The Flagstaff Urban Trail System, AZ
The view of Flagstaff from the top of Mars Hill.
Last weekend my husband had to work up in Flagstaff, AZ, about two and a half hours north of our home in Chandler. I availed myself of the opportunity for a free hotel room, and drove up to join him on Friday night.
Saturday I set out to explore the lovely city of Flagstaff. I wanted to enjoy the wonderful fall weather to its fullest, so I decided a bit of hiking was in order. After perusing the area map provided to me by the hotel, I found one of the entrances to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS, pronounced “foots”).
FUTS is a network of trails maintained by the City of Flagstaff and totalling, at present, 49 miles. The final plan is to have a system of about 130 miles of shared-use trails. The trails range along the quaint and historic streets of Flagstaff, along historic Route 66, through canyons and meadows, and throughout the surrounding National Forest. All of the trails are free to use, non-motorized, and welcome walkers, hikers, joggers, bicyclists, and pets (on leashes).
The trail through the forest.
I personally hiked a portion of the Mars Hill Trail, which begins in Thorpe Park (via Toltec St. from the South, or Thorpe Rd. from the North) and ends just below the Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill.
A tree, dead but still standing, against the blue, blue sky.
Armed with my camera, a water bottle, and my cell phone, I picked a direction and just… walked. Strolled, really. Joggers and speedier walkers passed me with a cheerful, “Good morning!” I paused frequently, to listen to the wind shushing through the pines, the chatter of birds and squirrels, and the blessed LACK of traffic noise. The forest is almost tidy. Very little undergrowth, which I attribute to the wildfire concern that keeps the Forest Service constantly clearing away brush and deadfall.
The tidy forest.
I walked for about a half-hour, and found myself in a denser section of the forest. It was absolutely still – I couldn’t even detect wildlife anywhere around me. The trail continued ahead of me, but I didn’t have a trail map with me at the time, and didn’t know how much further it went, or if it looped back around to the park entrance at all. So I decided to go back the way I came, but I left with the desire to return again soon and explore the trail to the end, plus explore all of the other trails that the Flagstaff Urban Trail System has to offer.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Graces Limo, Laura. Laura said: My latest for @UpTake: The Flagstaff Urban Trail System – http://bit.ly/2FyP1N [...]
[...] I mentioned in my previous entry, I joined my husband last weekend up in Flagstaff, since he had to work a job up there and the [...]
It is amazing how clear the area beneath the trees is. With so many problems here out West with wildfires, every homeowner should clear the dead brush away on their properties. A quality machete comes in very handy for clearing brush on my property. I do the job that the periodic forest fires in the past would have done to destroy the built-up tinder.
There is a map available for the Flagstaff Urban Trails System, the Flagstaff Urban Trails and Bikeways Map. You can pick it up for free at the Visitor Center, City Hall, public libraries, and most bike shops in Flagstaff – or you can download a version at http://www.flagstaff.az.gov/index.aspx?NID=1521
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The youtube version, with original footage appears under “USS ARIZONA SINKING”