A dozen daring Trailblazers set out from Sunset Trailhead on a cloudy day. We almost didn’t. Two weeks in a row this hike had been postponed because of summer thunderstorms in Flagstaff. It’s now or never!

The weather was on our side. Brief intervals of sunshine warmed us and a light breeze refreshed us. The rain waited until our hike was over.

Recent rains had brought out the wildflowers. We were also hoping to see some wildlife in this area, but it looked like we would have to settle for rocks that looked like wildlife. “The animals run away before I can take their picture,” Ted lamented, “but rocks are pretty good about holding still while I get my camera adjusted.”

Four trails get us from Sunset Trailhead to Buffalo Park: Schultz Creek Loop, Brookbank, Upper Oldham, and Oldham. Our climb up to Dry Lake Hills begins on an abandoned road.

Soon we join the road up to Dry Hike Hills, the high point of our hike. The pond has water in it this time. We take an unmarked trail south to the middle of the clearing, then turn east to join the Brookbank Trail for our rocky descent.

Hanging garden on the western slope of Mt. Elden.

After a bend in the trail to get around a side canyon, we reach the easy part of the Brookbank Trail, which ends at Elden Lookout Road. Upper Oldham Trailhead is here, unmarked, but somebody has found it because cars are parked off the road.

Across the road, the trail takes us by massive basalt boulders on the western flank of Mt. Elden. Here we find a great place for our picnic lunch. A brief walk down the trail takes us to Oldham Trailhead, which is marked.

The Oldham Trail winds around the western edge of Mt. Elden before dipping down into the valley. A deer watches us warily from 100 yards off the trail. Hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians share the trail with us.

On the map Mt. Elden is shaped like a flower with many rounded petals. It looks like we’re coming down from the mountain, but not yet. The trail bends east and climbs to a local high point between two of the petals.

Then it’s down to the valley, which is laced with side trails. Near Oldham Trailhead we had encountered several unmarked side trails branching off to the right. But the valley is laced with unmarked trails. At least the Pipeline Trail is marked.

Left, or right, at an unmarked fork in the trail? We bear left, but then take the next trail right on seeing a big pipe sticking up out of the ground.

What looks like the main trail, probably is the main trail. We turn left and go south on a well-worn trail and soon find an Arizona Trail sign. The Oldham Trail has been adopted as part of passage 33, the Flagstaff re-supply route. The trail crosses a streambed and then climbs up on Switzer Mesa, where it joins a gravel road to Buffalo Park.

Ted takes the drivers back to their cars at Sunset Trailhead, then we all re-convene at Buffalo Park. Some of the hikers switch cars, depending on their plans for after the hike.