Spring snow. It seems to happen fairly often around here. We just had a May storm that dropped snow on the new crab apple blossoms. I’ve written similar blogs before in 2014 and 2015Ā and there have been other events in recent years.
The NWS recently posted a tweet that shows 54 years out of 118 (46%) have had snow in May. So—not rare at all. Quite pretty, in fact.
Here are a few images of the snow sitting on crab apple and forsythia blossoms plus the not-quite-blooming iris.
Snow and crab apple blossoms.Snow and forsythia blossoms.New snow on iris.
Most of the snow was gone by afternoon. The next morning we did a trail run up Schultz Creek Trail. It’s a shady location and there were still patches of snow. After many weeks of running on dry, dusty trails the damp trail that morning was fun.
It has been a wet autumn with precipitation amounts well above average for both the month and season. This has resulted in water flowing in some of the small seeps, springs, and streams in the Red Rock country of Arizona.
After a trail run earlier last week to view the water in the desert I returned a second time with photographic intentions. I was particularly interested in the tinajas located in a small side canyon. There had been running water—albeit a slow trickle—on that first trip and I was interested in capturing images of the water.
Brilliant blue skies above a series of small tinajas. The largest tinaja at the base of the pouroff is aboutĀ 2 metersĀ in diameter.
Although only a few days had passed between trips the flow of water had noticeably diminished; it will likely take another substantial rain event to bring the water levels back.
Sky and trees are reflected in the tinaja.
Even so, the tinaja was still full of clear water and made for an excellent subject with bright sunlight in the morning and soft shadows in the afternoon.
A water seep in the wall allows ferns to grow—and a small tree as well.
Farther up the side canyon was this wall with a water seep that allows a few ferns to take hold and grow. While this is fairly common, the tree growing out of the ferns is decidely less so.
The 7th Annual Kahtoola Agassiz Uphill Race was held this weekend on the slopes on Humphreys Peak and within the boundaries of the Arizona Snowbowl. This is a winter race with runners using whatever sort of foot traction suits them. Some wear Kahtoola microspikes as minimalist equipment. Others use snowshoes. And some use skis—both downhill and telemark style. It’s an interesting contest as the runners can easily outpace the skiers on the way up—but skiers have the advantage on the downhill. Still, the fastest competitors were the runners.
Providing the rhythmic drumming during the event was Flagstaff’s very own Sambatuque.
Always looking for new trail running routes, the Northern Arizona Trail Runners Association (NATRA) found themselves on a section of old Route 66 between Ash Fork and Williams, Arizona, on this sunny and warm spring morning. This section is also known as the Ash Fork Hill Bicycle Tour. (Map here.)
NATRA runners on Route 66: 1931 alignment near Ash Fork, Arizona.NATRA runners cresting a hill top on Route 66.
Two parallel segments of Route 66 exist here: the original 1922 alignment (also known as the Old Trails Highway) and the 1931 alignment that replaced it. And, of course, the newest alignment is Interstate 40 just a few hundred meters away. The 1931 segment is composed of old and crumbling asphalt while the 1922 segment retains the original gravel road.
Route 66: 1931 alignment.
The group initially headed westward on the paved segment which has a net downhill and made the return trip on the uphill graveled segment. The soft gravel combined with the steady uphill climb made us pay for our earlier cruise on the downhill.
The 1922 alignment of Route 66 with the original gravel road bed.
A comparison of the retired segments and the current Interstate highway provides an interesting perspective on how American highways have evolved over the decades.
Kaibab Forest marker for Historic Route 66.
It’s fascinating to imagine cars driving on these old roads — where they came from and where they were going.
The Arizona Trail is a National Scenic Trail from that traverses the state from Mexico to Utah. Currently 96% of the trail is complete. In the Flagstaff area are a couple of extraordinary sections of the trail — including the portion that runs along the rim of Walnut Canyon.
Within a few minutes of leaving the trailhead the trail drops down into a side canyon that provides an expansive view of the main canyon. But if you are running the trail you need to keep your eyes on the trail and not the view. This is a good reason to stop and take a good look — or a photograph — before resuming the run.
Arizona Trail along the edge of Walnut Canyon.
Portions of this trail have been re-routed recently. This includes the sections that drop down into and climb back out of the side canyon. The old sections were becoming eroded and difficult to maintain. The new sections have a more gradual slope and will shed water better so that the trail resists erosion.
One of the best features of this trail run is heading out to one of the many overlooks and peering into the canyon. Because this area was inhabited by the Sinagua there are many artifacts lying around and with sharp eyes pieces of pottery are easily spotted. Enjoy — but please leave them where you found them!
This run is 8-miles out and back and has a lot of climbing — in both directions. The trail is well marked and can be quite busy at times with hikers, runners, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Share the trail and enjoy!
