Circle Benchmark

Kaibab National Forest

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The weatherman was promising a day of possible rain followed by another of definite snow. I scuttled off and stopped 700 feet below the predicted snow level while the snowplows were mobilizing into position to be useful. I'm not sure how my position might be useful, but I'll at least get the nearby benchmark. I'd like to go up Bill Williams Mountain, but that's 10 miles back and 2700 feet above predicted snowline. And how did getting below the snow work? Well, when the sun went down, the rain turned to snow. Not as much as there will be for the second wave of storm, which will be a blanket of a few inches, but it's sticking a little.

The road south off mile post 151 has had some improvement, at least this far.

There's a road of sorts heading up my way, but it is just someone's camp site. It hasn't been used much and the dirt isn't compacted enough to make walking through the mud any easier. The mud here is very friendly and enthusiastic to come with me. I walked across this dirt a little when it was still dry and found that although it compacted under my feet a little, it was steady. Now it compacts a lot and some steps are uncertain. I have more rocks away from the road and they make for better footing, so I'm not sad to see the road end.

Just little bits of snow all over.

Volcanic rocks and volcanic soils. These are funny things when wet.

So I wander into the morning sun through the juniper to the top. Plenty of room between them. Some small structure once stood near the top. Past it, there is the benchmark, perched on a small rise of volcanic rocks with half a grand view. They do tend to like to put these things such that there is a view.

The remains of some small building.

Something to help point my way, which proves helpful as the station is surprisingly elusive.

I-40 as it drops out of the bulk of the snow that came down last night and yesterday.

The high point of the rocks, but the benchmark is in a depression of a larger rock.

Flat Mesa and maybe even Bill Williams behind it. Probably not quite that far before the clouds hide everything.

The highway and interchange and some distant hills. There is mountain bike trail over there.

I swing to the south on my way back down. Somewhere on this wide, low hill there must be a view that way and maybe something better looking west as well.

Something of the southern view. There are low hills along the left, then lots of prairie. The Quarter Circle XX Ranch is somewhere there. That is probably where the benchmark name comes from.

The westerly view is of prairie as well. There were far mountains yesterday, but now they are in clouds.

In a land of juniper bushes, an actual tree stands out.

©2019 Valerie Norton
Written 24 Dec 2019