Turning of Leaves

"Leaves of gold: Gentle breeze turned you old. You whispered your age, But we were not on the same page. You are timeless beauty; And I'm just a gray-haired Sage." (lcarreau - 2009) Two remnants peaks (Doyle and Fremont) of the San Francisco Mountain volcano shine in the fading light of a crisp Autumn day. A trail begins at 8,600 ft on the west side of Lockett Meadows. In about 2.5 miles and 1,500 ft of elevation gain, the Inner Basin Trail merges with the Weatherford Trail. Under special order, camping is prohibited in the Inner Basin, which is the watershed for the city of Flagstaff. There's currently a small primitive campground at the end of the dirt road in Lockett meadows. An extensive stand of aspens intermingled with conifers cover the slopes above the meadows. Time marches very slowly here. October 7, 2009