HIKE OF THE MONTH

hike of the month A Stroll Around WOODS CANYON LAKE Beats Both the Heat and the Crowds

"THE CHIPMUNKS ARE SO BOLD," exclaims amateur artist Rita Goldner as her green-stained fingers move delicately over a canvas, coloring in reflections of the water. "One jumped into the easel's tray, grabbed a pencil and ate it." At Woods Canyon Lake, the chipmunks grow as plump as guinea pigs though not normally on a diet of artist's supplies. The 52-acre lake rests at 7,500 feet atop the precipitous sandstone brow of the Mogollon Rim, 120 miles northeast of Phoenix. One of the most heavily used areas in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, it offers seven developed campgrounds, which overflow with weary desert-dwellers seeking refuge from the summer heat. But escaping the crowds is easy on the flat 5-mile trail around the lake, an ideal family hike. A few downed trees and the lack of signs on the trail offer the only obstacles. Becoming lost is not a concern, though, as the lake is always nearby and the path hugs the shoreline most of the way.

You can begin at the Spillway Campground at the southeast edge of the lake and continue across the dam at the lake's eastern end. For the first 3 miles, the trail meanders through open stands of ponderosas, Gambel oaks and some ghostlike aspen trees. Warmth and light penetrate the overstory, flavoring the air with the vanilla scent of the jigsaw-puzzle-barked ponderosas. At the trees' bases, Indian paintbrush blossoms glow fluorescent-orange and western dayflowers unfurl deep-blue crests into the breeze. The miles pass easily underfoot on this longest section of the hike, while grassy meadows invite picnics or rest stops.

Near the upper end of the lake, beaver-gnawed tree stumps dot the shoreline. Disheveled kingfishers sit patiently atop the bony arms of snags, surveying the water for unsuspecting fish. Several times the trail leads into long, secluded coves. In these pockets of solitude, you may find yourself lazing for a while to watch a cloud drift overhead or a cut-leaf coneflower sway back and forth like a metronome keeping time with the cool mountain breeze.

As the path rounds the upper end of the lake, the nature of the forest changes dramatically from dry and open to a denser and wetter environment. Douglas fir, limber pine and white fir trees anchor into the moist, shaded soil of the south shore, and old-man's-beard lichen flows from every branch. The dark trees look like ancient wizards with long scraggly whiskers drooping toward the ground. The old-growth forest provides cooling shade, and a thick fur of green moss coats every rock and fallen log. This proves the prettiest section of the trail, as carpets of wild strawberries, Canada violets and red skyrockets vie for attention.

A half-mile from the Rocky Point Picnic Area, the path joins the Nature Trail, where, every summer Saturday, Ranger Bob conducts guided walks. The 1-mile hike starts at the picnic area, goes to a limestone sinkhole and returns lakeside. A local legend, Ranger Bob has taught generations of hikers how to tell a ponderosa pine from a Douglas fir. His lesson on how to imitate a squirrel fills the air with the chattering of humans and the puzzled replies of squirrels.

The lake hike ends at the Rocky Point parking lot. From there you can shuttle back to the Spillway parking lot or hike another half-mile to complete the 5-mile trek.

Refreshed by the solitude and inspired by the beauty, Goldner relaxes on a hunk of sandstone next to the mirror of the lake. "I love it here," she says. "I come here every chance I get." AH