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Pine Mountian Wilderness Area

Pine Mountain Wilderness Area is a relatively small wilderness area (about 20,000 acres), most of which is betweeen about 5700 and 6900 feet. The area is well covered with pine, and has very few sections of trail that are flat. The magor attraction of Pine Mountain Wilderness Area is the Verde Rim. The Verde Rim is much like its larger cousin, the Mogollen Rim. It has grand, majestic vistas and provides a great and challenging hike.

Click on any picture to enlarge.

	This sign is at the trailhead near Pine Flat Campground. This is where Koos and I began our adventure up (and I mean UP) into the pines.
	Not far from the trailhead is a spot called "Nelson's Place", where there is a spring that feeds the creek over which I am standing. A very pretty place...
	About two miles (or a bit more) from the main trailhead is this sign (or is it a hat holder?), at the junction of two trails. Here, we split off from the main trail and took the alternate to get up to the rim.
	It is a long hike up to the rim. It is four and a half miles from the trailhead, and almost 1000 feet higher. When you are wearing a 50 pound pack, you can get a bit tired. Still, I must have made it, since this is a picture of me standing on top of the Verde rim...
	Another picture of me, on the rim. I can't tell which looks better, me or the scenery!
	This is a shot too good to be true. Looking over the rim at sunset.
	Same as above, looking over the rim at sunset.
	Here is where Koos and I slept. We were lucky that a thunderstorm did not start to brew, or we would have had to move (in themiddle of the night). We decided to sleep right on the rim itself, in a nice, elevated, open area (yikes).
	Morning has broken, and Koos has finally gotten up.
	This crooked looking sign is along the trail that follows the rim (pine mountain trail), on its way to a place called little mesa.
	The morning mist is still visable from this vantage point, along pine mountain trail, most of the way to little mesa.
	This cool looking fence is on top of little mesa.
	Koos is resting after the long climb up to the top of little mesa. The view is really fantactic!
	See what I mean? This is looking down from on top of little mesa. Cool, huh?
	Another view from little mesa.
	Me, standing on little mesa.
	I took this picture because I've never seen this species of cactus before. I still am not sure what it is.
	This sign is at the far end of Pine Mountain trail. The trailhead is along forest service road number 63A, on top of little mesa.
	This is Pine Mountain, the highest point in the wilderness area, as seen from little mesa.
	This is the view from on top of Pine Mountain. At 6875 feet, you can see quite a bit of scenery all at once. The climb up here is a killer, however (especially with a 50 pound pack).
	Another view from the top of Pine Mountain.
	The climb got the better of Koos, and he decided to have a nap (taken on top of Pine Mountain).
	Yet another view from on top of Pine Mountain.
	Still another picture from the top.
	This is the geological marker that the department of agriculture (forest service) placed on top of Pine Mountain.