time to resurrect a scenic hike undertaken periodically. Easiest just to refer to the link to the trip report for the last known visit by the Trailblazers. https://www.azhikers.org/reports/2017/SlateMtn17.html     Hike leader and amateur meteorologist (same person) will discern whether second half of the hike should be skipped if monsoon weather approaches.     These are two adjacent hikes, a short distance north of Flagstaff off Route 180: First Hike: Red Mountain; 2.5 miles round trip.     An old extinct volcano, one of the more than 600 volcanos that dot northern Arizona’s landscape. This unique volcano offers hikers to walk into the innards of a dormant mountain of fire. For reason not entirely understood by geologists, the northeastern flank of Red Mountain collapsed, exposing the intricate internal structure of the more than 700,000 year old cinder cone. Tiny cinders crunch underfoot along the ponderosa-shaded trail that leads into a visual striking arena of towering stone pillars and contorted lava formations. A secured six foot ladder must be climbed in order to get into the most spectacular part of the mountain, where disintegrating layers of red, ocher and black cinders create a maze of clefts and canyon to explore.     Be careful how you walk on the polished and smooth rocks! Second Hike: Slate Mountain; 5 miles round trip.     Not actually made of slate, this hill is a laccolith, or a solidified heap of lava that pushed up the earth’s crust, like a blister that never broke the surface. Time has since eroded away the mountain’s top layers to expose the grayish-blue igneous rock called rhyolite, which early explorers mistook for slate. Required: •  Sturdy hiking boots •  At least 3 liters of water •  Rain poncho •  Hat, sunblock, sunglasses Recommended: •  Lunch or snacks •  Camera
distance	Total combined hiking distance is 9 miles.
time	6 hours
EC	+-300' (Red Mountain); +-855' (Slate Mountain) elevation change
elevations	6766'-7042' (Red), 7376'-8189' (Slate)
type	In and out, both hikes.
starting at	Red Mountain first, then proceed south a few miles to Slate Mountain.
on trail	90%
rating	"B-"     Rate yourself as a hiker.
dogs allowed	no
cost	The club allows voluntary contributions of $5 per non-member.
weather	Flagstaff
meet	7:00 AM at Target on Milton. From there 46 miles to the trailhead, well signed off US-l80 northwest of Flagstaff.
drive	•  Take I-17 north to Flagstaff. • Continue north on Milton. Meet in the Target parking lot near the traffic light.

Schedule of Events	Arizona Trailblazers Home Page
updated August 13, 2020	© Copyright 2020, Arizona Trailblazers.  All rights reserved.