Sagebrush personal hiking blog
MRT 2021 Day 11, April 15, Thursday
• Start S3 mile 53.1
• End S3 mile 68.6
• Miles walked: 15.5
After quickly leaving the Highline Trail, the Military Sinkhole Trail (why is it named that?) leads up to the Mogollon Rim. Up on top is cold and windy in early morning. The Lakes Vista Trail follows along the edge, giving vistas of rolling hills of ponderosa pine forest.
The route eventually leaves the edge and goes along Willow Springs Lake.
MRT 2021 Day 10, April 14, Wednesday
• Start S3 mile 27.6
• End S3 mile 53.1
• Miles walked: 25.5
Our route stays on the Highline Trail all day. Still located in the old burn area, the pathway has not been redone to make it friendly to mountain bikers and to prevent erosion problems.
At mid-morning the route goes over slickrock, horizontal gently rounded sandstone rock formations.
MRT 2021 Day 9, April 13, Tuesday
• Start S3 mile 2.5 at tent site
• End S3 mile 27.6
• Miles walked: 25.1
Our route continues along the Highline Trail all day. The original Highline was used in the late 1800s to connect ranches and homesteads under the Rim. Today’s Highline was designed with notions of modern trail design, with controlled grades, swoops, swells, and turns. The day starts in mixed conifer with large areas of shrub, on red dirt. Views of the Rim above continue to impress.
