Third Leg - Coronado Trail

We were ready!!  This trail was been described in an AZ Central article as:

"Anyone in a hurry should give the twisted stretch of highway a pass. This is a meandering, moseying, slow-motion drive. The 123 miles of pavement between Springerville and Clifton feature 460 curves skirting the eastern edge of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. Thrilling, scary and dramatic, but speedy it’s not."

Yep, pretty accurate description, in my opinion. Oh! But ever so much more fun than you can imagine from reading the paragraph above. It was difficult to keep my eyes on the curves, ever mindful of the next possible pullout, scenic view or some car over the center line gawking at the same thing I was trying to not look at.

We also saw some fall color on the lower parts of the trail. However, be prepared that in the area above and around Hannagan Meadow there is a great deal of devastation from forest fires.  Enjoy the photos.

These were taken from one of the scenic view pullouts.  Up at the top of this mountain you had an almost 270 degree view of the world below.  I really felt like I was on top of the world!!  I was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the fall version of colorful spring flowers that must dot this forest floor in Hannagan Meadow.

I want to go back down (or up) the Coronado Trail again in the spring.  It will be magnificent.

At the end of the trail we stopped at the Morenci Mine.  Now, that was an eye popper!! That is coming up in the next post.