Two weeks in Sedona…
Why are the rocks red?
Did we hike 155 miles in March? Read on to find out!
We camped in Page Springs, right next to Oak Creek. We were roughly ten miles north of Cottonwood and ten miles south of Sedona. It was a great location. There was a bubbling brook right outside our back window that lulled us to sleep each night. The huge cottonwoods were leafing out and provided cool afternoon shade. Though we had little to no cell phone signal, we did have wi-fi and full-hook ups…we were very comfortable. There were a couple of trails that followed the creek downstream for a half mile or so making it a pleasure to walk our four-legged friend. We always saw colorful birds, an occasional rabbit, and though we got whiffs of skunks, we never saw any. About every other walk, I’d take my fishing pole and make a few casts. I caught a couple of small stocked rainbow trout…they made a great lunch!
The babbling brook outside our back window Arleen reading about the Grand Canyon
Sedona, population just over 11,000, is a charming touristy, artsy, spa town. Most of the homes and businesses are blocky adobe style and colored in various shades of red, orange, and brown that blend nicely with the spectacular scenery. The town is spread in three parts west to east along highway 89A and north to south along highway 179. The northern section of town along 89A, is the center of tourist activity. Numerous gatcha shops, art galleries, restaurants, and tourist businesses line each side of the road with nice pedestrian walkways inviting everyone to poke their head in each shop. The little town always seemed busy. Roads, parking areas, trailheads, and tourist attractions often got more traffic than they could handle. We learned to arrive at trailheads before 10:00am in order to find an open space. Any later, and we’d have to join hordes of others scattered willy-nilly up and down roads where ever space allowed. Once on a trail, we’d consistently pass or get passed by others. Fellow hikers were nearly always cheery, and shared our immense appreciation of the amazing landscape.
Hike #1: Red Rocks State Park…We started our Sedona adventure at Red Rocks State Park. We learned about the local geology and flora and fauna. The park has a few miles of hiking trails offering great views of the dramatic red cliffs. Cathedral Rock was prominent to the north and made us gawk in wonder with each view. Our four mile hike was a perfect introduction to this spectacular area.
Cathedral Rocks to the left
Hike #2: Doe Mountain, then Aerie Trail to Faye Canyon Trail, and up to the arch…Doe Mountain was my number two or number three favorite hike…it’s a tough call! The first half mile, the trail climbs steeply to crest the flat-topped mesa just northwest of Sedona. After reaching the top, you can loop two or three miles right along the mesa’s edge and enjoy amazing views in every direction. Doe Mountain should have been a short hike, but we stopped to take so many pictures, it took us a few hours! The bright blooming paint brush and hedgehog cactus perched on the edge were extremely photogenic and will always be imprinted in our memories. We got back to the truck with energy to spare, so we decided to hike Aerie Trail to Faye Canyon. Aerie is open to mountain biking and all the folks we saw negotiating the trail, had big smiles…it made me want to go find a mountain bike and join them! The main attraction in Faye Canyon is the natural arch. After walking roughly a half mile on an easy trail along a wash surrounded by huge red cliffs, you scramble up a very steep hill to the arch. We sat under the arch for awhile enjoying the cool shade, the incredible view, and a good snack. We ended up hiking seven and a half miles and were beat!
YIKES!
Check out the agave growing in the rocks beside me
See me below the arch?
Hike #3: Brins Mesa…Our guide book made it sound like we could drive right up to the trailhead and do an easy 5-mile hike to the top of Brins Mesa. Shortly after making the right turn onto the “road”, a sign warns that the “road” is not maintained and only suitable for high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicles. Thankfully we were able to turn around and parked on the “shoulder'” along a wide part of the “road”. However, our 5-mile hike was doubled to 10 miles! We walked over two miles up the rough road…phew…I’m glad we didn’t drive it! Finally we made a right turn and were on the trail. The trail was fairly easy and jumped back and forth across an interesting wash. There were a few patches of snow lingering in the deep shady spots. Again, patches of blooming flowers like phlox, begged to be photographed. Near the top, Soldier’s Pass trail intersected with our trail. Prior to that we had only seen a couple of other hikers, but the Soldier’s Pass/Brins Mesa loop is very popular and there were a bunch of folks cheesing it up for the camera and enjoying the view at the top. The sky was overcast and the cool winds were brisk ahead of a weak storm system so we didn’t linger too long, but we snapped a few pictures to supplement the great memories.
Snow?!?
The view northwest from Bins Mesa. Sedona was prominent to the south.
Day of rest! Vet appointment for our four-legged friend and then Jerome…We had hiked over 22 miles in three days…our bodies needed a break! Our four-legged friend had an old man checkup in Cottonwood. He’s almost eleven and is doing great! Next we drove the steep, winding road up to Jerome. At 5,200 feet, Jerome is perched nearly 2,000 feet above Cottonwood. It was founded in 1876. During the peak copper mining years in the 1920s, the population swelled to nearly 15,000 and it was Arizona’s fourth largest city. The mine closed in 1953 and a mass exodus resulted in just 50-100 folks remaining. It was promoted as a ghost town and designated a National Historic District in 1967. Now, it’s a thriving tourist and artist community with about 500 people. We were told to sample the “Haunted Hamburger” for lunch…it was a great recommendation! The key ingredients: fresh guacamole and roasted green chili. These two ingredients will make any burger world-class…it was yummy! Because nearly all of the buildings in Jerome are perched on a 30 degree slope and 2,000 feet above the valley, the view made the burger even more memorable. And why is the burger “haunted”? While renovating the place to open as a restaurant, odd things were happening, most notably, disappearing hammers. The new owners confirmed the hijinks with the previous owners and rumor has it that weird things continue to happen. Though we didn’t observe anything unusual, we had a great experience. After slowly walking around town and enjoying the old west ambience, we headed back to Cottonwood to resupply. Our day of rest was productive and successful!
The steep and winding road up to Jerome
An old gas pump A gypsy wagon The Haunted Hamburger…yum yum!
Hike #4: Little Horse Trail to Chicken Point…This was my other number two or number three favorite Sedona hike. The guide book’s description was low key and our expectations weren’t too high. However, once we got to the top, we were blown away by the scenery! We were up close and intimate with the red rocks. Unfortunately, there were a bunch of other people up there. There is a popular 4-wheel drive route that comes up from the other direction. At one point, there were at least six jeeps and 20 people milling around the top. We felt like we earned the top…they cheated! Oh well, we scampered up the cliffs above the point and lingered to take in the view and perfect weather. Our perch allowed us to escape the jeep crowds, but gave us an eagle eye view of the happenings below. Thankfully, the jeep folks didn’t stick around too long, and we felt at peace in this special place.
People are on Chicken Point in the center left
See me? (Click on the picture for a better view)
Sedona is in the bowl…possibly the best backdrop for any town in the US!
Hike #5: Courthouse Butte Loop…After the hike to Chicken Point, we wanted to do a few more miles so we headed south to check out the Oak Creek area. We found a nearly 5 mile loop hike around Courthouse Butte and Belt Rock. These towering cliffs top at 5,451 feet and 4,919 feet respectfully. It was cool to walk all the way around and observe them from different perspectives. These trails are very popular and just like us, there were a bunch of other folks getting exercise, enjoying the scenery, and making memories.
Hike #6: West Fork of Oak Creek Trail…This is one of the most popular trails in the Sedona area. The guide book says to start early to get a parking space and avoid the crowds. We did as told and were rewarded with another amazing hike. The trailhead is about 11 miles north of Sedona nestled in the tight Oak Creek canyon along highway 89A. Just a half mile from the parking lot after crossing a bridge over Oak Creek, are a few homesteader’s ruins. It’s always interesting to step into these old buildings and imagine being in a different era. Then the trail turns right and heads up the very narrow and extremely scenic canyon of the West Fork of Oak Creek. A sign warned of snow and ice on the trail and in the perfect 70 degree weather, I said “yah, right”. My research also said that “surprisingly large trout” are in the small creek so I took my rod and a few spinners. The towering, multicolored cliffs rose straight from the creek bed. The trail was tricky as it crossed the stream repeatedly, sometimes via logs, sometimes via rocks, and often by both, much of them wobbly and slick. It’s the kind of trail that often gets the best of Arleen, but she only got a little wet and finished with all of her skin! We stopped for lunch on a large rock, perched about 20 feet above the creak, and enjoyed the stunning cliffs. Arleen made friends with a raven that carefully approached within a few feet as it begged for bits of our lunch. It wasn’t far from our lunch spot, that the canyon narrowed and the nearly vertical, thousand foot cliffs shaded a section of trail that still had a foot of snow…the sign was right! The temperature was 15-20 degrees cooler in that spot…brrrr. Just when we thought the trail might continue for endless miles (we were already a mile further than our guide book said we could go), vertical rock cliffs, walled us in. The only way to proceed would be straight up the creek…the water was freakin’ cold and we had three and a half miles to get back…no thanks! On our way back down, we discovered we lunched on an undercut rock and realized our relaxing lunch was a bit precarious! I didn’t catch or see any fish. Mine was the only fishing pole we saw all day and nearly everyone asked if I caught anything. Many folks were surprised to hear that there were trout in the little stream. Too bad I didn’t catch one to prove it to myself! We really enjoyed this spectacular hike.
Fishing
Crossing the stream Undercut rock where we picnicked
End of the trail Fishing a gorgeous chute
Hike #7: AB Young Trail…It was time for something more challenging. The A. B. Young trail climbs 2,000 feet in two miles and is rated one of the toughest hikes in the area…that will do. The trailhead is in Oak Creek Canyon just a couple of miles south of the West Fork trail. This time, instead of staying in a narrow canyon, we climbed a steep slope up to a fire tower with a 360 degree view. At 7,200 feet, the fire tower is one of the highest points and is a great spot to scan for smoke. The temperature was noticeably cooler and the winds were in the 20mph range, so we posed for a few quick pictures, enjoyed a snack and the view, and headed down. Once out of the wind, the weather was perfect. Though trailheads were nearly always full and we shared trails with numerous others, we didn’t see another soul the entire hike! Maybe the tough trail description and tricky Oak Creek crossing, scared everyone away. To have this unique part of the world all to ourselves was special. The steep A.B. Young trail was a perfect warm up for our upcoming Grand Canyon adventure.
Resting on the fire lookout
Oak Creek Canyon below On the fire lookout…Humphreys Peak to the north
Hike #8: Long Canyon and Deadman’s Pass trails…This was our final hike for March. After the challenging A. B. Young trail, we wanted something a bit more easy so it was time for another canyon hike. The trail is open initially and allows great views of the spectacular cliffs. Eventually it closes in, making progress very difficult. A few sight-seeing helicopters flew slowly up the canyon giving their passengers a ride they’ll never forget. Otherwise, it was peaceful and easy-going. On the way down, we made a right turn up Deadman’s Pass trail hoping for a higher view. It worked! We posed for a few pictures among delicate lavender colored flowers with red cliffs in the background.
So what about our goal to hike 155 miles in March? Saving that for last…read on!
Hike #9: Bear Mountain…Our number one favorite Sedona area hike! We wanted to finish our Sedona adventure with another tough hike and a final, amazing view. The trail up Bear Mountain climbs 2,000 feet in just over two miles, and at nearly 6,500 feet, has an expansive vista…perfect! During our online research, we found a guy that made this trail his personal challenge. He did it for speed, always trying to beat his previous best. He was down to 64 minutes. I did some quick math and concluded I might be able to handle that…the challenge was on! The trail was brutal! To get through the cliff bands, it often went up narrow chutes, on various sized and shaped rocks providing precarious foot holds, with occasional waist high drops (horrible for knees) or tricky steps far enough apart to make us ultra careful about taking the next step. On my rush to the top, I nearly stepped on a 6-foot long snake! My already racing heart beat even faster. I stepped back and looked immediately at his tail…no rattles…whew! The snake was stretched out and slowly moving off the trail. I laid my hiking pole next to him for perspective and snapped a few pictures. Then I took a few gulps of water, allowed my heart and breathing to slow, and shoved off again, focused on my goal. The trail continued to climb another thousand feet, but more in a step manner….scramble up a 100-200 feet high slope, cross a brief flat area, and do it again. On the final steep slope, my legs were rubbery, and my heart was pounding out of my chest, but I knew I was close. I made it to the top in 60 minutes! Any doubts about my fitness were erased. I felt great! I had conversations with others at the top and offered to take pictures to forever capture the memory of their quests. After Arleen finally joined me, we had a snack, posed for a few pictures and headed down. We really dislike “the down”. It was getting late and we knew it would take us longer to go down that it did to get up. Plus, now that we were together and the sun angle was making the colors even more magical, there would be a lot of picture stops. Sure enough, we got back to the truck about 15 minutes before sunset and the red rocks were the prettiest we had ever seen. We have a bunch of great pictures…a few of the best ones are below. What a great finale to our Sedona adventure!
We’re going up there! Watch your step!
6-foot long gopher snake. (Pole is 2 feet closer to the camera) / One of many rocky sections
Like most RVers, we have hummingbird feeders. We finally had our first visitors…a male and female pair of black-chinned hummingbirds! This summer we’ll keep track of the various kinds and try to post pictures. So here is our first “Hummingbird Report”…
- Number of Types: 1
- Names: Black-chinned
So, why are the rocks red? Rust…the iron in the rocks is rusting which results in beautiful shades of red and orange.
And our goal to hike 155 miles in March…we blew it away with 198 miles…an average of 6.4 miles a day! Sure, we could have squeaked two more miles in somewhere for an even 200, but we’ll save that for a future goal. The next time we plan to be around some great hiking for awhile and are really motivated, we’ll go for it!
Next we head to the Grand Canyon!! We are actually staying in the park for two weeks! We’ll catch spectacular sunrises and sunsets and hike among some of the most amazing scenery on the planet…We are excited!!
Icing sore knees…a must after a tough hike!
When we were visiting the Sedona area we stayed at a military campground near Williams called Camp Navajo. Great little campground. Really enjoy your detailed adventures.
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