Trip Journal: UTAH 2015 Meet-up plus some Vacation Time in Sedona, Arizona
....Continued!
Part II: Just me and the girls in red rock country.
The meet-up is over but there are still adventures awaiting Lisa, Lynn and me as we have the rest of the week to play. While I had a couple of hikes that I wanted to make we really did not have a plan. We were just basically going to wing it….have some fun but also enjoy some chill time.
Day 6 - Monday, October 12: Boynton Canyon. This morning we had to say so long to our house mates as Howie and Deb were heading out, taking the long way home to visit friends elsewhere in the southwest. We decided to try Miley’s for breakfast based on the recommendations from Alex…that and the fact that we were out of supplies at the house.
Miley’s was excellent. The service was quick and friendly, there was a wide assortment of selections on the menu and the food was brought out in short order. I went light today since we will be hiking and just had the fruit plate with yogurt, but the fruit was very fresh and appealing. The girls both had omelets that they thoroughly enjoyed.
Howie and Deb were just finishing up loading their truck when we got back from breakfast so we said another goodbye then we loaded up and hit the road to get in a morning hike up Boynton Canyon. We relied on the map in “Top 10 hikes in Sedona” (one of the books provided in the rental house), but it was not exactly correct in terms of the road names so our journey to the trailhead included a couple quick detours…hey, maybe it was just Alex’s navigational skills being channeled through a vortex. But we eventually found the right spot, not far from the entrance to the Enchantment Resort (one of our little detours). As it was a holiday, there was no need to purchase a Red Rock pass today, so bonus there.
Day 6 - Monday, October 12: Boynton Canyon. This morning we had to say so long to our house mates as Howie and Deb were heading out, taking the long way home to visit friends elsewhere in the southwest. We decided to try Miley’s for breakfast based on the recommendations from Alex…that and the fact that we were out of supplies at the house.
Miley’s was excellent. The service was quick and friendly, there was a wide assortment of selections on the menu and the food was brought out in short order. I went light today since we will be hiking and just had the fruit plate with yogurt, but the fruit was very fresh and appealing. The girls both had omelets that they thoroughly enjoyed.
Howie and Deb were just finishing up loading their truck when we got back from breakfast so we said another goodbye then we loaded up and hit the road to get in a morning hike up Boynton Canyon. We relied on the map in “Top 10 hikes in Sedona” (one of the books provided in the rental house), but it was not exactly correct in terms of the road names so our journey to the trailhead included a couple quick detours…hey, maybe it was just Alex’s navigational skills being channeled through a vortex. But we eventually found the right spot, not far from the entrance to the Enchantment Resort (one of our little detours). As it was a holiday, there was no need to purchase a Red Rock pass today, so bonus there.
This was a very nice hike measuring 6.4 miles and taking us 3.5 hours to complete, just like the hiking book indicated (while the map to the trailhead was not perfect, the trail descriptions were right on). There was again a lack of critters on the trail, only a couple Stellar’s Jays, a few gone birds and several butterflies. But we were treated to wonderful views along the lower part of the trail looking up the canyon. No wonder there was a resort and several large houses built here in this canyon as it is quite peaceful and truly a beautiful setting looking out on the red rock formations. We named the two predominate formations “The Capitol” and “The Parthenon” but I have no idea if they have other names or not. The second part of the trail was wooded and therefore much cooler (actually very pleasant as the day was warm and the skies were clear and blue). The last short section was a bit of a steep climb but it was not that long nor overly difficult (that seems to be a theme for this week, easy trails with short, steep climbs right at the end). The view at the end of the hike was less spectacular than I was expecting; perhaps we needed to work our way over the last little rise beyond the “End of Trail” sign to get the view. But still the hike was worth the effort.
There was a fair amount of traffic on the trail and a few folks enjoying a break at the end of the line. But it was not crowded and we had long stretches of the trail that were devoid of other hikers. As usual, the trail provided some interesting people watching opportunities. As I recall, just about everyone we saw was prepared for the hike. No flip-flop-wearers on the trail and everyone seemed to have water, so overall the hikers on this trail seem to know what they are doing. But there were a few interesting attire observations. Nothing weird or extreme, just interesting. So this was a warm and sunny day. I was comfortable in my long hiking pants and a long-sleeve shirt over a tee-shirt as it was cool along the wooded part of the hike but by the time we were back at the trailhead it was time to lose the overshirt. On the return hike about the time we reached the houses we passed a group of ladies. One woman was obvious a freeze-baby as she had long pants, flannel shirt and a scarf. Maybe she was worried about the sun, but that outfit had to be hot. Further down the trail was just the opposite apparel situation. A tall, lanky, 20-something guy came around a bend in the trail wearing sturdy boots, cargo shorts and a backpack, but there is nothing really unusual about seeing a shirtless guy on the trail on a nice day like today. Then his hiking companion came into view. She was short but athletic and was keeping pace with her long-legged partner, but above her hiking boots she wore black short-shorts and a black sports bra. She definitely gets by vote for minimalist hiking garb. Hey, I’m not complaining or passing judgement, in fact I kinda liked it! Merely an observation.
We looked for the side trail that would lead to some ruins, but it was not marked nor very obvious that we could tell, so we missed that side trip. We also opted not to take the spur up to the spires for the overlook. Maybe next trip. I guess we were back at the trailhead about 1:00. While the conditions when we started the hike were pleasant, it was getting quite warm now that we were in the early afternoon with the temperature topping 90 F. Time for a beer on the back porch. I guess we’ll save the rest of Lynn’s starting plan for another day. Boynton Canyon photo album. This was the fourth hike that we made in this area (Loy Canyon, Honanki, Long Canyon and Boyton Canyon).
Once back in VOC, we made a quick stop at a local bakery for breakfast treats. The selection was a little picked-over this late in the day, but Lynn and Lisa still found some interesting pasties and muffins. We then headed back to the house for that well deserved beer plus cheese and crackers while watching the wildlife (one big red spider, several hummers and a few golfers) from our nicely shaded deck. Ahhh, life is good! Alex and I exchanged a few texts about diner options and settled on The Schoolhouse at 6:00. The excitement for the afternoon was watching two crows harassing a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk overhead but the young raptor seemed generally unphased by whole thing and the crows gave up after a few strafing runs and the hawk just kept soaring along.
We looked for the side trail that would lead to some ruins, but it was not marked nor very obvious that we could tell, so we missed that side trip. We also opted not to take the spur up to the spires for the overlook. Maybe next trip. I guess we were back at the trailhead about 1:00. While the conditions when we started the hike were pleasant, it was getting quite warm now that we were in the early afternoon with the temperature topping 90 F. Time for a beer on the back porch. I guess we’ll save the rest of Lynn’s starting plan for another day. Boynton Canyon photo album. This was the fourth hike that we made in this area (Loy Canyon, Honanki, Long Canyon and Boyton Canyon).
Once back in VOC, we made a quick stop at a local bakery for breakfast treats. The selection was a little picked-over this late in the day, but Lynn and Lisa still found some interesting pasties and muffins. We then headed back to the house for that well deserved beer plus cheese and crackers while watching the wildlife (one big red spider, several hummers and a few golfers) from our nicely shaded deck. Ahhh, life is good! Alex and I exchanged a few texts about diner options and settled on The Schoolhouse at 6:00. The excitement for the afternoon was watching two crows harassing a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk overhead but the young raptor seemed generally unphased by whole thing and the crows gave up after a few strafing runs and the hawk just kept soaring along.
We eventually all washed the red trail dust off and got ready for dinner with Alex, Frankie, Walter and Esty at The Schoolhouse which was just a couple roundabouts south of us off of 179. Excellent place, with great service and outstanding food. Of course Alex and Frankie knew the hostess and our server (hey, they know everyone in VOC it seems!). We had a very nice meal with some great folks. But we ate way too much! Alex had raved about the scallops, so I opted for that along with a bowl of the lobster bisque. Lynn had the filet which was huge. We split the orange-ginger crème brulee which was just enough to top off a great meal. The only glitch was the check. After we had paid, we noticed that the server had put my bisque on Esty’s and Walter’s check. I was just going to give Esty cash to cover the cost, but Walter just smiled and waved it off with an emphatic “Niein!” I don’t speak German but no translator was needed to decipher that response.
Back at the house we caught the end of Monday Night Football, much to Lisa’s joy as Pittsburgh was visiting San Diego. This is great, it is only about 8:00 PM and we’re deep into the 4th quarter of the game. I like this west coast time zone gig. It was an entertaining ending as well. We turned it on with just a few minutes remaining in the game and San Diego driving. They eventually settled for a long field goal to take the lead. The Steelers got the ball back with just under three minutes and needing a field goal to tie. Lisa and I were both hoping for a TD to avoid overtime as we would rather not stay up any later. It was not looking good for Pittsburgh as they only ran two plays before the two minute warning. But they put together a nice drive and got the ball down to inside the one-yard line with 5 seconds to play. Field goal to tie or touchdown for the win? Hats off to the Steelers as they lined up in the Wildcat, and ran off left tackle for the win. Gutsy call but when the play works you look like a genius.
Day 7 - Tuesday, October 13: Road Trip to Prescott and Jerome. Another relaxed morning to start our day including breakfast on the back deck, but still we were on the road before 8:00. There were more interesting birds on the back deck, including Black-chinned and Broad-tailed hummingbirds. Warning light for low tire pressure on the left, rear tire on the Traverse so we made a quick stop at a service station and dumped in a few pounds of air which cleared the issue. Then it was on to Watson Lake to see the sights. At dinner last evening, Esty and Alex were giving us the run down on the things to see and do around Prescott but we just do not have enough time for all of these (so yet more things to see and do for another trip to the area). Esty said that the hike around the lake was excellent, pretty easy and only about 4 miles.
Once we got on the interstate heading south and got up to speed, Lynn asked if I noticed anything different about the car. Uhhhh, no…, want to give me a clue? “Do you hear anything?” was her hint. Oh, the whistling from the sunroof is gone! My wife the rocket scientist has once again fixed the problem. As predicted, the seal was displaced so Lynn just reseated it and we’re good to go.
Back at the house we caught the end of Monday Night Football, much to Lisa’s joy as Pittsburgh was visiting San Diego. This is great, it is only about 8:00 PM and we’re deep into the 4th quarter of the game. I like this west coast time zone gig. It was an entertaining ending as well. We turned it on with just a few minutes remaining in the game and San Diego driving. They eventually settled for a long field goal to take the lead. The Steelers got the ball back with just under three minutes and needing a field goal to tie. Lisa and I were both hoping for a TD to avoid overtime as we would rather not stay up any later. It was not looking good for Pittsburgh as they only ran two plays before the two minute warning. But they put together a nice drive and got the ball down to inside the one-yard line with 5 seconds to play. Field goal to tie or touchdown for the win? Hats off to the Steelers as they lined up in the Wildcat, and ran off left tackle for the win. Gutsy call but when the play works you look like a genius.
Day 7 - Tuesday, October 13: Road Trip to Prescott and Jerome. Another relaxed morning to start our day including breakfast on the back deck, but still we were on the road before 8:00. There were more interesting birds on the back deck, including Black-chinned and Broad-tailed hummingbirds. Warning light for low tire pressure on the left, rear tire on the Traverse so we made a quick stop at a service station and dumped in a few pounds of air which cleared the issue. Then it was on to Watson Lake to see the sights. At dinner last evening, Esty and Alex were giving us the run down on the things to see and do around Prescott but we just do not have enough time for all of these (so yet more things to see and do for another trip to the area). Esty said that the hike around the lake was excellent, pretty easy and only about 4 miles.
Once we got on the interstate heading south and got up to speed, Lynn asked if I noticed anything different about the car. Uhhhh, no…, want to give me a clue? “Do you hear anything?” was her hint. Oh, the whistling from the sunroof is gone! My wife the rocket scientist has once again fixed the problem. As predicted, the seal was displaced so Lynn just reseated it and we’re good to go.
Very easy drive and the GPS on the phone took us right to the park (I-17 south, to 169 and 69 where we hit 89A then a short stretch on 89 south to the park entrance). The entrance fee was $2 to cover parking (should have come on Wednesday as it is free then). This is a nice little park with picnic pavilions, play grounds and open fields; looks like a great asset for Prescott. We drove to the end of the park road to an area overlooking the lake and the Granite Dells. We took a few minutes to get the lay of the land. There were no maps remaining “take one” information bin, but there was a nice sign that showed the route around the lake (I did grab a map down by the lake and later returned it to this box; might as well recycle). The girls decided that we should head around the south part of the lake first. OK, we’ll save the rocks for later. We were on the trail about 9:30.
This ended up being a very nice hike. The route we took around Watson Lake then through the Granite Dells was 4.9 miles and took us about 3 hours, which was longer than we were planning but that’s OK. We were cruising on the flat section around the southern part of the lake, but slowed down considerably in the Granite Dells as it was a tougher trail plus there were a lot more photo ops. It was getting warm by the time we got to the Dells, which was generally an exposed trail, so an earlier start would have been nice. But I am very glad we did the hike first thing today as Alex and Esty had suggested going to Jerome first then through Prescott, but we reversed the order so we could hike in the morning. This was not the walk in the park that we had envisioned, but it is still a pretty easy trail.
A bonus was the wildlife sightings, particularly the birds around the lake. As soon as we arrived we spotted Cormorants sunning themselves on a rock out in the lake. Around the southern part of the lake there were a lot of waterfowl (Coots, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Pied-billed Grebe, Canada Geese and some oddball Mallard-traveling-salesman cross). We also spotted a Great Blue Heron in the mix. Once in the Granite Dells there were several lizards, a snake (most likely a king snake but we did not get a good enough look to be sure), a ground squirrel and a rabbit. So a pretty good variety or critters out on the trail this morning.
From the parking lot, the trail drops quickly to the lake and is then fairly flat and level around to the opposite shore to where the Granite Dells begin. There was not a lot of traffic on the west side of the lake, just a couple bikers, but the number of walkers, joggers and bikers picked up once we were on the east side of the lake as that is a very level and wide all-purpose type trail. We following that until we hit the Lakeshore trail which got us back down closer to the water and eventually into the forest of rocks. We then followed the Lakeshore, Overhill and Northshore trails through the Granite Dells and around the rest of the lake back to our starting point. Once we were off the all-purpose trail we basically had the place to ourselves as we only saw maybe four other hikers and a few kayakers.
So while the hike around the lower part of the lake was pretty and gave us a good warm up, the fun really started once we got in the rocks. The trail is still easy and well-marked, no scrambling required to get through but there is some up and down along this part of the trail, and some of it is a little steep. But it is well worth the effort as there are some interesting rock formations through the Dells and some great reflection shots of the rocks along the edge of the lake. The water level in the lake seemed low based on the level line markings on the rocks. Also, the water was very green near the shoreline, which was a little odd looking. The only place that the trail was not as clearly marked as it could have been was below the dam. Since it was wet here, there was plenty of vegetation and a couple of apparent options for cutting across. But we quickly discovered the correct route which ran along the outflow creek back toward the dam where there was a little metal bridge. Perfect, no wading today! From here the trail works uphill coming out above the dam and providing nice views of the lake. At this point we walked out across the tops of the rocks for a better view before continuing around the loop. Here are the photos from our lap around Watson Lake and through the Granite Dells.
This ended up being a very nice hike. The route we took around Watson Lake then through the Granite Dells was 4.9 miles and took us about 3 hours, which was longer than we were planning but that’s OK. We were cruising on the flat section around the southern part of the lake, but slowed down considerably in the Granite Dells as it was a tougher trail plus there were a lot more photo ops. It was getting warm by the time we got to the Dells, which was generally an exposed trail, so an earlier start would have been nice. But I am very glad we did the hike first thing today as Alex and Esty had suggested going to Jerome first then through Prescott, but we reversed the order so we could hike in the morning. This was not the walk in the park that we had envisioned, but it is still a pretty easy trail.
A bonus was the wildlife sightings, particularly the birds around the lake. As soon as we arrived we spotted Cormorants sunning themselves on a rock out in the lake. Around the southern part of the lake there were a lot of waterfowl (Coots, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Pied-billed Grebe, Canada Geese and some oddball Mallard-traveling-salesman cross). We also spotted a Great Blue Heron in the mix. Once in the Granite Dells there were several lizards, a snake (most likely a king snake but we did not get a good enough look to be sure), a ground squirrel and a rabbit. So a pretty good variety or critters out on the trail this morning.
From the parking lot, the trail drops quickly to the lake and is then fairly flat and level around to the opposite shore to where the Granite Dells begin. There was not a lot of traffic on the west side of the lake, just a couple bikers, but the number of walkers, joggers and bikers picked up once we were on the east side of the lake as that is a very level and wide all-purpose type trail. We following that until we hit the Lakeshore trail which got us back down closer to the water and eventually into the forest of rocks. We then followed the Lakeshore, Overhill and Northshore trails through the Granite Dells and around the rest of the lake back to our starting point. Once we were off the all-purpose trail we basically had the place to ourselves as we only saw maybe four other hikers and a few kayakers.
So while the hike around the lower part of the lake was pretty and gave us a good warm up, the fun really started once we got in the rocks. The trail is still easy and well-marked, no scrambling required to get through but there is some up and down along this part of the trail, and some of it is a little steep. But it is well worth the effort as there are some interesting rock formations through the Dells and some great reflection shots of the rocks along the edge of the lake. The water level in the lake seemed low based on the level line markings on the rocks. Also, the water was very green near the shoreline, which was a little odd looking. The only place that the trail was not as clearly marked as it could have been was below the dam. Since it was wet here, there was plenty of vegetation and a couple of apparent options for cutting across. But we quickly discovered the correct route which ran along the outflow creek back toward the dam where there was a little metal bridge. Perfect, no wading today! From here the trail works uphill coming out above the dam and providing nice views of the lake. At this point we walked out across the tops of the rocks for a better view before continuing around the loop. Here are the photos from our lap around Watson Lake and through the Granite Dells.
We were back at the trailhead a little after noon and on our way to Jerome about 12:15. This is a very pretty drive along route 89A over Mingus Mountain. The road is a scenic byway and it is wide and well maintained but it is still a winding mountain road. However as soon as we hit the Jerome town limits, the character of the road changed from a wide byway to the very narrow streets of an old mining town. Just like being back home in the coal towns of southern West Virginia. We had to drive all the way through town to finally find a parking spot this late in the day, but it is a small town so it is not that far of a walk regardless of where you park. We walked back up to the top of the hill for lunch at the Asylum, again on the recommendations of Alex, Frankie and Esty. Halloween is a special time of year for Jerome and the Aslyum goes all out with its decorations. Yeah, they did have the entire place covered in cobwebs, caskets and other creepy stuff. We figured we might have a little bit of a wait since we were arriving at lunch time, but the 15 minutes we were originally told (which was perfectly acceptable) turned into 15 seconds.
Nice variety on the menu, but not the Mexican fare I was hoping for (my original plan was to return to Vaqueros Cantina as I enjoyed it so much during out last visit. I guess I’ll save that for the next time). Still the Chipotle Turkey sandwich was quite tasty paired with an Oak Creek IPA. Lynn had the BLT and a margarita and Lisa tried the beef stack salad with the “elixir.” Lynn liked the BLT but Lisa was not too impressed with the salad.
After lunch we just walked through town and checked out the shops. . Since we had a sizeable lunch at the Asylum so we skipped dessert, but after walking through most of Jerome my sweet tooth was feeling a bit neglected. So while the girls were browsing in one of the shops I walked over to the little shack that houses Bordello Sweets. Now let’s be clear, this is not a restaurant; it is a little stand along the side of the road that houses a pastry and baked goods shop. But regardless of what it is, the wares are quite good! The owner is a pastry chef and I think a pretty good one based on the items that I ate! I started with a big cookie (and I mean BIG) which was very good. Moist and chewy, just the way a cookie should be. I forgot what the chef called it, but it had a little be of everything in it. But there was a very nice selection of cookies and cakes to choose from. A bonus to the great baked goods is that the young lady who runs the place is very friendly and helpful. As luck would have it, we passed by the little shop later during our exploration of Jerome so I bought a few slices of the chocolate chip pumpkin bread thinking that it might make a nice breakfast treat. It did! I now have another reason to return to Jerome!
I stopped in Jerome Ghost Pepper while Lynn and Lisa were in the artsy store next door. While every other shop we entered had great customer service I was totally ignored here as the sales person was engaged in a rather animated personal conversation with another patron. Hey, I really enjoy spicy salsa, so there was a better than average chance that I would have bought something, but we’ll never know as I was not able to ask a business related question. Oh well, I guess profit was not important to the sales lady. But like I said, she was the only person working in the shops that gave us a negative impression. Most of the retail folks were very pleasant and exceeded at making welcoming small talk. Lisa was wearing a Pittsburgh short (Steelers, Pirates or Pens…I can’t remember) and a couple of the shop workers used that to break the ice. So overall is was a very nice time in Jerome. I did not take a lot of photos, but here’s the link to the ones I have.
After Jerome we cruised through Cottonwood and Cornville, avoiding the potential traffic issues coming through Sedona. Besides, driving through Cornville and cutting across on Beaverhead Flats Road is a lot shorter route to get back to VOC. We were home about 4:45 and ready for some porch time. Cheese and crackers for dinner since we had a late lunch and of course a cold beer or three. We were out on the back deck for the rest of the afternoon, sunset, twilight and curled up again in the blanket of stars. How can it get any better than this?
Nice variety on the menu, but not the Mexican fare I was hoping for (my original plan was to return to Vaqueros Cantina as I enjoyed it so much during out last visit. I guess I’ll save that for the next time). Still the Chipotle Turkey sandwich was quite tasty paired with an Oak Creek IPA. Lynn had the BLT and a margarita and Lisa tried the beef stack salad with the “elixir.” Lynn liked the BLT but Lisa was not too impressed with the salad.
After lunch we just walked through town and checked out the shops. . Since we had a sizeable lunch at the Asylum so we skipped dessert, but after walking through most of Jerome my sweet tooth was feeling a bit neglected. So while the girls were browsing in one of the shops I walked over to the little shack that houses Bordello Sweets. Now let’s be clear, this is not a restaurant; it is a little stand along the side of the road that houses a pastry and baked goods shop. But regardless of what it is, the wares are quite good! The owner is a pastry chef and I think a pretty good one based on the items that I ate! I started with a big cookie (and I mean BIG) which was very good. Moist and chewy, just the way a cookie should be. I forgot what the chef called it, but it had a little be of everything in it. But there was a very nice selection of cookies and cakes to choose from. A bonus to the great baked goods is that the young lady who runs the place is very friendly and helpful. As luck would have it, we passed by the little shop later during our exploration of Jerome so I bought a few slices of the chocolate chip pumpkin bread thinking that it might make a nice breakfast treat. It did! I now have another reason to return to Jerome!
I stopped in Jerome Ghost Pepper while Lynn and Lisa were in the artsy store next door. While every other shop we entered had great customer service I was totally ignored here as the sales person was engaged in a rather animated personal conversation with another patron. Hey, I really enjoy spicy salsa, so there was a better than average chance that I would have bought something, but we’ll never know as I was not able to ask a business related question. Oh well, I guess profit was not important to the sales lady. But like I said, she was the only person working in the shops that gave us a negative impression. Most of the retail folks were very pleasant and exceeded at making welcoming small talk. Lisa was wearing a Pittsburgh short (Steelers, Pirates or Pens…I can’t remember) and a couple of the shop workers used that to break the ice. So overall is was a very nice time in Jerome. I did not take a lot of photos, but here’s the link to the ones I have.
After Jerome we cruised through Cottonwood and Cornville, avoiding the potential traffic issues coming through Sedona. Besides, driving through Cornville and cutting across on Beaverhead Flats Road is a lot shorter route to get back to VOC. We were home about 4:45 and ready for some porch time. Cheese and crackers for dinner since we had a late lunch and of course a cold beer or three. We were out on the back deck for the rest of the afternoon, sunset, twilight and curled up again in the blanket of stars. How can it get any better than this?
Day 8 - Wednesday, October 14: Cathedral Rock and a little shopping. Again we got a relatively early start. Following a slice of Bordello Sweets pumpkin bread on the back deck, we hit the road heading for the Back-O-Beyond Road to access the Cathedral Rock trail arriving at the trailhead just before 0800. The small parking lot was already nearly full but we found a slot for the Traverse. I understand why folks are on the trail early this morning as it is supposed to get toasty this afternoon. This is the first time during the trip that we actually had to have a Red Rock Pass. I like the self-pay kiosks at the trailheads for the passes; very simple process. Since we are only here for today and tomorrow, we’ll just pay a day pass each day.
This is a short hike but it is no pushover. It is basically uphill all the way from the trailhead to the saddle of Cathedral Rock. The first part of the hike as a gradual incline but it gets stepper and more challenging the further on you go. We passed the sign for the Templeton Trail I guess about a third of the way up to Cathedral Rock. The good news is that the trail is well marked. There are a few well-placed, permanent cairns as well as painted dots along the slickrock (similar to the markers through Granite Dells that we saw yesterday). Most of the trail just worked across the slickrock but there were a couple of places that required negotiating uneven steps in the rock. About halfway up the trail we encountered one of these obstacles which prompted Lynn to bail on the rest of the hike for fear that the climb up these uneven steps would aggravate her already sore knee. Lisa decided to stick with her sister so I continued on. I ended up completing the hike with a lady named Mary who was also hiking alone. She had made the hike a few times before she had never done it by herself. Good thing that we ended up hiking together as she kept missing the trail markers and deviating from the trail (even with the meet-up over I’m finding cats to herd). We stopped a few times along the upper part of the trail to catch our breath and enjoy the views which were outstanding.
This is a short hike but it is no pushover. It is basically uphill all the way from the trailhead to the saddle of Cathedral Rock. The first part of the hike as a gradual incline but it gets stepper and more challenging the further on you go. We passed the sign for the Templeton Trail I guess about a third of the way up to Cathedral Rock. The good news is that the trail is well marked. There are a few well-placed, permanent cairns as well as painted dots along the slickrock (similar to the markers through Granite Dells that we saw yesterday). Most of the trail just worked across the slickrock but there were a couple of places that required negotiating uneven steps in the rock. About halfway up the trail we encountered one of these obstacles which prompted Lynn to bail on the rest of the hike for fear that the climb up these uneven steps would aggravate her already sore knee. Lisa decided to stick with her sister so I continued on. I ended up completing the hike with a lady named Mary who was also hiking alone. She had made the hike a few times before she had never done it by herself. Good thing that we ended up hiking together as she kept missing the trail markers and deviating from the trail (even with the meet-up over I’m finding cats to herd). We stopped a few times along the upper part of the trail to catch our breath and enjoy the views which were outstanding.
The last part of the hike exits the slickrock and follows more of a prepared trail that includes more sets of rock stairs. This part of the trail is steep in sections but we knew we were getting near the goal and kept pushing forward. It was along this part of the trail that I heard flute music coming from the rocks above us, just like Howie and Deb said they heard when they hike up here over the weekend. The music stopped by the time we reached the saddle. Phew, that was a nice workout getting to this point. There were a few other folks taking in the views and a few others scrambling about on the rocks. I enjoyed the view from the saddle then walked over to the spires to the right. Mary had taken a seat near the end of the trail sign. By the time I returned to that point she was ready to move on so we scrambled up the rocks to the left of the formation. We found the flutist up in these spires. This is where Mary and I parted company as she was going to sit and meditate for a while (she was looking for the vortex). The flutist said that there was an alternative trail leading out of the formation from this point, recommending it for the different views. He said it was a little tougher than the main trail but very doable. OK, I’m already here so might as well keep going.
The alternative route was fun. There was a couple of minor scrambles, including one place where it was just easier to use my backside to scoot down the slope. But once down the steep part the trail just works around the base of the formation back to the main trail. There are some nice views from this side of the formation, so it was worth the additional effort. Once back at the main trail I put it in high gear to get back to the girls as they had been waiting on me for a while. However the next thing I know my phone is ringing. Wow, I’ve got signal out here? It’s Lynn. Imagine that. She and Lisa were going to head west on the Templeton trail toward Red Rock Crossing and I should take that trail and catch up with them. I let her know that I was not yet down to the Templeton Trail crossing but I was close so I’ll be tracking them shortly.
The Templeton Trail works around the base of Cathedral Rock and runs to Red Rock Crossing and eventually ties in with some other trails. The initial part of the trail that we were on was open and exposed put provided nice views of Cathedral Rock as well as the area around Oak Creek. I spotted a couple lizards along this section and paused for a photo or two but basically kept moving so that I could catch up with Lynn and Lisa. There are a series of switchbacks in the trail to accommodate the elevation change down to the creek. Once down this section the trail is shaded by the cottonwoods that grew along the Oak Creek. That made for a nice change after hiking all morning over exposed rock as it was starting to warm up a bit.
I finally caught up with them at the creek just across from Buddha Beach. We thought the trail might circle Cathedral Rock but the limited information on the photo of the trailhead sign that I had taken back where we started this hike did not indicate such. We stopped at the junction with the Baldwin trail to ascertain our options. We talked with a couple other hikers, one of whom had a map (I guess we should have stopped at the visitor center yesterday so we could have had one as well!), and a park volunteer and eventually got sorted out. There are trails that do make a loop around the formation but that would be a longer hike that we had budgeted for today. So we just reversed our heading and returned to the trailhead by backtracking along the Templeton Trail. But now we have an idea for future hiking options.
The Templeton Trail works around the base of Cathedral Rock and runs to Red Rock Crossing and eventually ties in with some other trails. The initial part of the trail that we were on was open and exposed put provided nice views of Cathedral Rock as well as the area around Oak Creek. I spotted a couple lizards along this section and paused for a photo or two but basically kept moving so that I could catch up with Lynn and Lisa. There are a series of switchbacks in the trail to accommodate the elevation change down to the creek. Once down this section the trail is shaded by the cottonwoods that grew along the Oak Creek. That made for a nice change after hiking all morning over exposed rock as it was starting to warm up a bit.
I finally caught up with them at the creek just across from Buddha Beach. We thought the trail might circle Cathedral Rock but the limited information on the photo of the trailhead sign that I had taken back where we started this hike did not indicate such. We stopped at the junction with the Baldwin trail to ascertain our options. We talked with a couple other hikers, one of whom had a map (I guess we should have stopped at the visitor center yesterday so we could have had one as well!), and a park volunteer and eventually got sorted out. There are trails that do make a loop around the formation but that would be a longer hike that we had budgeted for today. So we just reversed our heading and returned to the trailhead by backtracking along the Templeton Trail. But now we have an idea for future hiking options.
The return hike was easy enough. We saw several other hikers on the trail as well as a number of bikers. The latter group hit the switchbacks hard to make headway up the hill. Once we were above the switchbacks the crowd tapered out and we had the trail mostly to ourselves which made for a peaceful walk in the desert. The temperature was climbing nicely by the time we were back at the trailhead. It was 62 F when we started but was now up to 82 and heading toward the low 90s. Serious hiking for the day is probably over. But we did stop at the Yavapai overlook on the way back to the house for a quick look around and walked up the trail there for a short ways for a better vantage point. The view out beyond route 179 to the east was lovely and we also caught part of Cathedral Rock from this position as well. Here are the photos from Cathedral Rock/Templeton Trail hike and our stop at Yavapai overlook.
After a break on the back deck, we opted for some more touristy activities during the heat of the afternoon and did some shopping. First stop was Garlands on 179 north of Sedona, one of Lynn’s favorite places for Native American jewelry, but nothing spoke to her today. We then headed to Uptown Sedona to walk through the shops as Lisa was looking for tee-shirts and I wanted a hat. We parked in one of the municipal lots at the north end of the strip then walked down one side and back the other, stopping in which ever shops caught our eye. I guess it was a successful trip as we all found the trinkets for which we were looking and then some. We made a quick stop at Tlaquepaque then went out in search of dinner. I was in the mood for some touristy Mexican fare but rather than fight traffic to get back to the Barking Frog we just went with the flow and stopped at Javelina Cantina which was on the way home. We arrived at 4:00 so well before the dinner crowd but there were already several full tables. However there was still seating available outside so we opted for a nice spot on the patio in the shade. Great service, better than average food and I got to try another local beer, the Arizona Trail Ale from THAT Brewing Company in Cottonwood. Overall a pretty good meal.
At 5:30, I headed down the Verde Valley School Road to try and catch sunset at Red Rock Crossing. I got too late of a start to get to the water while the light was still good, but I was treated to a most excellent glow of orange on Cathedral Rock as I drove down the road and walked along the trail. I spotted a mule deer along the road on the return trip, just further evidence that this is the prime time for the big critters. I was back at the house just as the sun was going down and headed to the back deck. The stars were good tonight but not as good as the past few nights. Still it was a relaxing evening and a nice end to another wonderful day.
Day 9 - Thursday, October 15: Baldwin-Hiline Hike. I was up early as usual and went out on the back deck to check the stars. The Big Dipper was HUGE. We have one more hike planned for this morning and then we’ll just chill on the back deck for the afternoon, well that and a little packing to get a jump on travel. But a relaxed last afternoon is a good way to close out vacation.
We were on the road just before 8:00 heading down the Verde Valley School Road to the Baldwin Trailhead. Lisa was the first to see the mule deer walking down the road in front of us; the doe was just out for a morning stroll is seemed and really did not care about us at all. Once at the trailhead, we got our gear in order, Lynn secured our Red Rock day pass and away we went. We took Baldwin Trail counter-clockwise to Hiline which we took out past Cathedral Rock and back then completed the loop along Baldwin. I guess that makes sort of a reverse lollipop route? This route covered almost 5 miles and took us about 3.5 hours. This was a great hike with outstanding views all along the trail in all directions.
Day 9 - Thursday, October 15: Baldwin-Hiline Hike. I was up early as usual and went out on the back deck to check the stars. The Big Dipper was HUGE. We have one more hike planned for this morning and then we’ll just chill on the back deck for the afternoon, well that and a little packing to get a jump on travel. But a relaxed last afternoon is a good way to close out vacation.
We were on the road just before 8:00 heading down the Verde Valley School Road to the Baldwin Trailhead. Lisa was the first to see the mule deer walking down the road in front of us; the doe was just out for a morning stroll is seemed and really did not care about us at all. Once at the trailhead, we got our gear in order, Lynn secured our Red Rock day pass and away we went. We took Baldwin Trail counter-clockwise to Hiline which we took out past Cathedral Rock and back then completed the loop along Baldwin. I guess that makes sort of a reverse lollipop route? This route covered almost 5 miles and took us about 3.5 hours. This was a great hike with outstanding views all along the trail in all directions.
I really enjoyed the section from where Baldwin turns north to the junction with the Hiline Trail and out along the Hiline Trail. There is a lot of variety along this section as well as the best views further out Hiline. I think this is also the hardest part of the trail as this is where the majority of the elevation change takes place, at least for the section we hiked (there is obviously a big change along the Hiline Trail to get to Yavapai Point but this is beyond where we turned around). Most of the elevation change is made up through switchbacks in the trail but there are a couple of steep scrambles to negotiate as well. Nothing that significant for hiking but these looked uber challenging for the mountain bikers on the trail.
The best views were once we were south and east of Cathedral Rock. This is where we finally decided to stop and turn back toward the trailhead. But we did pause long enough for a team photo, maybe the only one I took of the three of us. Hey, I too interested in the rocks and critters to worry about taking photos of us people. We did have a few good animal sightings today. I got a decent image of a Cooper’s Hawk and some nicer shots of a Scrub Jay and a good size lizard. There were several butterflies about as well as songbirds but they were all too busy to pose for me this morning. This is definitely a hike I would do again. We all agreed that the loop combining Hiline and Templeton looks to be a nice route. In fact, we passed several hikers who were doing just that, starting at Yavapai trailhead, but they had started between 6:00 and 7:00 this morning. I think this would be about a 12 mile hike but with an earlier start is would be a great day hike. Something to keep in mind for our next visit to Red Rock Country. Also a few mountain bikers out on the trail. As mentioned there are some really tough looking spots on the Hiline trail but we did not see any horrendous crashes during the return hike so I reckon they all made it through safely. More photos from the hike. |
We were home and on the back porch before noon, me with a cold Hop Nosh in hand (one of my favorite IPAs). Again, life is good! Cheese and crackers for lunch then a Dirt Wolf for dessert (probably my favorite Double IPA). We decided on Harry’s Hideaway for dinner so I made reservations for 6:00. After a while I needed a break from all this relaxation so I washed off the trail dust, started packing and did some house cleaning (not that much was needed) then it was back on the porch with the girls and the birds. The house worked out very well for us for our time in Sedona; I would definitely try renting this place again for a future trip (review).
We saw Alex and Frankie about 5:00 as they were walking the pups along the golf course. They were just getting back from their excursion to the North Rim. We made breakfast plans with Alex for Miley’s at 0800 tomorrow. Frankie said she would still be asleep.
We saw Alex and Frankie about 5:00 as they were walking the pups along the golf course. They were just getting back from their excursion to the North Rim. We made breakfast plans with Alex for Miley’s at 0800 tomorrow. Frankie said she would still be asleep.
Surprisingly Harry’s Hideaway was not crowded at all. I figured dinner time on a Thursday would be sort of prime time, but we had the place almost to ourselves. This is such a nice place to eat. The folks are friendly, the service is prompt and the food is outstanding. We’ve tried a lot of restaurants and there are a lot of excellent choices but this just might be my favorite in the area. I was looking at the shrimp entrée and asked the server for her opinion and she suggested the albear shrimp from the appetizer menu, so I went with that but still needed something for the main course, so I went old school with the fish and chips. The server said that was going to be her suggestions as well as it is the best she has ever tried. OK, how can I go wrong with that? Lynn had the crab cakes which she really enjoyed and Lisa had another salad (we’re going to have to work on her vacation meal selections). My dinner was outstanding. The shrimp albear was outstanding and came garnished with a thin red pepper. The server said whatever I do, don’t eat the pepper. OK, why not? “I’ve seen grown men cry after biting into that pepper.” OK, I like hot and spicy but I’ve also learned to tell when a server is being sincere or just covering the restaurant’s butt. I left the pepper undisturbed. The fish and chips were excellent, just right for the final meal of vacation. Hey, I can afford some deep-fried bliss after all the hiking we’ve done this week. The diet starts next week…maybe. The only negative point about Harry’s was that the beer list was a little weak, at least in the opinion of a hop-head. But they did have an IPA from Big Sky Brewing out of Missoula, Montana, the makers of Moose Drool Brown Ale, so that had to be a winner. It won’t displace Hop Nosh or Dirt Wolf at the top of my beer list but it was pretty tasty and had a decent bite at 65 IBU. I got a kick out of the can which had emblazoned on the back the motto of all true rednecks: “Hold my beer and watch this!”
Keeping with the last meal of vacation theme, I ordered a piece of the flourless chocolate cake for dessert but took it carry-out. We were back home before 8:00 so time to catch the end of “Bones” and the Thursday night football game. I’m still diggin’ this west coast time zone! We flipped between the two. The ‘aints flogged the previously unbeaten Falcons. I polished-off my cake during the end of the game. I also finished up the last of the beer, one final Hop Not.
Keeping with the last meal of vacation theme, I ordered a piece of the flourless chocolate cake for dessert but took it carry-out. We were back home before 8:00 so time to catch the end of “Bones” and the Thursday night football game. I’m still diggin’ this west coast time zone! We flipped between the two. The ‘aints flogged the previously unbeaten Falcons. I polished-off my cake during the end of the game. I also finished up the last of the beer, one final Hop Not.
Day 10 - Friday, October 16: Homeward Bound. No rush this morning so I slept in until about 5:30. One last morning on the back deck. Overcast and a little cooler for sunrise but the clouds made things a little interesting. The smell of freshly mown grass from the golf course was refreshing. There was a little sprinkle about 7:30 but is was short lived. Just not the right conditions for a rainbow.
We met Alex at Miley’s for breakfast. Just Lynn and me as Lisa went for a run. I had the Grande burrito which was excellent and a fitting last meal in the southwest for this trip. Lynn enjoyed her pancakes. Again a great value and excellent service. Spending a little quality time with Alex made for a nice way to close out the time here in Sedona.
Back at the house we finished packing and cleaning and were ready to go and on the road at 9:30; no sense waiting around. I dumped two gallons of gas into the Traverse to give us a little margin on an empty tank. I may have been able to forego the gas and just roll in on fumes but why risk it. There were still 81 miles on the range estimator when we arrived at the rental car return, so plenty to spare. It was an uneventful return trip and we were at the rental car terminal about 11:20.
We said goodbye to Lisa at the rental car return as she was flying out on a different airline through another terminal. We encountered no crowds and no waiting anywhere along the process and were through security at 11:45. That could be a record for PHX. With about two hours to kill, we opted to burn a couple of passes for the United Club lounge. That was more comfortable than sitting at the gate but still nothing special. I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale while waiting. The bartender had to point out that he had Bud Light and some other equally crappy beer on tap for free. I told him that free was the only way I would drink those, which got a chuckle from the fellows at the bar, and stuck with the better beer (which was a deal at three bucks).
No serious issues with the return trip. About a week before the trip I was checking the flight status and noticed that United for some reason deleted the seats I had reserved on the Phoenix to O’Hare leg, so we had to settle for seats in the very back of the bus. I was concerned that this would be a problem since we did not have much time to make our connection in Chicago, but as it happens that flight was delayed by over an hour, so it ended up being a non-issue and in fact we had time to get some dinner at O’Hare. Odd thing about O’Hare is the lack of sit-down dining options. Plenty of fast food joints, but not many with tables and chairs. We finally found an Italian place and had pizza. Fortunately we were not in a rush as the service was not the greatest. But the pizza was good and the Goose IPA was cold.
No further delays with the flight and we were off to CLE, landing just after midnight. It was a little chilly here in northern Ohio, particularly considering that it was 90-plus degrees when we left Arizona this afternoon! The nice thing is that we still have the weekend to rest up from the great set of adventures we had in Red Rock Country.
By the numbers. Yeah, I like to track what we do during these trips. I guess I'm just a numbers guy or just stuck on metrics or something. For whatever reason I like to know how many miles we hiked during our trips and Lynn likes to watch for critters, so there are the two things that I keep a count of. I guess I could keep track of the number of new beers I try during a trip, but I think I would run out of fingers and toes.
There is still a lot for us to do in Sedona with many more miles of trails to explore, but we did finally get some serious hiking out among the red rocks. We’ll have to come back for Doe Mesa, Devil’s Bridge and the loop around Cathedral Rock (the Templeton-Baldwin-Hiline combination). We did put in nearly 40 miles on the red dirt trails at least according to the tracks I plotted on Ramblr. Here’s the list; I’ll eventually include the links to the Ramblr tracks to most of these.
We met Alex at Miley’s for breakfast. Just Lynn and me as Lisa went for a run. I had the Grande burrito which was excellent and a fitting last meal in the southwest for this trip. Lynn enjoyed her pancakes. Again a great value and excellent service. Spending a little quality time with Alex made for a nice way to close out the time here in Sedona.
Back at the house we finished packing and cleaning and were ready to go and on the road at 9:30; no sense waiting around. I dumped two gallons of gas into the Traverse to give us a little margin on an empty tank. I may have been able to forego the gas and just roll in on fumes but why risk it. There were still 81 miles on the range estimator when we arrived at the rental car return, so plenty to spare. It was an uneventful return trip and we were at the rental car terminal about 11:20.
We said goodbye to Lisa at the rental car return as she was flying out on a different airline through another terminal. We encountered no crowds and no waiting anywhere along the process and were through security at 11:45. That could be a record for PHX. With about two hours to kill, we opted to burn a couple of passes for the United Club lounge. That was more comfortable than sitting at the gate but still nothing special. I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale while waiting. The bartender had to point out that he had Bud Light and some other equally crappy beer on tap for free. I told him that free was the only way I would drink those, which got a chuckle from the fellows at the bar, and stuck with the better beer (which was a deal at three bucks).
No serious issues with the return trip. About a week before the trip I was checking the flight status and noticed that United for some reason deleted the seats I had reserved on the Phoenix to O’Hare leg, so we had to settle for seats in the very back of the bus. I was concerned that this would be a problem since we did not have much time to make our connection in Chicago, but as it happens that flight was delayed by over an hour, so it ended up being a non-issue and in fact we had time to get some dinner at O’Hare. Odd thing about O’Hare is the lack of sit-down dining options. Plenty of fast food joints, but not many with tables and chairs. We finally found an Italian place and had pizza. Fortunately we were not in a rush as the service was not the greatest. But the pizza was good and the Goose IPA was cold.
No further delays with the flight and we were off to CLE, landing just after midnight. It was a little chilly here in northern Ohio, particularly considering that it was 90-plus degrees when we left Arizona this afternoon! The nice thing is that we still have the weekend to rest up from the great set of adventures we had in Red Rock Country.
By the numbers. Yeah, I like to track what we do during these trips. I guess I'm just a numbers guy or just stuck on metrics or something. For whatever reason I like to know how many miles we hiked during our trips and Lynn likes to watch for critters, so there are the two things that I keep a count of. I guess I could keep track of the number of new beers I try during a trip, but I think I would run out of fingers and toes.
There is still a lot for us to do in Sedona with many more miles of trails to explore, but we did finally get some serious hiking out among the red rocks. We’ll have to come back for Doe Mesa, Devil’s Bridge and the loop around Cathedral Rock (the Templeton-Baldwin-Hiline combination). We did put in nearly 40 miles on the red dirt trails at least according to the tracks I plotted on Ramblr. Here’s the list; I’ll eventually include the links to the Ramblr tracks to most of these.
- West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon (7.3 miles)
- Loy Canyon (2.6 miles)
- Honanki Heritage Site (0.8 miles)
- Long Canyon (6.4 miles)
- Boynton Canyon (6.4 miles)
- Watson Lake and the Granite Dells (4.9 miles)
- Red Rock Crossing (1.0 mile)
- Cathedral Rock and the Templeton Trail (3.7 miles)
- Baldwin-Hiline Trail (4.9 miles)
That’s 38 miles even out on the trails, so a pretty good tally for a relaxed week.
We also like to keep track of the critter sightings when we travel. Honestly I was not expecting to see too many interesting but I was pleasantly surprised. While we did not have the megafauna that we are accustomed to when in Yellowstone, Grand Teton or Glacier, we still did alright here in Arizona. Of course we saw a lot more than we could positively identify as well, particularly birds, butterflies and lizards. The list below only has the critters that I’m reasonably certain of their identity.
Birds:
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Mammals
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And in conclusion…. So that’s it, probably way more detail than anyone really wanted to read about our 10-day trip to the Red Rock Country of Sedona, Arizona. But it was such a wonderful excursion. Here's a short slideshow with an appropriate musical score of some of the highlights. Of course the main point of the trip was the 6th annual UTAH meet-up and that of course was simply EPIC! Hanging out with the herd whether on the trail, in a duckie or a balloon, or just chillin’ at Alex’s and Frankie’s was a special treat. The event was made even better as we added so many new cats to the herd. It was nice to finally connect real people to all the forum posts on TA and the meet-up website. I think we’re stuck with them now…at least I hope that we are! I reckon we'll find out next fall when the herd converges in Bluff.