NO BARE FEET ON BEARFOOT

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Hiking Arizona Rim Country

“Put your best foot forward,” my friend said. And that best foot in hiking is one foot forward at a time to ensure safe passage in the many choices while hiking the trails in our vast northern Arizona Rim Country.

  This time, my friends and I chose a portion of the Bearfoot Trail and did an IN and OUT hike. Bearfoot Trail, #13, is a newer trail and was created by the volunteers of the Pine/Strawberry Fuel Reduction Committee several years ago. Since it was built, it is a continuously maintained trail which is also used as an access for firefighters -- in case of wildfires -- to protect the surrounding community.  

Bearfoot Trail actually begins just south of Strawberry and connects to the Pine Canyon Trail, #26, which ends up at the Pine Trailhead just south of Pine which, I am told, would be about 7.8 miles.  

We started our hike at 7:30 a.m. which helped avoid that midday sun’s heat but by 11a.m., when we returned to our vehicle, it was hot. I recommend taking plenty of water and I like to carry a mister bottle filled with water and some splashes of peppermint oil which I refrigerate the night before. It is amazing how a spritz of it on the trail will cool you down instantly. I also freeze my bottles half full and then fill with cold water before I leave. This time I used a Camelpak. I didn’t want to chance freezing my bag the night before so, in the morning, I filled it with ice cubes and then added the water. It was extremely helpful while I was hiking as it cooled my back as well as provided nice cold water to drink.   The beauty of Bearfoot is that you will enjoy a variety of scenery and the trail is well maintained for hiking, biking and leisurely sauntering. I noticed one runner. The trail’s occasional ups and downs are not too hard and it is often dappled with sunlight through the sheltering trees. You won’t be disappointed with the vistas of valleys and the panoramic views of the famous Mogollon Rim. The trail is mostly soft on the feet and pleasing to the eyes. If you are mountain biking, it is a forgiving and a reasonably stable-surfaced earth trail with only a few rocky spots.  

If you are a nature lover, you likely will stop from time to time to admire the wide array of flowers that nature has provided for her showtime. We avoided the white flowered plant, Datura, which is a hallucinogenic.

|  Along the trail, we also saw several plants that I recognized from Wilderness Survival classes that provide a tasty salad as well as medical assistance to the hiker. I pointed out the climbing grape leaves that are excellent not only for salads but for lining your socks to cushion and cool your feet as you gleefully tromp along.  Blooming now are the manzanita bushes. The flowers are beautiful but the wood itself is highly volatile and can quickly fuel wildfires. I had to cut a lot of those bushes back to become fire wise when I had my home in Pine. The berries are edible when ripe and taste like little tiny apples. If you were stranded, and had enough time, you could consume enough to sustain you.  

The Alligator Juniper trees were prolific with lots of companion Pine trees. A great variety of shrubs and bushes add to the magical mountain hike. I liked noticing the Nolina plant from which the Native Traditional people used to strip the fibrous thin leaves and use them for weaving baskets.   When we arrived at the sign that said, “Foot Bridge—Livestock Crossing,” we knew we were at Pine Creek and it was time for our lunch break. The building of the bridge was initiated by the Pine/ Strawberry Fuel Reduction group and others. I understand this bridge was built with some funds from the Fire on the Rim Bike Races in Pine -- usually held in the early Fall. The bridge is where you would connect with the Pine Canyon Trail.  

This is where we relaxed and walked down under the bridge next to the gurgling, refreshing stream with its banks laden with a variety of soft green succulent plants. Lots of Mine’s lettuce and edible greens. Also, the Horsetail Rush was a plant I recalled was good for urinary tract disorders and, since it is high in silica, it is great for the hair and fingernails. If you are shy about using the plant medicinally, you can always grab a bunch and use them for polishing wood or scouring metal pans.  

The sound of the gurgling stream was pleasant music for our ears as we munched our tasty midday snacks. Hiker doggie, Snoopy, was happy to jump into the cool refreshing waters. My own dog preferred to sniff around the edges and dig a little in the cool earth.  

There is a thoughtful bench by the bridge for you to rest a bit and two butterflies landed there and sat long enough for me to snap a photo. There were also many little purple butterflies dancing around like a merry-go-round. As we turned back to hike towards Pine, we again hiked through a forest filled with ferns knee high and stretched out as far as we could see into the forest. It was a most magical feeling. I saw many flowers that I couldn’t identify, but I did certainly enjoy their kaleidoscope of colors on the hike back. I did identify the Colorado State Flower, the Columbine.  

From time to time, the trail opened up with such surprising views as little valleys and the majestic span of the Rim Country landmark, the Mogollon Rim.   I very much enjoyed hiking a segment of the Bearfoot Trail and I hope that you will also discover the trail as you hike up from Pine or down from Strawberry. As always, enjoy the trail, bring back happy memories and leave only your gentle footprints.

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