Lynx Lake

{hike of the month} Water Sportsmen, Hikers and Bird-watchers Delight in Lynx Lake

PICTURE-POSTCARD PANORAMA Awaited me on Lynx Lake's north shore. On a fall afternoon, cumulus clouds drifted lazily over the Bradshaw Mountains' blue silhouette that stretched across the horizon. A breeze stirred the 55-acre lake, where the sky's reflection rippled into a kaleidoscope of stormy gray, cerulean blue and sunlight gold.

Towering ponderosa and piñon pine trees framed the view, an enticement to venture around this lake 4 miles east of Prescott in the Prescott National Forest. The 1.25-million-acre national forest lies in a mountainous section of central Arizona, wedged between forested plateaus to the north and cactus-laden desert to the south. Here, one of the most popular recreation spots is Lynx Lake, a playground for hikers, canoeists, fishermen and bird-watchers.

On the lake's north shore, I peered through binoculars to catch a glimpse of resident birds, including bald eagles and blue herons. I spotted two bald eagle nests perched high atop two ponderosas near the lake's east bank.

Prescott National Forest wildlife biologist Noel Fletcher later told me the eagles put on a grand show between mid-February and midMarch, their mating season. Their cartwheel courtship begins high in the air, with the two birds darting and diving at each other. Next they lock talons and drop in a spinning freefall until they nearly hit the ground, when they separate and fly back up into the heights.

Two mallards' feathers shimmered green as they skimmed the lake, leaving a V-shaped wake in their path. Silent and alone, a blue heron stalked the shoreline in a stately stride, waiting to spot its prey. As I ventured beyond the north shore, I turned right, heading south, onto Trail 311, a 2-mile loop around the lake that's fragrant with ponderosas and lush in texture. Berries dangle from manzanita bushes' maroon and silver entwined branches, alligator juniper trees wear reptilian bark and woolly mulleins' soft leaves feel like a fuzzy blanket.

I felt my everyday stresses melt along this easy path, which is paved and wheelchairaccessible on the lake's west side. Occasional benches invite hikers to stop, linger and savor the silence, while short side trails lead to fishing spots.

The trail loops to the south end of the lake, a popular picnicking and bank fishing destination, and angles down to the mouth of Lynx Creek, which feeds the lake. Here I could imagine myself on the banks of a jungle stream, lush in willow, Virginia creeper, cattails and tall, swaying grasses. Doves, robins, jays and blackbirds, as well as waterfowl such as grackles, coots and ducks can be spotted here. On this afternoon, a pair of geese trailed ducks on the lake like schoolyard bullies, all the while honking in outbursts that sounded like raucous laughter.

I journeyed south along the east side of the lake, which is closed to hikers from December 1 to June 15 if nesting bald eagles have laid eggs. I passed more bank-fishing spots, where fishermen stood before the lake that glistened like sequins. They patiently waited for a tug on their lines from a rainbow trout, bluegill or bass. I followed a branch of the trail south that angles down next to a dam, which allows slow summer drainage to flow into Lynx Lake.

As I returned to the north shore, I once again lingered over the postcard view, a snapshot of man and nature, in perfect harmony. Al