After a couple weeks recuperation after our thrilling but exhausting trip to Southern Africa it is time to restart our Arizona hiking with a trip to Flagstaff. The weather is still too hot to do hiking at low altitudes but it is just great for the Flagstaff area. We decide to explore an area just north of Flagstaff with many small craters, that is on a ranch area that can be explored freely.
The road is quite beautiful as it passes reddish grasslands as far as the eye can see with small cones along the way.
Soon we arrive at our destination SP Crater with a rarely found cache on top and we park and then up we go on a loosely defined trail.
The views are great along the climb which is great as we have to stop a lot to catch our breath. The wildflowers also help as we can enjoy them during our multiple breaks.
As we arrive on the top of the crater rim we are surprised how well preserved the crater is, it seems it erupted only yesterday. There are also other signs of the eruption including petrified lava, it must have been terrifying here when the volcanoes erupted.
The views are beautiful and we enjoy them for a while before descending and visiting another crater nearby. This one is a bit different, you can actually descend in the crater where another smaller cone is located. So a cone inside a larger cone, interesting.
Flower wise we especially like the evening primroses that are or start to open all around us. It is getting dark so it is time to return to the car.
The sunset is beautiful with the volcanoes bathed in the golden light as the sun slowly falls below the horizon. And then it is time to return to Phoenix after a few nice hours at high altitudes escaping the Phoenix heat.
