I was there on 6/14. At the time, I assumed it was new trail that either avoided the Kachina Peaks Wilderness or entered the wilderness farther along, perhaps to avoid the well-worn Weatherford Trail. Looking at the new GPS data I now see that it’s the former case. And that’s really too bad. Understandable from the perspective of those in charge, who may see it as a win-win (legal mountain bike access and a less snow-intensive route for spring thru-hikers and equestrians). But a shame when you consider that the Mazatzal is now the last Wilderness area traversed by the trail, hardly more than half-way along toward the northern terminus. What’s more, the Kachina Trail is absolutely gorgeous, owing to its height along the mountain, with a remarkable aspen-spruce-fir forest among subalpine parks offering commanding views both up to the peaks and down to the valleys. A fitting reward for many, many miles of flat, viewless ponderosa forest slogging.
Perhaps the newly built AZ Trail makes up for lost time north of the Snowbowl area. Other than that, it looks like a disappointment, overly convoluted, front-country, viewless, and a continuing opportunity to study the impressions of tire tracks in horse crap. Of course, we’re all free to hike our own hikes. (Stop me if I’m being overly melodramatic.)
blisterfree
