BACK ROAD ADVENTURE

mile. The route makes a loop, and I follow the left trail. The mass of lava rock testifies to the San Francisco Peaks' volcanic origins. Following the first frost, trailside ferns will weave a gaudy mat of variegated dark green and gold colors under the Douglas fir andponderosa pine trees. The trail rambles gently in and out of small arroyos for three-quarters of a mile to where a small spur trail leads left about 100 feet to Ludwig Veit's cabin. The maroon-colored, rusted tin roof is splashed with aspen leaves. Veit homesteaded there in

ALONG THE TRAIL Built into the side of a cliff, these rock springhouses held piping systems that collected spring water for Ludwig Veit, who homesteaded 160 acres here in 1892. 1892, his one-room cabin surrounded on three sides by enormous lava boulders. For safety, the home has been cut down to 5 feet tall, but peering through the doorway, I see weathered floorboards. Just beyond the house, an arrow carved into an aspen tree points to Veit's name carved into a large boulder. Two small rock buildings house the springs that once attracted Veit. In spite of all the moisture that falls on the peaks, there are surprisingly few springs. The porous ground allows moisture to sink into underground rivers. Past the springs, the spur trail leads left along the basalt cliff, where a small seep trickles out of the ground and a cave cuts into the rock. To the left of the cave opening, look for three red handprints, pictographs from early Indians, and highon the rock face to the right, you'll see another pictograph of two human figures, one with horns. Between the figures is a long pole with three dangling zigzags. Archaeologists estimate the figures are more than 1,000 years old, so their meaning remains mysterious. After backtracking to the main trail, it's a short walk to a plaque commemorating Lamar Haines. The wildlife area is named for Haines, a Flagstaff educator who helped establish an environmental education curriculum. Near the plaque, a clearing is all that remains of the cabin of Randolph and Julia Jenks, who owned the Deerwater Ranch. In 1948, they sold the land to the Arizona Game and Fish Department for just $1. From this point, the route loops back to the trailhead. Eventually, snow will cover Veit's little cabin amid the boulders, and the enigmatic pictographs will witness the silence of another winter. But for now, I'm content to enjoy a high-country amble.

trail guide

Length: 1.5 miles round-trip. Elevation Gain: 60 feet. Difficulty: Easy. Payoff: Pictographs, an abandoned cabin and wildlife. Location: Snowbowl at Flagstaff. Getting There: From Flagstaff, drive for 7 miles on U.S. Route 180 to Forest Service Road 516 (paved Snowbowl Road) and turn right. Travel 4.5 miles and watch for a small parking area on the right side. The information sign is just inside the fence; Veit Springs Trail veers to the right immediately past the sign. Additional Information: Arizona Game and Fish Department, (928) 774-5045; www.azgfd.gov.

Meadows of Memory Black River Route Offers Relief and Recollection

STUDYING HANNAGAN Meadow in the predawn light, I think back to old Robert Hannagan, the Nevada miner who gave his name to the meadow and the lodge that graces its edge. What went through Hannagan's head when he stumbled upon this mountain paradise? Did he share my feelings of wonder? What about those rattled bone-weary travelers who climbed from their ModelTs on the bumpy, two-day journey from Springerville to Clifton? I recall being 16 or 17 years old and watching my coonhound bound through the swampy spring in the meadow's center, with her long ears flapping, running for the sheer joy of it. Today, as I start south on U.S. Route 191 from Hannagan Meadow, dawn slowly seeps over the eastern edge of the trees, barely penetrating the dense pine canopy. The road becomes enveloped in fog. Aspen leaves create a yellow shower in the gentle breeze, their Day-Glo foliage contrasting with the greenand bluetinted spruce. At a cool 47 degrees, this day, high in the mountains of east-central Arizona, starts perfectly. Five miles south of Hannagan Meadow Lodge, I turn off U.S. 191 and immediately enter wolf country, a terrain so remote, wild and bountiful that biologists chose the area to release Mexican gray wolves in an attempt to re-establish this ecological keystone predator in Arizona. Every dirt road in the wolf recovery area offers signs that explain the reintroduction process. Though I'm not likely to see any of the 50 wolves now roaming eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, their very presence here makes the drive exciting. The reintroduction turns back

DUDE RANCH DELIGHT Day breaks over horses grazing at the Sprucedale Ranch (above), a family run haven where visitors can ride horses along trails with glistening mountain streams and grassy meadows. EDWARD MCCAIN Sethe clock to when wolves and grizzly bears last shared these woods in the early 1900s. Before the reintroduction effort began in 1998, wolves had been missing from their post at the top of the food chain since the early 1970s. Grizzlies have had a longer and, most likely, permanent exodus from Arizona. The last reported grizzly bear was shot just south of here in 1935 in Strayhorse Canyon.

With wolves and grizzlies filling my thoughts, I relish this time on a back-country road. I relax and soak up the nice weather and the beautiful surroundings. I forget, for a time, the 165 seventh graders that I am currently student-teaching. Although I enjoy teaching them about the blood of Antietam, the stone wall at Fredericksburg, and Picket's Charge, I savor this time away, concerned only with the chirping of birds, the girth of blue spruce and the occasional bubbling stream. The drive runs along Corduroy Creek and its headwaters that travel by an unmarked trail. Aspens RETURN OF THE PACK Signs indicate Mexican gray wolf territory, where reintroduction efforts began in 1998. A biologist team tracks the wolves' collars to monitor their movements and well-being. TOM BEAN stand upon the ridges, acting as forest sentinels. The whitebarked trees have taken on a skeletal look, dressing up for Halloween. Soon, I pass over Fish Creek and a small valley that cuts a beautiful swath through the forest. Running stronger than Corduroy, Fish Creek offers a tranquil spot to pause and take in the ambience. I breathe deeply, inhaling the sweet and fresh forest air that lacks my accustomed dose of Phoenix smog.

Soon the forest opens up with ponderosa pines replacing the thick spruce trees. A doe and her fawn spring from one side of the road and vanish down the other side with a grace unattainable by bipeds.

Gambel oaks mix with the pines as Fish Creek wanders off to the west through a larger canyon. Bypassing a crossroad that leads back toward Hannagan Meadow, I continue straight toward the East Fork of the Black River. At the right time of the day in the right month, this path yields frequent wildlife sightings. Just last August, I encountered two giant bull elk, but on this trip I see only deer. The reason becomes more apparent as several DEER CROSSING Mule deer (below) cross a road in the ApacheSitgreaves National Forests. Other wildlife sightings in the area include elk, bighorn sheep, wild turkeys, bald eagles and black bears. EDWARD MCCAIN

MYSTERY IN THE MEADOW

Built in 1926, Hannagan Meadow Lodge (right) has kept its charm alive with odd ghost stories and the unanswered mystery of whether John Wayne's signature is scribbled behind the sitting room's fireplace mantel. TOM BEAN Pickups with gun racks driven by men in camouflage lumber slowly by. An older Ford carries a buck strapped to the roof.

I want to see the river, so I continue along a large open meadow dotted with cattle.

After 24 miles since my start, I reach the East Fork of the Black River. The slow ebb of water meandering from its mountain home fills me with a sense of calm. Satisfied, I retrace my steps to Forest Service Road 26 and drive the remaining 10 miles to 191.

Some 37 miles from my start, I stare again at the pavement and the end of my drive. A left turn allows me to A DEVIL OF A ROAD Formerly numbered 666, the winding U. S. Route 191 (left) stretches from Clifton on the southern end to Springerville on the northern end and passes through some of Arizona's most scenic landscapes. MOREY K. MILBRADT head to Alpine and eat lunch at the Bear Wallow Cafe; if I make a right turn I can spend the rest of the afternoon reading on the porch of Hannagan Meadow Lodge. Decisions, decisions-lunch or a good book? After a few wasted minutes burning precious brain cells, I realize I can do both.

Vehicle Requirements: Highclearance, two-wheel-drive. Warning: Back-road travel can be hazardous. Be aware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of water. Don't travel alone, and let someone know where you're going and when you plan to return.

Additional Information: Hannagan Meadow Lodge, (928) 339-4370; www.hannaganmeadow.com. Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Alpine Ranger District, (928) 339-4384; www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf/contact/.

I know old Robert Hannagan would have approved of the beer and burgers after a 37-mile trip. I wonder if he liked to read?

TEEMING WITH TROUT Storm clouds drift over the East Fork of the Black River (right), forming water droplets that cling to bedstraw and sedge plants lining the riverbank. In the summer months, the river is stocked weekly with rainbow trout.

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