By Allanna Jackson © 2024

The Flume trail that connects Timber Mesa trail to Panorama trail is close to Town, yet relatively obscure so I decided to ride it again on Memorial Day. I trailered Cinnamon to the Panorama trailhead. On the way I noticed some people shooting in the cinder pit beside Porter Mountain Road, which I expected on a holiday.

At the trailhead a couple was in the process of preparing their OHV for a trip on the Maverick motorized trail. They set off a few minutes later. There were two other vehicles in the parking lot and another one drove down the motorized trail.

Cinnamon backed nicely off the trailer and glanced at the OHV while looking around, wondering which trail we were taking this time. Just then a truck pulling a rattly trailer came into the parking lot, stopped briefly, then made the circle around the trailhead back out to Porter Mountain Road. The driver was careful but Cinnamon was worried by the noisy trailer moving so close behind her so I held her rope and reassured her while it passed then gave her a cookie. While I saddled up Cinnamon faced Porter Mountain where we could hear gunfire in the cinder pit. The noise and busyness were reminders that the National Forests belong to all of us and are managed for multiple uses so we all need to share our public lands and resources by using them in safe, sustainable, responsible ways.

I mounted Cinnamon and we walked out to the Maverick trail then back into the parking lot to the Flume trail. Flume is one of the few connecter trails in the White Mountain Trail System that leaves directly from a trailhead. For about 50 yards the trail angles toward the motorized trail before crossing it to begin an ascent toward Porter Mountain. I was surprised to see quantities of New Mexico Locust in bloom because I’d forgotten how many of them grow here. For a couple of weeks each year the New Mexico Locust trees produce large clusters of gorgeous purple flowers that resemble bunches of grapes. The rest of the time they blend in with the other bushes and trees and aren’t noticeable unless you get close enough to encounter their long, straight, very sharp thorns. I photographed the flowers as Cinnamon walked along. We stopped a few times to get better photos. The shooting had stopped, leaving the forest nicely quiet, but resumed a few minutes later.

Flume trail crosses the dirt road that goes up Porter Mountain below the cinder pit then arcs up and across the south flank of the mountain. This is a serious climb for about an eighth of a mile so I settled deep in the saddle and leaned slightly forward with my upper body at the same angle as the trees growing on the slope. This position keeps the rider close to horse’s center of gravity which makes it easier for the horse to climb.

There are several yuccas growing amongst the pine trees on Porter Mountain. Some of them were already blooming. I took photos while moving so as not to disrupt Cinnamon’s momentum. Just past the yuccas the trail enters a shady tunnel under the trees as it reaches the top of its arc across the mountain. From here the trail makes a curvy descent down the slope to cross the Porter Mountain Loop of the Maverick Motorized trail. Going downhill I remained seated deep in the saddle and leaned my upper body back slightly to match the angle of the trees on the slope. This aligns the rider’s center of gravity over the horse’s center of gravity to help the horse stay balanced over her hind feet as she descends which protects both of us from doing a very dangerous somersault.

After crossing Porter Mountain, the Flume trail settles into a smooth, easy, meander west through the forest to Timber Mesa. It is well-marked at the trail junctions and road crossings, though the signs disagree about whether it is 2 miles or 2.5 miles between Panorama trailhead and Timber Mesa trail. Some of the numbered markers seemed closer together than the usual ¼ mile interval but I’d forgotten my GPS so I couldn’t check. Despite the holiday we had the trail to ourselves.

Cinnamon marched along happily. The forest floor was covered with white daisy-like flowers with splashes of yellow, red, and purple flowers of a variety of species most of which I can’t identify. Birds were singing cheerfully. We saw one Abbert’s squirrel and a few lizards.

When we reached the Timber Mesa trail Cinnamon looked around as if to say, “I know where we are!” Two hikers were approaching the junction just as we got there. We greeted each other and they asked if it was ok to cross in front of Cinnamon. I assured them they could. Cinnamon stood and politely waited while they went by her nose and admired her. After the hikers passed we crossed the Timber Mesa trail then turned around to backtrack along Flume trail. For half a mile Cinnamon kept looking back over her right shoulder as if to say, “Why are we going back this way when I can walk home from Timber Mesa?” She probably remembered a previous occasion when I did ride her home from Panorama trailhead after the trailer got a flat tire on the trip out. This time the trailer was fine. After awhile Cinnamon gave up on walking home and snatched a few bites of grass as she strolled along.



The shooters had gone away by the time we got back to Porter Mountain. The birds were celebrating the quiet with songs. We again climbed across Porter Mountain with pauses to photograph the yuccas. The descent down Porter Mountain is so steep Cinnamon was taking very short steps to stay balanced. I admired and photographed the New Mexico Locust flowers again. Back at the trailhead somebody was just leaving and another OHV drove by on the trail. I trailered Cinnamon home. It was a gorgeous Memorial Day in the White Mountains.