We may have wildflowers down here in the valley, but Mother Nature keeps dumping snow in the north county. Yowsa! We can’t pass up the opportunity for an S.O.S. mission: in search of snow. We talked about it and decided we had not been to the Happy Jack area up on the Rim in a long time. They were expected to get the heaviest snow, too. Lucky us!
We took I-17 North to avoid all the St. Patty’s activities down in Fountain Hills area. From our house in North Phoenix, the route to the 260 East and then 87 toward Payson is faster. Once in the Happy Jack area (before you get to Pine), we looked for Forest Road #300. It is closed in the winter, but you can park there and then walk on the road (no restrooms but free). Mom suggested Dad pack the snowshoes because of all the snow, but he said, “It’s March. 
How much snow can there be?” Um, A LOT! In fact, a Shiba-size amount or about 1 ½ feet of wet, heavy spring snow.
As soon as I stepped out, I sunk all the way down. Just the tips of my ears and a bit of my head were above the snow. Yup, we should have brought the snowshoes! At least Mom had high-top hiking boots and gaiters (leg coverings that Velcro on over your pants to keep you dry).
Underneath me was a cattle guard we couldn’t see, so I actually got stuck. Not the best way to begin our adventure. It took both Mom and Dad to get me out and righted again. No harm, no foul, and I was ready to go. A reminder to be careful with deep snow as you don’t know what is underneath you. Dad led the way to break the trail and pat down the snow a bit. With it being so deep, it was a lot of work for man and beast.
During the summer months, FR#300 is the Rim Road with spectacular views off the edge. We wouldn’t be going that far today, though. However, we were the first to walk on the fresh snow, and it was so incredibly quiet. Occasionally, you could hear some snow fall off a tree branch. Our kind of noise.
This part of the state isn’t near as busy as Sedona, Prescott, or Flagstaff. We decided we need to come this way more often. It isn’t as close as Prescott, but it isn’t as far as Flagstaff…about two hours.
A few times, I had to go my own way because I am a Shiba. Woof! Wow, what a workout. When I was younger, I loved bounding through the snow and never tired of it. As a 15 ½ year-old dog, I enjoyed the adventure but quickly got behind Dad again as it was easier.
The temperatures were chilly, but at least the wind wasn’t blowing. We stayed fairly warm hiking our 
way down the road. In conditions like this, you don’t clock the miles. Instead, we went for about 45 minutes before taking a break. Dad left his shovel in the truck (oops), but he was able to make us a nice area. He remembered the stools so they could sit down, and he made some hot tea. It got my jerky strip early.
Still, we didn’t see a soul. How nice! Mom packed a lunch, but we weren’t quite ready to eat yet. We decided to head back to the car and drive toward Payson. Our walk back was much easier as we followed the trail we made.
At the parking lot, two men pulled up just as we were leaving. They had snow mobiles and loved this area. As locals, they highly recommended the Pinewood Tavern for lunch. That settled it. We would go there and eat our picnic another day.
Pine is between Happy Jack and Payson (heading east). We got there in no time. I’ll tell you all about that next week because we had a surprise and bonus adventure to boot. We hope you had a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day! Before we know it, the Easter Bunny will be hoping into town. This year is going too fast!
My mom, Lorraine Bossé-Smith, is kind enough to help me share my Great Adventures, big and small. My mom is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, executive recruiter, business consultant, coach, fitness expert, and author of nine published books. More importantly, she’s the best doggy mom ever!
Enjoy my blog at https://www.lorrainebosse-smith.com/category/kuma/kumas-great-adventures/
and be sure to follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kumathedog/ and Instagram: kumaitothedog
Get outside! You never know what you’ll discover, and our paths just might cross. Happy tails!
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