Riding the White Mountains Trail System
Ghost of the Coyote Trail
West Loop
By Allanna Jackson
Ghost of Coyote is one of the older trails in the White Mountain Trail System. It is functionally an all-purpose trail with portions overlapping the Maverick Motorized trail and several dirt roads. The only trailhead for Ghost of Coyote is beside Burton Road. The official trailhead is not the only place to access this trail.
October 1, 2013, was clear, sunny, and warm with just enough breeze to be pleasant. After breakfast, I trailered Cinnamon out to a large turnaround area beside a forest road on the left side of the Pinedale-Taylor Road at mile 3.
I saddled up and we set off, leaving the trailer at 11:30 am. We went through a gate beside the road, then around a fence, and across a shallow canyon to the Maverick Motorized trail.
Back in the Saddle Again
By Anne Groebner
One summer, years ago, I met Robert Pablo, owner of AZ High Mountain Rides. He was a wrangler for Koli Equestrian Center in Chandler, owned by his family. At the time he had brought horses up to Hannagan Meadow Lodge, south of Alpine, where we explored the surrounding forest on horseback and I wrote about it. Then they invited me to experience riding through the desert down in Chandler and I witnessed the wild horses close to their property — and I wrote about it. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, they moved to Mormon Lake and I discovered that horseback riding was a great way to get out during the perils of Covid because for one; it’s outside, two; the horses are at a safe distance, and three; it’s a great way to absorb vitamin D. It was also the same year that Robert took ownership of AZ High Mountain Rides.
This summer, I went back to Mormon Lake knowing that because Read More
Riding the white Mountains Trail System
Los Caballos
By Allanna Lea Jackson
May 2, 2014, was warm and sunny with a light breeze so I trailered Cinnamon to Los Caballos
trail. A little boy and his grandfather were at the trailhead and watched me unload Cinnamon before going on their way. While saddling up I realized I’d forgotten my trail map. Then I discovered my GPS was malfunctioning. I mounted Cinnamon and crossed Joe Tank Road to trail marker LC64. There is a sign warning about falling trees. This trail was damaged by the Rodeo fire in 2002. Twelve years later the burn scar still revealed how close it came to Show Low. 
Land of Pioneers Trail
By Allanna Jackson © May 23, 29, 2022
The Land of Pioneers trail on the edge of Vernon was named for the remnants of pioneer homesteads that it passes on its way to Ecks Mountain. It was the second trail to be completed in the White Mountain Trail System in 1987 and the first trail that had to be rebuilt after it was damaged by a logging project just a few months later. Land of Pioneers is the only trail that contains three shorter loops within it, something that was proposed for all of the long loop trails over 30 years ago. TRACKS subsequently made additional re-routes of this trail. Land of Pioneers is a pleasant trail even when the wind is high.
General Crook Connector
Allanna Jackson ©2022
The late 1980s and early 1990s was an era of trail building in Arizona. Work on the Arizona Trail from Utah to Mexico had already begun when the White Mountain Horseman’s Association started the White Mountain Trail System. Around that same time, someone proposed creating an east-west Arizona trail from New Mexico to California. The idea was to use the historic General Crook Road across the Mogollon Rim between Fort Verde and the White Mountains. The White Mountain Horsemen’s Association sketched out the General Crook Connector as the link between the historic road and the new
Lookout Connector Trail
The Lookout Connector links the western loop of the Los Caballos trail to the Juniper Ridge Trail near the fire lookout tower. This trail was planned 30 years ago, but in 2002 the Rodeo-Chediski Fire destroyed what little preliminary work had been done so it languished as little more than a line on a map until November 2013.
This non-motorized trail is about 4 miles long and is rated difficult for hikers, horses, and bicyclists.
May 17, 2014, was warm and sunny with a light wind. The fire danger was only moderate. I trailered Cinnamon out of Joe
Sawmill Connector Trail
By Allanna Jackson
© Nov 2012 and Nov 2021
The Sawmill Connector trail links the northwestern end of the Timber Mesa trail to the western end of the Panorama Trail. Rumor says this trail was named for a sawmill in the vicinity, but this is not evident from the trail.
The weather in late November in the White Mountains is variable. In past years we have had snow for Thanksgiving, however this year the prolonged drought has given us warm, sunny, dry days and sub-freezing nights for Thanksgiving weekend. The day after READ MORE...
Ice on the Ice Cave
By Allanna Jackson
© Jan 1, 2008 and Jan 4, 2022
Happy New Year! 2022 arrived in the White Mountains with a much-needed soggy winter storm, so I’m taking a ride down memory lane.
The year 2008 started in a deep freeze with snow on the ground and a north wind. Temperatures in Lakeside had been ranging from -4 to + 32 for a month, reaching freezing for only a few hours on a couple afternoons. It was +18 when I fed the horses breakfast New Year’s morning. After lunch the temperature READ MORE...
Four Springs Connector Trail to
LosBurros Equestrian Trailhead
By Allanna Lea Jackson
Fall in the White Mountains brings warm days, cool nights, fall colors, and hunting season. The afternoon of Oct. 6, 2012, my dad and I hauled my horse Cinnamon and his mountain bicycle to Forest Road 271 where Four Springs trail crosses it. A tenth of a mile beyond the crossing we found a place to stop long enough to unloaded Cinnamon. Dad watched for traffic, which consisted of two vehicles and two ATVs.
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The Legend of a Rodeo Athlete
By Sherry E Engler
At thirty-three, he is a bit slower than he used to be. Arthritis has unfortunately claimed territory in his joints, especially his lower, right-front coronet and hoof. But he has seen it all on the rodeo circuit, from crazy, head-strong calf-roping to undefeated performance times. At one point in his life, in his younger days, he had a reputation for being top of his class. There is no doubt he has NO regrets: he loved it all. He was trained to be a great athlete, mentally prepared to overcome great obstacles to be Number One,
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Flume Connector Trail
By Allanna Jackson
© Oct 2012 and Nov 2021
The Flume Connector is one of two trails connecting the Timber Mesa Trail to the Panorama Trail. It is named for the irrigation pipe that crosses Porter Creek just above Scott Reservoir and carries water from Porter Creek to an irrigation ditch that waters pastures on both sides of Porter Mountain Road below Timber Mesa.
One late October day I drove my truck and trailer to the Panorama Trailhead, parked it there and bicycled home. I groomed and saddle Cinnamon then rode her from home, through the forest and across the meadows, to Timber Mesa.
...READ MORE
Ghost of Coyote Trail, Loop #1
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
It was a warm and sunny day in May, with a light breeze, when I hauled both of my horses to the Ghost of Coyote trailhead near Burton Road. There were two vehicles in the parking lot when we arrived. I saddled Cinnamon and rode her while leading Velvet. Cinnamon trotted briskly up the parking lot in the wrong direction and we had to turn around and head down to the trailhead.
Springs trail #633 and
The Old Hatchery Trail
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
On Cinnamon’s 19th birthday, I trailered both of my horses to the Springs Trailhead. After unloading them I brushed the road dust off and saddled Cinnamon while Velvet stood tied to the trailer, gawking around at a place she had been to one time about18 years ago. I was putting a hoof boot on Cinnamon’s right front foot
Four Springs Connector
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
When the rains we prayed for arrived in July, the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest went from closed to muddy so, for this article, I’m riding down memory lane.
The Four Springs Connecter trail passes four natural springs and crosses Forest Road (FR) 3 and FR 271. The trail is 8 miles long, not including the distance from trailheads Land of Pioneers trail or Los
Juniper Ridge Trail
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
As my horseback riding was limited to local rides due to the February snow, this month I am taking you for a ride down memory lane.
That April 8th day in 2014 was a sunny and warm one with a wonderful light breeze. With Cinnamon trailered, we made our way to the Juniper Ridge Trail where I parked in the Lewis Canyon campground.
Panorama Trail
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
My horse Cinnamon was getting bored with the trails we could reach afoot from home and the weather was still warm and dry so on January 14, 2021, I hitched up my horse trailer and towed it over to a service station where I could air up the tires. Back at home, I loaded Cinnamon’s tack, put some hay in the trailer manger and then got her ready for travel.
Ice Cave Trail
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
Almost two years ago, trees were marked for a forest thinning project in the vicinity of the Ice Cave Trail but it was late 2020 before I heard the growling buzz of logging machinery slicing through mature pine trees as if they were twigs. Horses and logging machinery should not mix so I avoided the thinning project on my rides. When the holidays interrupted the logging, I
Chihuahua Pines Connector
Forest Road 300/Rim Road to Los Caballos Trail
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
Ten days after Cinnamon and I rode through the tunnel on the Chihuahua Pine Connector Trail to the pond at marker CP8 and back, I trailered her out to ride the rest of the Chihuahua Pine Trail from marker CP11 to its junction with the Los Caballos Trail. Cinnamon rode perfectly on the trip
Chihuahua Pines Connector to Buena Vista
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
The connector trails are the links that tie the White Mountain Trail System together so it’s ironic to ride connector trails in sections but that’s what I’ve done. The 4.4-mile Chihuahua Pine Trail in Show Low connects the Buena Vista Trail at a junction 1.5 miles from its trailhead to the Los Caballos Trail at a junction 4 miles from its trailhead. It’s
Timber Mesa Trail
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
The morning of Ocober3rd promised a gorgeous fall day so I decided to ride over to Timber Mesa to see if the oak leaves were turning like they were on the Osprey Connector Trail above Scott Reservoir. I saddled Cinnamon and we strolled across the meadows to the Jacques Ranch house chimneys. Cinnamon and I have been there multiple times so we paused just long
Los Burros Trail:
Short Loop
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
The afternoon of June 23, 2012 was over 90 degrees in Lakeside so I trailered my horse Cinnamon up to Los Burros where the slightly higher elevation would be a few degrees cooler. The summer monsoon season had officially begun but we’d had no rain. There were a few thunderheads to the
Los Burros Trail:
Long Loop
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
After riding the short loop of the Los Burros Trail in June, 2012, Cinnamon and I rode the longer loop on Memorial Day, 2013. The weather was warm and sunny with a light breeze. My horse trailer had been parked all winter so preparing it for use took most of the morning. I trailered Cinnamon to the
Chipmunk Springs Connector
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
Connector trails in the White Mountain Trail System go point-to-point, linking two loop trails. Several connector trails are longer than some of the loop trails and the 7.1-mile Chipmunk Connector is one of them. It links the Los Burros Trail to the Country I
The Osprey Connector
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
May 28 was a calm, sunny, warm morning so my trail horse, Cinnamon, and I rode the Osprey Connector Trail again. All of the connector trails in the White Mountain Trail System link two loops trails at the points where the trails are closest to each other. In most cases, these trail junctions have
Herding Coyotes
BY ALLANNA LEA JACKSON
It was a beautiful, late-summer afternoon in the White Mountains. I was riding my trail horse, Cinnamon, in the Scott Reservoir Recreation Area, strolling north along a cattle trail that follows the interface between the junipers and the meadow. There are often cattle pastured there that time of year, usually
Saddle Up
at Mormon Lake
With High Mountain Trail Rides
BY ANNE GROEBNER
If I could pick one person who I would trust to take me on a trail ride, sitting on top of a large horse, across rocky terrain, through forested mountain trails, I think I would choose Robert Pablo of AZ High Mountain Trail Rides. He is incredibly knowledgeable about anything pertaining to horses. He should be. His Dad has had him working
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