Merriam Crater
Directions: Take Route 89 North to Camp Townsend-Winona Road (At Doney Park), then turn left on Leupp Road. Merriam Crater is probably five miles or so up Leupp Road, on the left. You have to do some dirt-road driving to get to the bottom of the crater, but those roads are good and most cars would be just fine.

Trip report: April 9, 2005

Do wide open spaces give you willies? If so, then a shlep up Merriam Crater wouldn't be your best bet for some exercise and fresh air. If, however, you'd like to do some heavy breathing, only to be rewarded with an amazing 360-degree panorama once you reach the top--not to mention an awesome view every time you pause to catch your breath and look around--then definitely put climbing Merriam Crater on your list.

Located about half an hour's drive from Flagstaff, this ancient volcano is a great choice for a hike if you have some free time on a sunny morning or afternoon, but don't have all day, especially if it isn't too breezy in town. If it is, you'll be wind-blown big-time on Merriam Crater, cuz there ain't much above ankle-height to shelter you, except perhaps a random cow, as evidenced by the petrified patties we observed most of the way up. Today, though, there wasn't a cow on the cinder hill, and the wind was gusting to 20mph. Steve tells me that's pretty usual out there, but it was well worth the matted hair.

We left our little 4-cylinder pick-em-up truck, with its cockeyed bumper and cracked windshield, at the bottom of the long dirt road and started up at ten a.m. Our leaden bodies reached the top an hour later. Boy, that's one steep road--one I prefer to walk up and down, rather than drive. (But that's just me.) At times it was so steep, I had trouble with traction on the hard-packed dirt and instead walked on the softer cinders along the edge, careful not to squash any vegetation, which here and there included a cluster of prickly things with long, sharp prickles. To Sassy, our four-legged hiking buddy, the climb was just another leisurely walk, but I had to command my two overloaded legs to move forward, especially from about the halfway point, where things really start to look up. Sure looks easier from the bottom.

As we reached the flapping wind sock at the top, I didn't have much breath left to catch but did so anyway, and made a slow turn with a satisfied smile. Snow-capped San Franciso Peaks. Lava flows and mesas. Puffy white and pink clouds. And so many cinder hills left to climb. Oh, and that iiiitty-bitty red speck that Steve said was our truck. It sure feels good to walk, even when we could have driven at least partway up, where there's another place to park vehicles and people that don't have quite enough umpf. Steve, Sassy and I parked our own butts just to the lee-side of the top and soaked up some Vitamin D.

While our sweat was drying and we were enjoying our accomplishment, an SUV seemed to appear out of nowhere; we hadn't heard it until it reached the top. All of that open space and the steady wind must have gobbled up the sound of the engine, because I'd just been thinking how quiet it was up there after all the noise of Flagstaff, including those long, loud greetings from frequent trains. Strapped to the top of the SUV-that-could was a wrapped-up hangglider, and out of the vehicle emerged three men who were clearly looking forward to some flying. After several minutes of contemplation, however, with the help of a hand-held gizmo to gauge wind speed, they decided it was too gusty. Phooey. Steve and I would have enjoyed watching them. On a calmer day, though, you're likely to see people riding the thermals, along with the vultures and hawks and maybe even a bald eagle. (We've seen a few in the past couple of months.)

After another spin around the parking area at top, to check out the view from all angles, we headed down. For a while, Steve and I walked on the cinders instead of the road, where we probably would have slipped and landed on our keesters. The softer ground not only gave us traction but was kind to our knees also. We then intersected the road where the slope becomes gentler, and after a two-hour tour, returned to our truck a bit fitter, tanner and definitely hungrier. (By the way, there's a restaurant on Leupp Road, on the way back to Flag, where Steve says the burgers are some of the best around. It's called T-Bows 2Bar3 Saloon, and it looks a lot like it sounds. Very western. I guess I'll have to test one of those burgers myself, the next time we climb Merriam Crater.)

--Ramkitten