- [Ike] For desert dwellers like me, the White Mountains are like this mythical, heavenly place.

It's hard to imagine a location in this elevation where the air is light, crisp, and cool, and waters are plentiful and everywhere you look.

Like many hiking trails, beautiful forest made up of Douglas firs, spruce, and aspens abound here.

There are so many trails here that the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce puts out an annual magazine designed with a hiker in mind.

These forested pathways lead to breathtaking destinations, often with river waters that meander right alongside the treks you hike.

Today we take in the White Mountains.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] "Trail Mix'd" is made possible in part by a gift from Sue and Bill Ahearn.

(gentle upbeat music) Additional support provided by.

- [Voiceover] SRP is staying ahead of the valley's growing energy needs.

We're investing in one of the country's largest solar battery storage projects to deliver power that's as reliable as it is sustainable.

- [Voiceover] Albertson, Safeway pharmacies, and Valley Nonprofit Mission of Mercy are proud to support cancer awareness.

They encourage you to talk to your doctor, get recommended screenings, and don't forget your flu vaccine.

More information at Albertsons or safeway.com.

- [Voiceover] Whitfill Nursery, proud to support 8 Arizona PBS, a valley tradition since 1946.

Over 200 acres of Arizona grown tree, citrus, and palms, complete custom design and installation, and Whitfill Nursery still does the digging.

Whitfillnursery.com.

- [Announcer] And by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

- I'm Ike Easley, and on this episode of "Trail Mix'd," all rivers flow from the White Mountains.

It's by far one of the prettiest river hikes in the region.

We'll visit the Thompson Trail number 629.

Plus a hike to history as we visit Springerville's Casa Malpais Indian Ruin to see how these ancient people once lived overlooking the Round Valley.

And later, an unexpected artist treasure you can find off the beaten path in Springerville that a lot of fancy, big city museums don't have.

Also, a lovely lakeside trail to wander at a state park along the Arizona-New Mexico board.

Are you ready?

Oh, you know, I'm ready.

"Trail Mix'd" starts right now.

(gentle music) It's a yearly summer ritual for many Arizonans.

A drive up to the White Mountains to escape the heat from the valley of the sun.

You might even catch a summer rainstorm on your way there.

As you make your way into the busy town of Show Low, you see the landscape change to the rolling yellow grasslands and big skies that unfold on your way to the Arizona-New Mexico border.

- It's such a beautiful area.

Big, open, grassy meadows.

The pine trees, the aspens in the fall, just incredible.

When the rains have come, we have a lot of streams and the lakes and so on.

It's just amazing.

Everybody thinks it's cactus and desert and this is high desert.

This is not the same of what you see in Phoenix or Tucson and you really get to appreciate the trees, the wildlife, going out into the forest and seeing a herd of elk.

You can't wait to go back out and see it again.

- This land of former hunter gatherers is now a place that calls out to hikers and explorers.

It's the serene, beautiful, and cool White Mountain country of far eastern Arizona.

(gentle music) There's perhaps nothing more soothing and rejuvenating than a walk in the woods next to a running stream.

And that's exactly what you get when you traverse Thompson Trail number 629, located just off Forest Road 116, near Big Lake and the town of Eagar.

The trail falls the west fork of the Black River and is beautiful in the summer, spring, fall, and winter.

The 5.4 mile out and back trail is a site for the sore eyes of summer weary residents looking to catch a glimpse of some lush, healthy greens.

The pathways are relatively flat as they meander along the winding stream and the trail is always on the same side of the river.

The Thompson Trail is only open to hikers.

Because of the sensitivity of the wetlands, no horses or bikes allowed.

Despite being so close to the popular campgrounds around Big Lake, the area is more popular with the anglers, who usually don't venture too far from the creek's trail.

You'll walk through a pretty, grassy flowery meadow depending on what time of year you're hiking through there.

You're bound to hear or see some wildlife in the area.

Just listen for their distinctive sounds.

(gentle music) (water whooshing) The flat and easy terrain on 629 is a rare pleasure for hikers like me from the valley.

But in the summer, during the wet and rainy monsoons, plan a hike earlier in the day.

In the early afternoon, you'll see those big beautiful clouds start to roll in.

You'll likely catch a rainstorm but you'll definitely want to be headed back to your vehicle before getting caught in a lightning storm in the mountains.

As with every hike, come prepared.

(gentle music) The White Mountains have many charming small towns with unique things for you to do and see.

Let's take right here in Springerville.

You can actually visit an ancient Indian pueblo named Casa Malpais.

Once you're inside this beautiful, old school house building, you realize it's a pretty cool museum with varied historical and art collections.

You sign up for the tour and then you'll watch a short video about the ruins to get an idea of what you'll be exploring.

After the video, we hop on a museum bus and head out a short distance to the Malpais Ruin site.

- [Beth] If we climb up, we call this area Round Valley, or Valle Redondo in Spanish, because as we climb, you'll see we're in a bowl right here.

- [Ike] The moderately rated trail up to Malpais begins.

A group of University of Arizona students and their professor join me and some other out-of-state visitors, as we follow Beth, our tour guide.

- Directly above us, at the top of this trail, is a pueblo of 65 rooms and a kiva that will hold 200 people.

- [Ike] We all head up single file, hiking several collapsed terraces on slight inclines until we reached the first stop.

- Well this was a destination.

People came to Casa Malpais on purpose.

They came here for trade and for religious ceremonies in the kiva.

- [Ike] The tour continues along past room blocks, some with restored walls, others just mounds.

- We're at the pueblo, obviously.

We're still on the rooftops of other rooms that were not excavated.

The 14 rooms are these 14 this way over here.

- [Ike] Looking out on the great views from the top of that ruin at what is now modern day Springerville, you can see why this ancient tribe chose to build here.

- Native Americans would use the secret staircase to get to this level up here basically as a lookout.

So you can see people coming from way far away.

You know, perhaps a group of people coming to participate in celebration or trade.

They could have a terrific lookout for animals coming down the river.

- So it's interesting that the community was placed in this alcove, in the volcanic rock.

So they're taking advantage of the landscape.

They're within walking distance of water but they're out of flood damage, threat of any flooding.

- I thought I was just very impressed the entire way.

This site here is so expansive and the rooms and the structure of the rooms are so impressive and I thought I might like to live here.

(laughs) - [Ike] Some believe the ancient Mogollon left when a severe drought hit the region in the late 1300s.

And while they seem to have vanished, back at the museum, you can see the mastery in the artifacts they created and left behind.

- This room has the best of the best.

This room has 2500 and all the rest of them are all archived on site, actually.

But this has just all kinds of, what's interesting in this case right here, we have turquoise and abalone.

Well the nearest ocean, maybe Rocky Point San Diego, 650 miles away.

They had to carry those items basically on their back to use for trade all around the southwest.

- [Ike] It's a fascinating history about a fascinating people who once lived and thrived in and around the Springerville area.

You can head in any direction in the White Mountains and you're bound to find a stream or lake to fish in, such as the case with Lyman Lake State Park, which sits between the communities of Saint Johns and Eagar, not far from the Arizona-New Mexico border.

- This park was actually established in 1961.

It's actually the first recreational park in the Arizona state park systems and the fourth established overall.

This park was a river before, actually.

This lake is manmade.

It's a reservoir for the 4,000 acres below us.

- [Ike] Even though this park and lake are considered to be in the White Mountains, Saint Johns is not as green as Springerville or Eagar.

- You're sitting at 1200 acres right now of just park alone.

The lake itself is actually 1500 acres.

So our water is actually, it's not dirty.

It's not gross in any kind of way.

It is silty, it's because this is a clay bottom lake and the Little Colorado River is actually known as the chocolate milk river.

We are directly fed from the Little Colorado River, so that's why we get this lovely brown color sometimes.

- [Ike] Lyman Lake State Park is very popular for the anglers and boaters, but the hiking here comes with some great history and trails.

- [Ranger] When you first enter the Petroglyph Trail, it's gonna be a bit of a hillside.

You can kind of see the park still.

But once you start going around the edge, you'll actually get more of just the lake view.

The petroglyph were put in place by the Hopi people about 1200 years ago.

We do have signs of earlier than that, about 3,000 years ago.

But this land was also known to be Zuni stomping grounds as well.

- It's a pretty short trail, real easy to get up to.

So I think anybody of all ages could do it.

It's beautiful up here.

It's a nice view.

- [Ike] As you hike along some other trails that connect to the Petroglyph Trail, you also see some cool rock formations, including a tunnel.

- That tunnel is actually right up here on this hill.

That tunnel is kind of just naturally made.

We're not entirely sure how it was done.

It was just collapsing rocks and happened to be there.

We've always kind of had that trail going up to it 'cause it is a bit of a wonder.

You don't always expect to see a little random tunnel on a cliff side.

And if you actually step through that tunnel, you get a perfect view of the lake and it makes for a great photo op.

- [Ike] Along with the ancient rock art, there are some remnants of an ancient pueblo at Lyman, too.

- [Ranger] We have that pueblo out back.

It's an 80 plus room pueblo with three rooms excavated out right now.

- [Ike] It's hard to believe that these pueblo ruins once served as homes for the Hopi people.

As you hike along the lake, climbing up and down some rocky trails, your bound encounter some lizards and other small reptiles.

Lyman Lake is first and foremost a place for water lovers.

- It's a pleasant surprise.

We had never really even heard about Lyman Lake until a few weeks ago.

For me, paddle boarding's just very peaceful.

I like to get out on the water.

It's very calming and quiet and when I got out, the water was just like glass.

It was great.

And you know, later on the wind did pick up and it got a little more interesting, but it was still fun.

We have hiked the Petroglyph Trail, so that was great to see that.

And then I did a hike yesterday where I just kinda hiked along the shore for a couple of miles.

There wasn't a trail, I just kind of bush whacked through places and that was fun.

- [Ike] The lake brings in a lot of regulars.

Some who even visit every weekend.

- I love the view here.

I like to come in the morning, as the sun's starting to peak.

It's really beautiful view, no matter where you are on the lake.

And there's a lot of great things to look at.

The trees, the rocks, the mountains, it all kind of blends in and it's real peaceful and a real good sense of mental health.

So I love it here, I come here often.

(bright gentle music) - [Ike] Set right along the Arizona-New Mexico border, Lyman Lake State Park is one of those places that many in the valley have yet to discover.

Our advice?

You better get there quick.

The secret's out.

(upbeat music) Spending a few days in the White Mountains, you catch on pretty quick that people here love their peace and quiet because when there's peace and quiet, you happen to notice what else the White Mountains are famous for.

Wildlife sightings, specifically at the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area.

- The nature allows you to participate in their world.

It's a nice little ecosystem.

It's a nice little preserve in the White Mountains where the wildlife, for the most part, are safe and happy and people can explore and kind of indulge themselves in the outdoors.

- [Ike] Ron Logan, with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, manages this nature discovery destination, which to put it simply, is hiking with a side of wildlife.

- If you come in early in the mornings, you'll see herds of elk.

They should be having babies about now.

There are pronghorn or antelope just about every day right now up in the fields.

Sipe Wildlife Area is 1362 acres.

We've got the combination of pines and junipers, grasslands, there are reservoirs, there is the Red Creek that runs through the middle, or runs through the edge.

So you do have water, generally, almost year round.

- [Ike] The Escudilla Mountain sits at a distance on the horizon.

As you look out past the porch of the former home of Renee Cushman, the great art collector and rancher in Springerville, it's a great focal point for the five miles of groomed hiking trails that take hikers on treks lined with pinion and juniper woodlands and rolling grasslands and even wetlands.

- A lot of people come in just to go for a hike and bird watch.

We've got four established trails.

You got the Red Creek Loop Trail, which is an approximately three mile loop.

That will take you through the ag fields, up into the pines, and bring you back around through the grasslands And by Mackay, you have the High Point Trail, which actually is the mile trail, which takes you up into the top around the petroglyphs.

And it gives you a view of the entire area.

You do have the Trinity Trail, which is an ADA acceptable trail.

It's about 300 yards and that will take you over by the ag fields and usually the elk and stuff are over there on that side.

And then you have the Homestead Trail, which is approximately a mile and a half, and you pick that up by the park site.

That will take you around the grasslands and Mackay and drop you off in the backside and to the old homestead.

Well, kind of in the back 40.

- What keeps me here is the wildlife.

The peace that you get from being here.

You can come here, sit on the porch, and you just feel the stress of your everyday life go away.

(upbeat music) - [Ike] Sipe trails also lead to old historic homesteads and ancient pueblo ruins that date back centuries.

And for some, like volunteers, Ron Courtright, the trails he hikes and maintains have also led to healing.

- I told him that I was being treated for cancer, that I will do what I can do up here to help as much as I can.

And he gave me the opportunity to come up here with the fresh air, the wildlife, the quiet, the peacefulness to recover and now I'm cancer free again.

(upbeat music) - We managed and maintained and to enhance.

Day by day and year by year for the wildlife and for the visitors.

And to protect it for future generations.

You know, it's conserve and protect is what we do.

- [Ike] Who would've ever thought that Springerville, a small town surrounded by beautiful lakes and hundreds of mountain and river hikes, could also be home to the original work of one of the world's most renowned artists.

- This is our Renee Cushman Museum.

It is a collection of European antiques and paintings.

And we do have a Rembrandt that is part of this collection.

It is actually an etching.

- [Ike] Renee Kushman was from Europe and her father was a somewhat famous painter.

- She was married to a brain surgeon.

And during the war, to escape the war, they actually, she and her husband moved to the US and she decided, or they decided, they wanted to be ranchers and bought a ranch in Springerville.

- [Ike] The Cushman art collection is housed in the Heritage Museum.

And it's much like the town: eclectic, fun, and surprises many.

- [Curator] I think people are just very amazed that for such a small community we have an actual Rembrandt.

So (laughs) people are amazed.

- [Ike] The Rembrandt is the highlight of an extensive collection of art objects and European antiques collected on Renee Cushman's many travels.

Among some of the other collections in the Heritage Museum, there are room's dedicated to the local history of the original pioneer families.

It's a good way to get to know more about the towns of Springerville, Eagar, and the Round Valley area.

Fishing high elevation lakes in the White Mountains is a popular pastime for many dedicated anglers who also like to hike to their fishing spots.

It's an appealing thought.

Hiking a remote trail and then fishing a beautiful lake or stream for trout.

So I'm met up with Springerville's world champion fly fisher, Cinda Howard.

(upbeat music) - Think about casting like you're answering a telephone or you're hammering a nail.

When I hammer a nail, it's not like this, right?

It's our strength.

And that's a cast.

Hand comes to ear.

'Cause on that last cast, you came back, and then you did this little wrist flick, and then the line hit the rod, right?

So think about it being just a bend of the elbow.

- Cinda Howard is a fly fishing guide and owner of Fly Fish Arizona and Beyond.

She worked for the Orvis Company for eight years before branching out on her own.

No wrist.

All arm.

Got it.

Here we go.

- No arm.

Answer that phone!

- One, two, three.

Feel it.

Okay, let it go back.

- [Cinda] Good.

Okay.

All right.

All you.

- All me.

Okay - All you.

- [Ike] Let's go.

Let's go.

I'm ready.

(laughs) - Okay, rod tip down.

- All right, rod tip down.

- Line.

Go again.

Better.

You got this, beautiful.

Good, go again.

Except that one, you did a little wrist flick going forward.

- Oh no!

- No wrist flicking.

- Oh no.

- Oh no.

- [Ike] I've really been trying to keep my wrist steady.

But there's no weight on the end of the fishing line.

There's only a fly.

So I can't really make a distance cast.

- Good.

Now recast.

- Okay, recast.

- Hold that line tight on the back cast.

Let it slide through your hand on the forward.

But pause.

- How's this different than me just regular fishing on a boat, just sitting there?

What makes fly fishing different?

- Because we are trying to replicate what the fish are eating in their natural environment.

When you're sitting on a boat, you might be fishing a worm or bait fish or power bait or maybe you're throwing all lure.

But in the world of fly fishing, we actually study the different stages of these bugs' life.

I mean, we are tying flies to replicate all of that.

- [Ike] This is way tougher than I thought.

I watch Cinda as she casts her line and she makes it look all so easy.

She does it so effortlessly.

It's beautiful to see her do this fly fishing dance and then all of a sudden - [Cinda] Yes, yes, you got him!

Rod tip up.

- Rod tip up.

- Keep that line secured.

Strip through the hands, strip the slack out.

Strip the slack, strip the slack out.

Slack out, slack out, slack out!

(laughs) There, there.

Keep that rod up.

- All right, all right.

- If he wants to run, let him run.

Let him run.

Give him line Give him line.

Give him line.

- He's running, he running.

- But keep the tension.

Keep the rod up.

- I got it.

I got it.

Okay, okay.

Oh, okay, okay.

- Strip.

- Strip it.

- [Cinda] So we're gonna work him in, right?

- Okay.

Okay.

- Let him run, let him run, let him run!

- Let him run, let him run.

Let him run.

He's running.

- Give him the line.

Give him line, give him line.

- Give him line.

- Give him line, give him line, give him line!

- Give him line.

- Okay, that's what (indistinct) - Okay, got it.

- Hold the tension.

Let him run!

Good, good.

Rod tip up.

Up, up.

- Okay, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up.

Okay.

- You're doing great.

- Okay.

- Now strip.

He's running at ya.

- Strip, so strip is.

- Strip in.

- Oh, got it.

- Pull in.

Pull in, pull in, pull in, pull in.

All right, pull in.

- Pull in.

- He's still coming at us.

- Come on, come on.

- Keep that rod up.

- Put it up, put it up.

- Beautiful, let's walk up to the water.

- Oh, ah!

- Did we lose him?

- I think we lost him.

- What happened?

- Oh my God, we lost him.

(Ike laughs) You can't be serious.

I gotta try this again.

I am not leaving here without catching a fish.

And then all of a sudden, I get another chance.

Okay.

Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Oh, oh, oh, oh.

(upbeat music) Go, go, go.

Yep.

You're good.

You're good.

Let's go.

- Don't let 'em pull that line.

- Okay.

Okay.

(upbeat music) All right, tip up.

- You got control.

- Control.

(Cinda speaks indistinctly) - [Cinda] Yes, yes.

(upbeat music) - Ope, I see him.

Come on, come on!

Let's go!

Let's go!

Let's go!

Yes!

(laughs) Woo!

Oh my.

Can I hold him?

Can I hold him?

- Let's wet our hands.

(upbeat music) - Hold on, I'm crying.

I'm so happy.

Oh my God, we did it.

I'm so happy.

Turn him this way.

(Ike laughs) We did it, we did it.

All right, I name him Isaiah.

This is my fish son.

I'm victorious, back in the water.

Go Isaiah.

Go, be free, Isaiah.

Thank you for the challenge.

Thank you.

There he is.

Go be free, Isaiah, my son.

We did it.

Let's go!

(laughs) - [Announcer] "Trail Mix'd" is made possible in part by a gift from Sue and Bill Ahearn.

(gentle upbeat music) Additional support provided by.

- [Voiceover] SRP is staying ahead of the valley's growing energy needs.

We're investing in one of the country's largest solar battery storage projects to deliver power that's as reliable as it is sustainable.

- [Voiceover] Albertson's, Safeway pharmacies, and Valley Nonprofit Mission of Mercy are proud to support cancer awareness.

They encourage you to talk to your doctor, get recommended screenings, and don't forget your flu vaccine.

More information at Albertsons or safeway.com.

- [Voiceover] Whitfill Nursery, proud to support 8 Arizona PBS, a valley tradition since 1946.

Over 200 acres of Arizona grown tree, citrus, and palms, complete custom design and installation, and Whitfill Nursery still does the digging.

Whitfillnursery.com - [Announcer] And by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.