Three day hikers enjoy a balmy winter weekend on a spur trail from Schoolhouse Gulch Road. The spur parallels highway 89 and takes hikers through an old and sometimes still productive apple orchard. This year, for example, the apples were sweet and plentiful:

There's still lots of small, active gold mines in the Prescott Basin, as the sign attests. There's usually no problem with passing through claims,  and courtesy helps.

For information about how mining relates to hiker safety, visit the Prescott National Forest office on Cortez Street in Prescott.