July 19, 2020

July 19, 2020

This morning we again got out and got some much needed exercise. We hiked the very nice, but too-short Rim Trail along a section of the Mogollon Rim. This is the forested cliff that separates the high Colorado Plateau from the lowlands of southern Arizona. The cliff edge is red rock like so much of the exposed sections of the plateau. The trail has lots of interpretative signs so we learn a little about the Alligator Juniper and the Manzanita groundcover. We also learn that we are hiking within the largest contiguous stand of Ponderosa Pine in the world.

We then drove to the Porter Mountain area and did a section of the Panorama trail. This nice hike through the Ponderosa Pine forest weaves around the many cinder cones that litter this area. We get nice views from the side of one hill. When we make it back to the car, our shoes and socks are thick with red dust. That is the downside of hiking in geologic areas, lots of fine volcanic dust.

In the afternoon we check out some more real estate options before getting Thai for dinner.