The Sawmill Connector trail links the northwestern end of the Timber Mesa trail to the western end of the Panorama Trail. Rumor says this trail was named for a sawmill in the vicinity, but this is not evident from the trail.



The weather in late November in the White Mountains is variable. In past years we have had snow for Thanksgiving, however this year the prolonged drought has given us warm, sunny, dry days and sub-freezing nights for Thanksgiving weekend. The day after Thanksgiving in 2012, I trailered Cinnamon, my horse to the Timber Mesa Trailhead. We heard some OHVs while I was saddling her, but didn’t see them. This is also a trailhead for the Maverick Motorized Trail.

We set off west up the road at the foot of Timber Mesa, then went around a patch of jumpers beside the irrigation ditch. Cinnamon suddenly tensed at two 4-wheelers parked between the chimneys and the ditch. The drivers were exploring the ruins on foot. Two stone chimneys on the north side of a rock foundation are all that remains of the two-story Jacques Ranch house. Remnants of an in-ground rock-lined, room can be seen nearby. I greeted the riders of the 4 wheelers and we exchanged pleasantries about the balmy weather.

Cinnamon and I turned north to climb Timber Mesa on the motorized trail which is marked with orange diamonds. Cinnamon spooked as one of the men walked back up from the ditch to his OHV. She settled quickly as we climbed the rocky roadway.

The Timber Mesa trail crosses the Maverick trail at the top of the mesa. This trip we stayed on the motorized trail. We passed a stock tank with a green highway sign saying “1 mile” stuck in it. I wondered how it got there and why somebody put it in the man-made mud puddle.

Shortly after passing that puddle the motorized trail swung northeast toward Porter Mountain. Cinnamon and I stayed on another trace angling northwest toward where I expected it to cross the Timber Mesa Trail, which it did within 3/4 of a mile. We found another stock pond within a mile.

We turned west on the Timber Mesa trail, looking for Sawmill Connector. Cinnamon alerted to a couple hiking toward us. We greeted each other. They asked if I’d seen the elk they had spooked a few minutes earlier. We hadn’t. They admitted that at first glance they’d thought Cinnamon was an elk. They petted her nose as we chatted. We wished each other nice outings and resumed going our opposite directions.

Cinnamon and I had been on the trail for an hour when we found the Sawmill Connector. She seemed more disappointed than curious when we turned on the Sawmill Connector but strolled along without protest. The Sawmill Connector wandered northwestward, following the edge of Timber Mesa. I could see views of Show Low through the trees. This was going the wrong direction to get to Panorama trail but the excursion did make the trail more interesting than going straight across the top of the mesa. The trail wandered around a couple of hills, around the ends of several canyons, and across a cinder field on the edge of a canyon.

Six miles into our ride Cinnamon knew she was someplace new and that we would be on a long ride so she slowed down. She was right, we were in the middle where any route could be taken back to the trailhead.

Tire tracks of one bicycle were the only evidence that anyone had used the Sawmill connector in the past month. My camera’s battery quit, so that was the end of the photos for this ride.

When the trail finally turned east, it continued along the edge of Timber Mesa, offering scenic views off the north side. Cinnamon perked up when she decided we were going the right direction.

Cinnamon recognized the junction with the Panorama trail and agreeably turned toward Porter Mountain as if expecting to go to the Panorama trailhead. The section of Panorama trail between Timber Mesa and Porter Mountain wanders and squiggles. With 10+ miles already under her hooves, Cinnamon perked up when the trail turned southwest and slowed down when it turned some other direction.

The sun was setting and I wondered if we would get back to the trailer before dark. Cinnamon spooked at something in the forest, with a scoot forward into a brief spurt of racking, but quickly slowed to a walk again.

Panorama trail eventually crossed a single lane road that circles Porter Mountain. Cinnamon perked up when I turned her west on this trail. She settled into a longer stride, faster walk. We came across some orange diamonds marking the motorized trail. Cinnamon was happy with my choice of continuing on the road we were on. I remembered correctly, that this is an old logging road that goes to the Timber Mesa Trailhead.

Cinnamon recognized the junction by the stock tank and continued at her faster pace. It was dusk when we reached the junction with Timber Mesa trail. Its route down a west facing slope would be lit by the sunset for a few more minutes. Cinnamon was so tired she stumbled a few times in the last half mile down the familiar trail. In the fading light I cut off the last tenth of a mile by riding down a cindered slope directly to the parking lot. My GPS said we’d gone 12 ¾ miles.

At the trailer Cinnamon dabbled in her water bucket but didn’t drink. I unsaddled and gave her a quick currying. Cinnamon suddenly alerted at three elk entering the meadow below us from the east. This worried her enough I untied her and held on to her lead while I packed the trailer. She fidgeted while I dressed her. After a couple of false starts Cinnamon climbed into the trailer where she found some hay to snack on during the ride home.