Oldham Trail

The Skyliners hiked Oldham Trail from Buffalo Park to Eldon Lookout Road on 8 September 2012. Six hikers left from Cottonwood and three from Sedona; we all met at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff to start the hike.

After visiting the portable restrooms, permanently installed at the park entrance, we started our hike at approximately 0900. We walked through the park entrance and continued straight ahead on the fine volcanic gravel road heading almost directly north (13° true). We were actually hiking on a section of the Arizona Trail as we continued along the park road for 0.5 miles to the Oldham Trailhead at the northern park perimeter. The following photograph illustrates the view before us as we traveled north through Buffalo Park. Looking at the horizon, the rounded hump in the center is Doyle, the sharp peak on the left is Agassiz, Fremont is midway between the two and Humphreys, higher but farther away, is barely visible between Agassiz and Fremont.

The San Francisco Peaks from Buffalo Park in Flagstaff 

– photograph by Akemi Tomioka

Having traveled through the park, we were already a half-mile into our hike when we reached the lower Oldham Trailhead. The Arizona Trail, meanwhile, was still contiguous with Oldham Trail as we left the park behind and made our way up the rocky path through the cool pines. The trail was never very steep and there were few loose rocks to cause problems with footing. There were, however, a few patches of loose gravel on hard, slanting surfaces that could lead to slipping.

Things of interest we noted on our way along the trail included a very distinctive malformed pine tree, a very large horned toad and some fenced-off enclosures to protect new-growth aspen.

The malformed pine tree is shown in a photograph by Akemi Tomioka and the horned toad was photo-graphed by Becky Fowsky while being held by Akemi.

Malformed tree

Horned toad

We actually noted two separate fenced-off aspen groves. The fences were high enough to prevent passage of elk and deer as well as livestock. One of the posted signs read in part:

… fence excludes elk, deer and livestock so that they cannot browse on the young aspen as the stand tries to regenerate. When the trees have grown to a size sufficient to withstand browsing (in 20 to 30 Years), the fence will be removed. In the interim, please leave the fence intact.

Another sign, providing some additional information, is shown in this photograph taken by George Everman.

Aspen Regeneration Project sign

About 1.8 miles from the trailhead, we reached the junction with Rocky Ridge Trail. There the Arizona Trail left Oldham to run with Rocky Ridge. We continued on Oldham, stopping to admire mushrooms and flowers along the way.

Photographs of two particularly gorgeous flowers are shown here.  The hand in the pictures belongs to George; the photographs were taken by Akemi.

Unidentified

Birdbill dayflower

We saw a number of mushrooms along the trail. The most striking example is shown below.

Unidentified fungus – It certainly looks good enough to eat

Oldham Trail ends at Eldon Lookout Road. The map I am using in my GPS, on the other hand, refers to it as “Oldham to Sunset Trailhead” and has it continuing northeast along the road for about a quarter of a mile before turning northwest on what (according to the Forest Service website) is Brookbank Trail. Brookbank in turn (again according to the Forest Service website) connects with Sunset trail which one can then follow on to the Schultz Tank area.

But that is a hike for another day. We, instead, proceeded directly across Eldon Lookout Road and took a connector trail that runs down the mountain parallel to the road to join Rocky Ridge Trail. We would take the connector and then Rocky Ridge Trail back down the mountain to rejoin Oldham trail for the return to Buffalo Park.

But first, it was time for lunch, so we paused alongside the connector trail to eat. We also worked in a group photograph and I took my traditional noon nap.

Left to right: Donna Davis, Dolly Yapp, Lila Wright, Miriam Sterling, 

Becky Fowsky, Akemi Tomioka, George Everman and the author 

(sprawled in front) – photograph by our ninth hiker

And since I was already in position, it was an easy transition from posing for the group photograph to my noon nap. I just wolfed down my sandwich, had a quick hot tea and pulled my hat over my face.

The author's noon nap

After a good long nap for me and a well-deserved rest for everyone else, we resumed our hike, arriving shortly at the junction with Rocky Ridge Trail (also the Arizona Trail at this point). We then followed Rocky Ridge southeast for 0.6 miles until it ended at at Oldham Trail.

Just before the junction with Oldham, another trail (a more direct route) leads south (slightly east) to rejoin Oldham Trail farther down at the Waterline Trail junction. Here, the group split some of us returning from here by Oldham Trail the rest taking the more direct route. George, who took the more direct route later sent me a GPS track which I have incorporated into the included map.

The below photograph, taken after the two groups rejoined on Oldham trail, shows the sort of terrain we were hiking through.

Photograph taken by Akemi Tomioka as the two groups of hikers 

reassembled on Oldham Trail

The included map (below) is color coded as follows:

Red – Oldham Trail,

Green – Connector between Oldham and Rocky Ridge Trails,

Blue – The section of Rocky Ridge Trail that we hiked and

Yellow – The alternate route taken by part of the group.