After a busy week, we headed out for a refreshing hike on
Saturday morning. To beat the rush, we left the house a little after the sun rose.
The trailhead is located north of Sedona,
and the sunrise lit the rocks most magnificently. Because we started out so
early, we had most of the trail to ourselves on the way out. The path winds
along a creek that meanders through the mountains. Fortunately, it is fall, so
the water level is low, and the water
temperature moderate as the hike has 13 cross-overs.
The initial path to
the hike was
littered with wild apple trees. On our way back, Noah fashioned a hook
to grab apples right off the trees. These tasted amazing.
After about two and a half hour of hiking, the boys had to
try out the water in earnest, and took off their hiking boots and waded in.
Only the need to get back to Flagstaff stopped them from trying to dam up the
trickle of water.
On our way back, we encountered lots of people, and we also
noticed the difference in color – the sun beaming straight down certainly shifted the color spectrum, and we were happy to have had the
morning glow view.
The hiking guide was indeed correct about arriving early. The
parking lot was full, and the line of waiting cars extended at least ¼ of a mile, and many added several miles to the hike
by parking further down the road and walking to the trailhead. Us leaving made someone very happy.
It is not for nothing, this canyon is called a mini Grand Canyon. I could have filled pages upon pages with photos of rock formations in various colors. Truly a beautiful hike and a fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning.
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