Amy's Rear View Mirror

Whitford Canyon

April 2003

 
I packed a cooler and my Golden Retriever, Lady, and we took a drive into the Tonto National Forest in search of a trail known for wildflowers. The trailhead was about 5 miles into the forest by way of a dirt/rock road. There really wasn't a parking place, you just pull off the forest road out of the way.

This trail is a section of the Arizona Trail, which when completed will eventually be a 790 mile non-motorized trail that goes from Mexico to Utah. The Arizona Trail is intended to be a primitive, long distance trail whose primary users are hikers, equestrians, and mountain bicyclists.

The section we hiked was a very easy walk with hardly any elevation change which follows a creek. There were wildflowers all over the place. I walked around taking pictures and Lady played in the creek. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. We were both muddy by the time we were ready to head home, but that's a sign that we had fun.

So when you hear someone talk about the AT, you need to find out if they're talking about the Arizona Trail or the Appalachian Trail ... both use the same abbrev.

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