Sat 10/8/2016
Sedona AZ area
~3  miles (on foot)

The Sedona Summit is a nice resort with a great location south of town and beautiful views. My in-laws have a timeshare there, and this was our second trip to the area with them. This was the view greeting me Saturday morning with coffee in hand on the balcony:

By strange coincidence, I arrived in the desert on one of the rare days when thunderstorms were in the area. We heard and saw them throughout the day, though they never hit Sedona full on. They created a hazy sky that washed out a lot of my photos that day so apologies in advance. After a nice leisurely breakfast cooked in the room’s kitchenette, plans were made to go hiking near Cathedral Rock, one of the major rock formations in the area. I stopped to sniff the flowers and admire my STeed in the parking lot (it earned a day’s rest) on the way to the car.
Driving through Sedona at midday on a weekend is right up there on my list of  “don’t do that agains”. The entire area becomes like a shopping mall for people seeking crystals, art (good or bad), and vortexes. And the lack of alternate roads funnels everyone together into a slow death march. But the scenery sure is nice!

Cathedral Rock, from the parking area

Our hiking troupe

Here are some shots from the hike, which started along the beautiful Oak Creek (the major stream and water source running through Sedona) and for which the canyon is named. Lots of lush vegetation right around the water, but it thins out quickly once you get away from the streambed.

The path finally began climbing a steep series of switchbacks that would probably test a mule. But it was pretty short and the views were very rewarding. We saw many mountain bikers on this trail and I wondered how they were getting up the trail until finally seeing them carrying their bikes over their shoulder. I used to mountain bike and loved uphills, but this was bordering on trials riding.

The view above is about where we turned around. Going further up to the saddle area, meant climbing up some pretty steep crumbly rock faces (you can see folks in the photo doing it) to get to the spires . Usually, I’d be all about that, but was feeling somewhat lackadaisical after riding cross country and was content with the gentler hiking, as was everyone else.

Ended the day with a homemade taco bar and frosty margaritas.