The Kachina Trail, Coconino National Forest

Location: Take Route 80 (Fort Valley Road) to the Snowbowl Road.

Hiking Distance: 4.5 miles, one way

Approximate Hiking Time (not including stopping to smell things): 4 hours

Trip report: May 1, 2004

We'd intended to hike for only a couple of hours--an hour out, an hour back--but we just kept on goin'. It was as perfect as a day can get--blue skies, comfortably warm, and the trail quiet on this Saturday morning. Our dog, Sassy, was happily trotting along (on a leash, cuz she'd be off after a jackrabbit, lickety-split, if she were loose), and Steve and I were enjoying the scenery and conversation. So why not continue walking? Besides, I have this thing about completing trails. Stopping somewhere between one end and the other and turning around just isn't in my nature. I always have to see what the other end looks like.

The Kachina Trail makes for great day-hiking, if you don't mind returning the way you came. A loop-hike is possible if you connect with other trails or do some dirt-road-walking, but that would be one long day, or better suited to an overnighter. If you've got two vehicles, though, and can spare about forty minutes for some additional driving, a car-shuttle is your other option. But anyhoo....

Steve and I started out at 9:15. As time and only a few other hikers passed, I commented on how uncrowded the trail was. I'd never been on the Kachina Trail before, but given the easy access from the Snowbowl (ski area) parking lot, and the easy to just moderately strenuous hiking, I'd expected to see many more weekend walkers. Instead, we had most of the trail to ourselves.

On two occasions, we encountered people also hiking with their dogs. But neither of them had their dogs on leashes, and when we shortened Sassy's leash to keep her near us as we passed, the other hikers each said, "Oh, my dog is friendly." I'm sure they are, but you just never know what a dog's reaction will be when meeting another dog. I don't have a problem with very well-trained--as in, voice-responsive--dogs being off-leash, but I've seen few dogs that truly fit that description, and owners often allow their dogs to rush right up to Sassy. With rare exceptions, we keep Sassy on a leash unless she's fenced in, as she is at home in her own backyard, and she gets a little defensive when other dogs approach her while she's on the leash. The hair on her back goes up and a warning growl comes out, as if to say, "Look, buddy, I may weigh only twenty-three and a half pounds, but don't give me any crap." And we worry what another dog's reaction might be, if that other dog is unrestrained. We've seen some nasty dog-fights in local "bark parks," when those often dog-friendly pooches get a stiff hair up their heineys and, all at once, you have mahem.

Well, ANYway. Back to the trail....

The Kachina Trail offers a nice balance between aspen and evergreen forest, and mountain meadow, with some beautiful views and plenty of spots that beckon you to come and sit for a while. The largest meadow along the way is what Steve calls Hourglass Meadow; although we're not sure what it's official name is. That's just the way my native-Flagstaffer husband refers to it because of it's shape, you see.

The Kachina Trail passes through Hourglass Meadow at the lower end, so you can look up and see where the meadow narrows, before widening again at the top. We took a short break there, then continued maybe three-quarters of a mile further to the eastern end of the Kachina Trail, where it meets the Weatherford Trail. At the junction, we plunked ourselves in the grass for a snack and a good rest before turning around and seeing the Kachina Trail from the other direction. Those four-plus miles had taken us about two hours at a comfortable, leisurely pace.

The way back, however, seemed longer and the uphills more tiring, as our energy dwindled. We hadn't brought along much of a lunch, so our fuel reserves were low. Sassy, though, had eaten her fill (a pouch of dog food in gravy) and was still trotting with a bounce in each step, enjoying every moment, which made me happy. When I hike with my dog, most of my attention is focused on her. I smile as I watch her wag her way along, periodically stopping to sniff some foreign pee or watch a small critter. Walking is her favorite thing to do.

As we approached the other end of the trail at two-thirty, we began seeing many more hikers, all within a mile of the parking area. I assumed that most folks had come out for just a short, mid-afternoon walk. After all, there are some neat rock formations and small meadows not far from the western terminus, so I didn't think much of the fact that those hikers were so bunched up.

The next day, however, when I picked up the local paper, a front-page story explained why there hadn't been more people further along the trail earlier in the day. Apparently, soon after Steve and I had begun hiking, forest rangers had closed the Kachina Trail after a hiker reported hearing and then catching a glimpse of two mountain lions within a short distance of the trailhead. Since that's very unusual, rangers were concerned for public safety. The trail was closed for several hours while they searched the area. Eventually, the rangers located the source of the sound, which turned out to be two bobcats rather than their much larger feline cousins, as the hiker had thought. The Kachina Trail was reopened not long before Steve and I returned to where we'd started.

I highly recommend the Kachina Trail for a day or partial day of hiking, or as part of a loop hike in the San Francisco peaks. There are no water sources along the way, so if you're planning to do the whole trail--8.5 miles out and back--I'd bring along at least three liters of water, a good lunch and some snacks. Even if the weather is warm and sunny, stash a jacket in your daypack just in case, since you'll be hiking at round about 9,000 feet. Oh, and don't forget plenty of water and a lunch for your dog!

--Ramkitten