Rodeo is in Payson next weekend — 8/14-16 — so I figured I’d best do the Mogollon Rim Vista Loop today, rather than fight an even bigger horde of Beeline traffic in seven days. (It’s always interesting to be cruising south on Friday afternoon, while the opposite direction is bumper-to-bumper as Phoenix spews its automotive psychoses northward.) Took a bit longer to get to the Two Sixty TH than I expected as there is construction on Hwy. 260. When is there not construction on 260? Seriously, I have never driven it when there isn’t. 🙄
Despite being 68° when I started at 8:00 a.m., it was pretty toasty in the sun. Good thing Trail #179 had lots of high quality shade. Unfortunately all the shady parts had hordes of gnats and mosquitoes. I avoided being bitten by keeping moving, but still managed to snort one bug and swallow another. 🤢
Traffic noise on Trail #179, and later on Trail #31, was very loud, as they pass within a few hundred yards of Hwy. 260. 🤨
The ascent on Trail #179 is in two parts, a fairly steep 300 ft, a mile of flat, and then a not as steep 700 feet. After that the loop is flat or downhill, with no “climb” more than 30 feet here or there.
The two miles of Trail #622 are paved, and near Rim Rd., but the incredible views make it more than worth it. 😳
There were not a lot of flowers on the loop, but there was an incredible variety of species. Easily dozens of different kinds. 🙂
Off trail, it was not hard sticking close to the edge of the Rim. I recommend doing so for additional great views. And birds. I spent about 15 minutes on Hill 7681 taking pictures of birds soaring in the thermals. It was hard to zoom in to get sufficient detail, but keep the birds in frame as they flew, and so I ended up shooting about 30 photos to get a half dozen decent ones.
I was sitting on a rock next to Trail #31 when I heard this loud, heavy, ba-thump, ba-thump thudding up the trail towards me. I looked around to see I was being charged by a squirrel. First thought was “Rabies!?”, but when he was two feet away he veered off into a bush. A few seconds later, four ladies on horses, and two large dogs came up the trail. I guess they were squirrel herders. 😁
I’m trying to get better at this video thing, so comment here and let me know what worked for you, and what didn’t. 🤔
GPS File: Mogollon_Rim_Vista_Loop
Distance: 13.09 mi.
AEG: 1,452 ft.
Time: 5h 08m
Hiking Video
Mogollon Rim Vista Loop from Preston McMurry on Vimeo.
