Our group of ten hikers began hiking on a beautiful summer morning in Flagstaff at 9:00 AM.

We cruised through the Ponderosa pine forest just south of Flagstaff, following a series of trails to complete this 10.2 mile loop. We set out on the Flagstaff Loop Trail and then connected and headed east on Skunk Canyon Trail. This section of trail follows a grassy bottom canyon flanked by gently rolling hills of Ponderosa pine trees.

We passed through a narrow and enchanting little part of the foresty canyon and enjoyed the coolest part of the hike before the day got warmer.

It was lush with a variety of vegetation.

Popping out of the narrow stretch, we then connected and turned north onto the Arizona Trail for the next 3 miles to reach Duck Pond.

We took a longer break here at Duck Pond, eating snacks and enjoying the view, and saw a great blue heron, mallard ducks, and red wing blackbirds.

From here, we turned southwest onto the Bow and Arrow Trail. Our last segment followed the JWP Trail (JW Powell). Along the way we spotted an Osprey raptor. We arrived back at our starting point at 2:00 PM. A good day’s hike and wonderful company!