Hiking when it is cooler has always been our preference. It is so much more enjoyable when you’re not sweating profusely, or searching for a shady spot at every turn. But we got a little more than we bargained for on our hike to the railroad tunnel in Rim Country.

It started out simple enough, but our math was wrong. Hmmm, 70° in Phoenix equals 50° in Payson. Beautiful! As we approached the Col. Devin trailhead in Washington Park, we noticed the wind had picked up a bit—as in 30mph gusts. It was 8am and 28°. Yow. Unfortunately, the sun had just started to rise and left most of the trail in the dark.

Thankfully, I brought hats and gloves. No winter coats, however, just thermals. The first half of the hike is hard to remember. I just know that we hiked it very quickly with our heads down. The elevation gain of 1500ft didn’t seem to bother us at all.

Tunnel Vision. James Eddy’s vision was to construct the Mineral Belt Railroad, which would, when completed, cross Arizona from north to south. In the summer of 1883, forty-two men set out to drill a 3,100ft tunnel that would ascend the Mogollon Rim. Didn’t happen. It seems they ran out of money, twice, and abandoned the project altogether. The tunnel can’t be more that 100ft long. All Dave and I kept wondering was, “Who signed off on this endeavor?”

The views from the tunnel entrance were spectacular. The sun finally began to fill the valley with light.

Two hours later, we were back in our nice warm jeep, heading back to the desert. All in all, I guess James Eddy’s tunnel wasn’t a total loss. It provided the perfect frame for one beautiful view.