Dandrea Trail on Mount Union

Start in Potato Patch and make a left on Yankee Doodle Trail. Those names sound more at home in a television satire on country living than they do in mountain hiking. But they are actually the directions that promise one of the most idyllic escapes for both the avid hiker and the experienced birder in the Prescott area.

Dandrea Trail starts high in the Bradshaws, its trailhead nestled at the end of Poacher's Row in the summer community of Potato Patch. It's Trail No. 285, beginning near groves of aspen trees that were starting to burst in their autumn yellows on my late September outing. It cuts through thick woods of fir, oak and pine trees, and its rocky slopes are dense with grasses and wildflowers. The ascent up Mount Union in Prescott National Forest is not terribly steep, but the pathway was an old miners' road, and has since been covered in large, protective stones. This makes for a rough hike, so it's best to leave the running shoes at home and to bring rugged boots.

A saddle between peaks, among them Mount Union and Mount Davis, gives you a chance to relax in a sunny clearing and choose some options. Dandrea Trail continues further down the eastern slope of Mount Union. But the intersection with Yankee Doodle Trail (No. 284) lets you take a short hike to the summit of Mount Union, Yavapai County's highest mountain. Or you can follow a forested path near Mount Davis, the county's second highest peak. I opted for the latter, a walk in the woods that wouldn't disappoint.

The trail was quite easy - less rocky and more pine needle-laden than Dandrea. But I only followed it for a half mile or so because it descends too far from where I left my car. But in that short time, I saw dozens of birds, including a few uncommon varieties.

While I see lots of white-breasted nuthatches in the Prescott area, spying a rarer red-breasted nuthatch was a sign that this was indeed a unique high altitude habitat. What I thought was a wren, turned out to be a brown creeper, an exciting first identification for me. I also heard a new, melodious song from high in a fir tree, and quickly spotted the red flash of a painted redstart. It flitted and darted about incessantly, so I was lucky to get a couple shots. There were also a number of other more common birds like hawks, acorn wookpeckers, ravens, juncos, flycatchers, chickadees, titmice and thrushes, adding to this birder's long list of happy sightings.

Dandrea and Yankee Doodle are relatively easy ways to enjoy the high altitude beauty of the Bradshaw Mountains' almost 8,000 feet-high peeks. On a late season, midweek escape they're also a perfect way to enjoy some solitude amid the peaceful gifts of fresh air, dappled light and wind-carried sounds that only pristine and protected landscapes can offer. While I was literally the only person on these trails, I never felt alone. Yes, the birds are my photographic targets - I've invited myself into their hopefully crowded midst. Dandrea reminded me that I wasn't out roughing it for a morning in the wild. I was visiting the warm and cozy home of a good friend named Mother Nature.