Woodchute Mountain

This morning we drove up into Prescott National Forest on a windy road through Jerome Arizona and further up to Mingus Pass, to take FR 106 to hike the Woodchute Mountain Trail 102. Overall we hiked about 8.5 miles and 1,100 ft. 

We had read that the trail starts by hiking a mile up the road to the trailhead. Later, we realized with the gate open on the forest road we could have driven to the trailhead today.

Gate at the beginning of the trail.

This trail is a mixture of ridge lines, open slopes and pine forest. Here looking towards Sedona and the San Francisco Peaks to the north.

zoom of the red rocks near Sedona

The trail is a nice gentle grade.

We found water in a creek where the trail enters the Woodchute Mountain Wilderness. Here there is a trail going off to the left past the Woodchute Tanks, we took a side trip to look at the tanks.

First tank (or pond) we saw, 

the second tank was quite a bit larger.

Bones from an elk or deer kill near the second tank.

We returned to the Woodchute Mountain Trail, here we are looking down on the larger tank, and further in the distance is Prescott Valley.

Up on the plateau of Woodchute Mountain is a nice pine forest. Shortly after taking this photo, I saw a mountain lion running across through the forest about 70 yards in front of us.

We stopped before the trail headed down the other side of the mountain for a view and our lunch break. Looking north towards Sedona and further to the San Francisco Peaks.

partial zoom of our view:

zoom of the San Francisco Peaks:

We saw only a few wildflowers in bloom this morning: