Trailblazers ready to hike. [photo by Vicky]

Terry, Bruce, Diane.

Five hikers showed up on a cool Saturday morning (high temperature was 58 degrees) with storm clouds over the horizon. We began our first hike on Forest Road 213F, located 1.8 miles off Stoneman Lake Road, where we were greeted by several muddy pools of water from recent rains.

Is it...a bear? [photo by Vicky]

We proceeded through Rarick Canyon that exposed scenic vistas of Sedona, and finished our first hike with 3.56 miles. Our second hike started at Forest Road 644F, where we encountered large ponderosa pines and the knee-high golden eye flower (Heliomeris longifolia) in the sunflower family that blanketed our views with golden hues.

Rarick Canyon. [photo by Vicky]

Scenic vistas of Sedona. [photo by Vicky]

Knee-high golden eye flower (Heliomeris longifolia). [photo by Vicky]

The trail is two-track here. [photo by Vicky]

Our second hike ended at 2.28 miles. We got back in our cars and proceeded to Forest Road 80 (on the opposite side of the road/north) where there were 2 gates, a cattle guard, and a sign commemorating the Chaves Historical Trail that was an important old travel corridor between Prescott and Winslow.

FR 80 dipped into a finger of Rattle Snake Canyon, that is passable to high clearance but becomes rather challenging at the end, where high point vistas of Alligator junipers, Gambel oaks, and Yellow Evening primrose were within our scope. In addition, walls of sheer basalt rock paralleled Rattle Snake Canyon, that leveled off just yards from the I-17 Freeway.

Hunting Tank. [photo by Vicky]

Rarick Canyon has a sign. [photo by Vicky]

Chaves Historical Trail has a sign. [photo by Vicky]

Golden eye flower (Heliomeris longifolia). [photo by Vicky]

The last part of the hike involved a short jaunt to Hunting Tank (roughly 0.2 miles from the beginning of FR 80) that featured a rustic corral, a worn-down wood fence, and a sizeable watering hole. This hike ended at 3.33 miles. Minutes in a downpour of rain.

The group proceeded to Moscato in downtown Camp Verde where we enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner.