From left to right – Chuck, Barry, Don, Suzanne, Rudy, Terry, Arturo, Sandy, and Quy gather around the trailhead sign for the Aspen Nature Loop.

This is a 1.8 mile loop trail that takes the hiker through lush meadows and dense forests of pine and aspen to the Arizona Trail and back. We will hike the first half of this nature trail for almost a mile before linking up with the San Francisco Peaks Segment of the Arizona Trail. The trailhead is accessed by way of the Arizona Snowbowl Road north of Flagstaff, seven miles up the road to the marked trailhead parking area on the left. The Aspen Nature Loop and the Humphreys Peak Trail share the same lower parking lot for the Snowbowl Ski Area.

Local weather forecasts are calling for a 40-50% chance of thunderstorms in the area today, supposedly by late afternoon, and we are greeted by some serious cloud cover at the trailhead.

Before we can even reach the Arizona Trail, scattered raindrops start bouncing off our arms and gear. Oops. Did we make a big mistake by coming here today?

During Arizona’s quirky monsoon season, we never know quite what to expect on our summer outings around the Flagstaff area.

After driving up from the hot dry deserts of southern Arizona and coming across a scene like this less than three hours later, you almost have to wonder what part of the country you are now in.

Most people outside of Arizona would never suspect this lush setting was anywhere near the state and would probably mistakenly assume that it was part of the Olympic Peninsula rain forest instead. I’ve actually been to the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, and that assumption would not really be too far off base. Although the area around the base of the San Francisco Peaks doesn’t receive anywhere near the 150" of annual rainfall the Hoh does, it still manages to produce a pretty spectacular environment such as this during the summer months.

Suzanne, Quy, Terry, and Sandy pose by the Arizona Trail sign that marks the junction of the Aspen Nature Loop and the Arizona Trail.

Hmmm — only 190 miles to the border with Utah. Fascinating.

Let’s see now. We should be able to do at least 15 miles a day, so 190 divided by 15 equals ...

Nah, can’t make it. We don’t have the proper backpacking equipment with us, so we’ll have to put that one on the agenda for another time.

Definitely sounds doable though. Anyone interested?

This stretch of the Arizona Trail winds through large, dense groves of tall aspen that appear to be nearly impenetrable from the outside and thick patches of bracken fern with lots of yellow sunflowers mixed in for extra color. The skies are still a dull gray and the air is heavy with moisture, but the rains seem to be holding off for now. At the first sign of any thunderstorm activity, with the flash of lightning and the boom of rolling thunder, we will start heading back immediately. This is no place to be during a severe thunderstorm. I was once caught up in an extremely violent thunderstorm just below the summit of Mt. Humphreys with a couple of friends a few years ago, and we were lucky to escape unharmed.

The bracken ferns along parts of this trail stand so tall that a dog or a child could easily get lost wondering through them. Some are already chest high, and they will only continue to grow as the summer season progresses. But once fall descends on these mountains of northern Arizona and the icy bite of frost begins to settle on these ferns, they will stop growing and start to turn dusty brown. The aspen will sport crowns of golden yellow. Old man winter isn’t too far behind then.

The aspen in this grove are so thick they form a tight-knit canopy that almost blocks out the sky, providing total shade on a sunny day. But too much sun appears to be only a remote possibility today. Despite the heavy cloud cover and the comfortable 75 degree temperature, the high humidity level is causing us to sweat bullets, especially along the uphill sections of the trail.

I eventually have to stop and break out a sweat band to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Our only saving grace is the cooling breeze that hits us from time to time as we continue heading northward on the trail.

By now, we’re almost hoping the sun doesn’t come out at all today since it will only cause us to sweat even more.

After over three miles of hiking, we come to a trail junction sign for Bismark Lake. Since it’s only 0.3 miles off the Arizona Trail, we decide to check it out and wind up making it both our lunch stop and turnaround point for the day. Seven miles of hiking should just about do it for today, especially since we still don’t know what the weather holds in store for us later in the day. Besides, we can’t pass up the opportunity to explore a brand new lake that none of us is familiar with. Anticipation and discovery are two of the major attractions to hiking. You just never know what lies around that next bend in the trail or over that next hill.

This spot overlooking what’s left of Bismark Lake turns out to be the perfect lunch stop, with large logs for sitting and strategically placed trees and boulders to rest against.

It’s such a peaceful and beautiful area that we spend the better part of an hour resting and relaxing before heading back to the trailhead.

We also watch as Arturo sets up his portable ham antenna by the lake to see who he can contact out here in the middle of nowhere. Arturo is always a great asset to have on our hikes. In case of an emergency, he may very well be our only communications link and will probably be able to contact outside help for us.

Mt. Humphreys and Mt. Agassiz rise in the distance to meet a cloudy Arizona sky.

At center left in the picture is what remains of Bismark Lake. After a near-record amount of snowfall in the peaks this past winter, the lake bed (which fills the entire center of this picture and then some) was probably completely full after the spring melt.

Between evaporation and ground absorption, the lake has gradually shrunk back to this small pool. But with summer rains replenishing the pool now, it should continue to supply vital water to local wildlife well into the fall.

Arturo and Barry hold the skeletal remains of what was probably a large elk. The rest of the spinal column, in addition to several ribs, partial leg bones, and an assortment of bone fragments, lies nearby. Even these meager remains will eventually be broken down and carried away by badgers, coyotes, foxes, and rodents for further consumption. In the natural world almost nothing goes to waste.

What was once a magnificent animal that reigned supreme over his mountain kingdom, in death supplies life-giving nutrients to many other creatures of the forest and ultimately to the soil itself — completing the endless cycle of life in the forests and mountains of northern Arizona.