First full day in Sedona

We awoke around 6 AM PST after a night of fitful sleep. After becoming accustomed to a king-sized bed we found a queen bed to be tight quarters. The time change didn’t help, either, as our heads seemed to be stuck on East Coast time.

After a breakfast of eggs and bagels we prepared for our hike. The sun had crested the surrounding hills and was burning off the early chill. I went from wearing jeans and two shirts to a shirt and shorts by the time we were leaving.

I was transfixed by the amazing natural beauty surrounding our house. Huge cliffs rose around us into the deep blue sky. A rabbit sat warily at the end of the driveway. Birds darted under the eave of the house, searching for a spot to make a nest. Neighbors strolled with their dogs along the road near our house.

The hot tub at the back of the house was apparently entertaining to others, too. We were mystified to find it in the morning with its cover off. Its cover is not a lightweight thing so we think either a neighbor came to use it or the dreaded chupacabra had taken a dip. We didn’t find any dead goats, however, so we’re leaning towards the neighbor theory.

In spite of our GPS systems we had trouble finding our way to our day’s hike at Cathedral Rock park. Even so, we enjoyed driving the genteel streets of Sedona, passing through roundabouts and construction zones as we went. Amazing vistas appeared on every horizon with eye-popping red rocks towering around us. It was tough knowing which way to look.

Eventually, after enlisting the help of a tourist shop, we found our way to the Cathedral Rock trailhead. It was 9:30 local time and already the parking lot was nearly full. We slathered on one last coat of sunscreen, picked up our picnic lunch, and headed up the hill.

After a moderate little hike we arrived at a wide plateau and declared it our picnic spot. The kids enjoyed running around while we took in the views and watched as hikers and mountain bikers traversed the park. The Cathedral Rock itself loomed above us, with only the tiniest specks representing the hikers on the trail up there. I marveled at the sight, wondering what it would be like to get there.

After everyone had eaten we began to walk the Templeton Trail, which began just above us and took a horizontal course around the hills. We all seemed to enjoy this hike, though there were spots that were skinny enough to be considered “single track” to mountain bikers, many of whom were also on the trail. More than once we had to step aside as hardy bikers came pedaling up the long inclined paths.

We left the Swansons at the top of one hill and ventured down along a steep switchback towards what we though was a path that led to the creek below. Dodging more mountain bikers, we finally reached the creek area only to find there was no chance of a shortcut back to the parking lot. We hiked back up the hill to rejoin the Swansons only to have Travis become fragile over the walk. He got a lift back to our picnic area on his Uncle David’s shoulders and the rest of us had to walk.

Travis declared that he needed to use the restroom, so Kelly and I got the kids back to the tourist shop to take care of that. We then handed the kids off to Kelly’s parents while we returned to hike Cathedral Rock as far as we could. With walking sticks in hand, we set off at 1 PM.

After 26 minutes of strenuous climbing, including points where hands and feet were needed for the climb, we arrived at the top of the trail. Wow, what a gorgeous view we were rewarded with! At our elevation of 4826 feet we could see for miles. Taking a break to catch our breaths, we made friends with the other hikers and snapped many photos of our accomplishment.

As I ventured out to a ledge to take some photographs, a younger man carted his own camera over near me. Chris was from the Canadian east coast and had met his friends from Vancouver here in Sedona for the week. We chatted about the climb and about photography, as each of us had a Nikon D50. After watching him try to snap photos of his wife and friends along the ridge, I offered him the use of our new zoom lens.

After we both had made it back to the relative safety of the top of the trail, I said goodbye to Chris and went with Kelly up the trail to where a short climb would supposedly take us to a different trail down. After climbing some of the steep and dusty rock I decided I had met my match. We returned down the way we came and soon were in the parking lot again. It had taken us 26 minutes to reach the top and about the same time to return again. We had spent an hour resting at the top.

On the way home, Kelly ran into the grocery store for some beer. We then found an interesting local brewery nearby and I spent a few minutes inside checking it out. Then we returned to our home and ate a large spaghetti meal and recounted our day. Kelly and Hallie tried out the hot tub and soon I and Travis joined them. Then the kids got bathed and put to bed while Linda and I snapped pictures of the moon rising next to the red rocks and deep blue sky.

Tomorrow we’re off for another local hike. Then Tuesday we’re off to see the Grand Canyon. Our weather is forecast to turn wet Wednesday and there’s a possibility that we’ll see snow on Thursday. We’re hoping to make the most of our next few days by getting in some good sightseeing.