Summer Escapes: A Walk in the Woods

Sometimes you are not in the mood for a full-fledged hike. What you most want is a walk — a pleasant unhurried amble that promises discoveries along the way. That’s just how Lynn and I felt recently when we took the 1.6 mile Lamar Haines loop near Flagstaff.

The trail begins behind this sign.

Of course, we are never happy to follow directions exactly as recommended. We managed to turn it into 2.4 miles, and later added three-plus miles out and back on Arizona Trail’s Passage 34 at Aspen Corner.

Fork left at the Lamar Haines plaque to visit historic remains.

Listed in most guidebooks and hiking blogs as Veit Springs this 160-acres Memorial Wildlife Preserve is beautiful year rounds. We visited it in August but I have seen pictures of what the area looks like in fall, when the aspen are quaking with golden leaves and barren in winter surrounded by snowfall.

The trail itself is well marked, taking walkers through shaded forests of old growth connifers, aspen and wet meadows. Elk and mule deer are plentiful in the early mornings here, and squirrels and birds active midday. The avid birder may even spy the Mexican spotted owl and the northern goshawk on a walk through this preserve.

Consult the map at the entrance to the park; you will find the trail forms a big loop. You will enjoy it most taking the loop counter clockwise, going right at every fork until arriving at the Lamar Haines memorial plaque, at which point a left turn will get you to the other sights of interest.

The area was purchased by Ludwig Veit in 1892 through the Homestead Act. He used it as a place to keep sheep. It is likely that Veit was responsible for the two stone structures that still stand on the property: one built into the basalt rock face, the other a spring house, whose hatch reveals the spring water below.

The remains of the one-room Veit cabin is nearby. His name is carved into a large boulder near by. We did not walk along the basalt escarpment in search of the pictographs left by native peoples who had taken advantage of the ponds and warm springs of the area centuries ago.

Randolph and Julia Jenks, owners of Deerwater Ranch, bought the property in 1928. A clearing is all that remains of the Jenks’ cabin. In 1948, they sold the land to the Arizona Game and Fish Department for one dollar, whereupon it was turned it into a preserve to provide water and habitat for wildlife on Agassiz Peak. It is sustained by private donations and was named for Lamar Haines, a popular Flagstaff teacher and conservationist, who died in 1986.

We encountered a number of visitors along the route, both going and coming. When we arrived at the makeshift parking area at 8:30 a.m. we found three cars ahead of us. When we left an hour and a half later, there were twice as many, some of which were parked on either side of the road to Snowbowl. We never felt rushed or crowded. No one disturbed the quiet of this lovely place.

Getting There: From Phoenix, take I-17 north to US180 west, 7.5 miles. At milepost 223 turn right onto Snowbowl Road and drive 4.2 miles to the Lamar Haines Memorial Wildlife Area trailhead on the right. Parking is limited.

Elevation: 8,600 ft.

Site administered by: Arizona Game & Fish Department http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/wildlife_area_lamar_haines.shtml