Day 6: Crescent Moon Creek

Distance: 2 miles round trip
Elevation: 4,000 ft
Elevation Gain: None

Folks love to lounge on the large red rock platforms near the western end of the park

You would think that our staying within steps of Crescent Moon Park would have tempted us before our last day, but since we had phenomenal views of Cathedral Rock right from our front porch the thought of walking along the creek was not as enticing and you might think.

Still, the park is home to one of the most photographed places in all of Sedona so I knew we would have to make the trek.

Crescent Moon is a picnic area with lovely trees and a creek side walk. The first half of this is paved but the other half is rocky, filled with tree roots, and a few rough areas. I say this from the perspective of my Mother who is not as nimble as she used to be. Anyone under 60 will find the trail quite easy.

Hoodoos at the far eastern end of the trail. Here one is practically on top of the vortex, which is technically on the other side of the creek. These hoodoos were EVERYWHERE.

I found out late in our trip that Cathedral Rock is home of one of Sedona's several vortexes (note, I am not misspelling the word, that is how the locals refer to them). These vortexes are supposed to be centers of concentrated earth energy. Lounging or meditating near a vortex is presumably uplifting. It is certainly a more novel tourist attraction than a curio store and it does have the added benefit of getting people outdoors. A little exercise in the sunshine is always uplifting to me.

One document I found online indicated that the vortex near Cathedral Rock was filled with feminine energy. It is supposed to increase one's compassion and empathy. No wonder I had avoided it all week. My father made a snide remark that I would have to hang out at the vortex for a VERY LONG TIME to see any increase in my feminine side.

Buddha Beach at the end of the trail. Just out of frame to the right was a nice long log for sitting. The hoodoos are also off to the right.

In contrast, I found out there is a masculine vortex up near the airport. No wonder I loved the Ridge Trail so much. The masculine vortex is supposed to increase one's self confidence and ambition. I feel some chest beating is in order!! No wonder I wandered off the trail and climbed down a gully, I was filled with masculine, "it can't happen to me" energy. Hmm, maybe there is something to this vortex thing after all!

Rock rock crossing. I had to stand in the mud with 20 other folks to get this shot.

Crescent Moon park is also a mecca for photographers as I have already mentioned. On this last day, I kept wandering over hoping to catch the sunset on the rocks where they are reflected in the water. By the time things were just getting ripe, a swarm of photographers with their tripods staked out plots of gooey mud along the creek bed each hoping I am sure for that quintessential shot. After a entire week of looking up at this admittedly scenic view, I was less enthused about elbowing in. My best shot of the rock was probably taken from our side yard, which incidentally was home to a meditating local for several days while we were there.

I don't know what she was smoking, but she jousted with invisible demons using a tree branch, swayed to and fro on rather unsteady feet, and finally left her shoes behind when she thankfully departed. One can take the whole vortex thing too far.

Cathedral Rock from our vacation rental.

So this is my final post about my trip to Sedona. I hope you have enjoyed sharing my vacation with me as much as I enjoyed living it. Sedona is a beautiful oasis and I would love to return and hike some of its more challenging trails. Renting a home was a convenient way to share space with several people and it enabled us to cook for ourselves. Some say Sedona is a life-list destination. With so much to do and so much to see, I couldn't agree more.

Day 5: Fay Canyon Hike

Distance: 2.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 4,500 to 4,800 ft
Elevation Gain: 300 ft

Red rock walls of Fay Canyon

Once again I awoke early to get in a hike before my parents awoke. This day I chose Fay Canyon because my new guidebook said it was very pretty and was quite short. It took me 15 minutes to drive to the trailhead from our vacation rental, so I did not have a lot of extra time to spend.

Beginning of the trail. It was wide, flat, and sandy.

The canyon is indeed very scenic, and the early morning sun glinting off the upper rocks in pleasing sepia tones filled me with peace. Early spring before the sun reaches the canyon floor may not be the best time to hike this trail despite the visual effects, however. It was cold and I found myself hustling along to stay warm, my gloved hands curled into claws in my jacket pocket.

Morning sunlight on the canyon walls seen from half-way up to the arch.

Unlike the Andante and Thunder Mountain Trails, which I took my dad on the day after this, this trail really is easy. The main trail is very sandy with minimal rocks. I could have taken my mother on this trail without difficulty.

The arch viewed from the main trail

The red rock walls that progressively narrow as one heads deeper into the canyon dominate the senses. I remember chatting with a forest service ranger at one of the cliff dwellings and she said that the best hikes in Sedona are usually the easiest. Fay Canyon certainly fits that description.

For the more adventurous and sure-footed soul, Fay Canyon has an added attraction of a natural rock arch up the right hand side of the canyon. The trail to this arch, at 0.6 miles in, is marked with a cute arch cairn, so it is very difficult to miss. The trail to the arch is a scramble, however, that several times required both of my hands. It is highly eroded, very rocky, and bordered by hungry Prickly Pear Cactus. A slip here would result in more than a bruised behind!

Rock ledge near the arch, which is straight ahead.

The climb to the arch is well worth the effort, however. The views of the canyon are spectacular and at this hour in the morning, I had the entire place to myself. Two songbirds were cajoling amongst the rocks making quite a racket and the air was perfectly still. I would have loved to have lingered but my time was short.

Cross canyon walls silhouetted through the arch

The trip back down the trail was very steep and slippery. I had to crab my way down in several spots. Fortunately, there was no there to see such an ignomious decent.

Towards the end of the canyon, the trail narrows and a canopy of scrub oaks obscures the views. The trail itself does not go to the geographic end of the canyon. Instead it stops at a large rock fall near a very obvious rock thumb. While it looked completely possible to scramble over this fall and continue on, I had a breakfast date I could not miss and so turned around.

Trail narrows towards the end

It took me 1.5 hours to head up the canyon but only 0.5 hours to get back, so if you don’t scramble up to the arch, the hike can be very short indeed.

Rock thumb marks the end of the official trail

After the hike I swung by the Enchantment Resort for a cup of great coffee. I found this resort so appealing; I made reservations for us for lunch the following day. It is located in an adjacent canyon with wonder views of the red rocks.

Day 4: The Ridge Trail

Distance: 5 miles out and back
Elevation: 4,000 – 4,400 ft
Elevation gain: 400 ft

Back side of Cathedral Rock

I asked my parents when they would let me hike while vacationing in Sedona. They said I could hike all I wanted as long as I was back to cook breakfast by 9 AM. Since I was awake by 6:30 AM anyway, I started going out at sunrise to enjoy the area. I did this trail twice, because the southern trailhead is less than 50 yards from where I am staying near the Crescent Moon Picnic Area. I did not have a map at that point and had no idea where the trail would lead, but it turned out to be wonderful early morning hike with 270-degree views of the surrounding areas. The rock cairns were easy to follow and the views were spectacular.

Beginning of the Ridge Trail from the southwestern side

Cathedral Rock in the early morning light. Not the best time to photograph it. Sunset is much better.

The first day I did the hike, my camera froze up and I was unable to take pictures, which is why I ended up doing it twice. There were also six hot air balloons hovering around Cathedral Rock, which made it particularly festive. I was practically in tears that day knowing I had the chamber of commerce shot right in front of me. My frustration was in vain, however, because my early morning photography skills could use an upgrade. I am so used to taking pictures in the middle of the day, that I did not do very well in the low light conditions.

Behind the Cathedral Rock viewpoint is a small ridge to be scaled.

Intersection with Chavez Road. Note the distinctive cairn.

Note that the first half-mile of this trail is not in the books or on the Sedona trail map. It is obvious, however because there is a large cairn right at the trailhead. These cairns exist all the way to the published trailhead on Chavez road. After that they disappear. Note also that there are more trails in this area than exist on the map so it is hard to tell exactly what trail one is on. Anyway you go will be nice, just realize that unless you do an out and back, finding your way home without a map may be time consuming.

The final pitch to the top of the ridge is a steep and rocky outcrop. Poles would help in coming down this portion.

View to the southwest from the top of the ridge

On my first trip, I did an out and back, turning around the far end of the ridge at a T-intersection. On my second trip I decided to take the left fork of this T for a longer hike. This is the continuation of the Ridge Trail. It goes down the hillside towards Sedona. Since I had a breakfast date, I did not want to go too far but decided to try and find my way back along an old streambed. Do NOT do this! Going off trail has risks that most should not take. Following streambeds means very rocky terrain. Additionally, I had 5 class 2 scrambles to descend where the rocks ended in sharp 6-foot ledges. At each of these locations, I had to evaluate whether I would be able to turn around and retrace my steps. As it was, this streambed ended up intersecting with one of the many trails in the Carrol Canyon area and I continued on them to get out. Later, I studied a map of the area. Had I had this map while hiking, always a better plan, I would have known that 30 yards from where I turned off the trails would have intersected naturally.

The trail as it crosses the ridge

Heading down the left side of the ridge

So, I have not hiked the Ridge Trail from end to end, but scaled the easy, by Colorado standards anyway, 400 ft to the top. The views are well worth that effort. Early morning is a delightful time to hike, even in spring. The sun, in these exposed areas is welcoming and the vistas are awe-inspiring. The following day, I hiked up Fay Canyon, which was beautiful, but cold first thing in the AM. In the heat of summer, I am sure the coolness would be most welcome.

View of Sedona and the surrounding rocks in the early morning light. I got up close and personal to the fingers on the right on the Thunder Mountain Trail on my last day in Sedona.

Sedona: Overview

Cathedral Rock seen from Upper Red Rock Crossing Rd.

Sedona is a touristy and quirky little town situated in an oasis of geologic wonders. Surrounding the town are monumental spires of spectacular red rocks. The bright orange-red rocks are more than 250 million years old. You have to have been employed since then to afford to live here, however. You can afford to visit, and should.

Whether it is panoramic views, serious gallery hopping, or new age vortex worshiping, Sedona has something for everyone. I will be here a week with my parents and who knows what we will end up doing. I shall try to blog it all. This post will become my index to which I will add links to all the posts. One advantage of traveling with my parents is that they walk slowly, so I can snap a 1,000 pictures without getting on anyone’s nerves.

Topographic image of the Colorado Plateau. The Mongollon Rim is the edge of this Plateau

Sedona is all about geology, so here is the “dirt” on what you will see if you visit.

The rocks of Sedona are primarily sedimentary, which means layered. It is sort of reminiscent of the soap scum in your bathtub if you don’t scrub it out sufficiently, it just keeps building up. About 320 million years ago, the area of Sedona lay under water in a sea, and the first layer of Sedona's rock formation came from the shells of sea creatures. The next layer arrived about 275 million years ago as sand that was eroded from ancient mountains was carried by ancient rivers and deposited in a delta. This continued for a really long period of time. Much of the colorful rocks in the area were formed this way. Their technical name is the Schnebly Hill Formation. Eventually, about 1900 feet of rock covered the entire Sedona area.

At the Bell Rock (out of the picture to the left) overlook on Highway 179

Several million years ago, the Colorado Plateau uplifted, which created numerous cracks in this broad area of sediment. Water flowed in, sediment flow out, and we are left with these wonderful formations. The formations survived the process because they are capped with a protective layer of white limestone.

This rock is red because of iron oxide. Iron oxide drains through the porous sandstone and coats the grains, giving it a rich red color. Outside of Sedona’s unique oasis the rest of this part of Arizona consists of bleak rolling hills covered in desert shrubs. It is no wonder that people are drawn here by the millions. Take note oh millions, there are only about 500 parking spots in town so most of you will be driving around looking an opening, creating quite a traffic snarl. At least there is a pretty view to keep you entertained while at it.

Looking west from Upper Red Rock Crossing Road. The two small spires in the middle of the picture are near the famous chapel.

To make matters worse, at least for us, is that the bright folks in Sedona have decided to expand the major road, highway 179 that runs through town. So for the moment there is a very unattractive and highly annoying cone zone impeding the entrances to all the galleries. In the end though it will be much improved.

Our first day consisted of some scenic drives to visit ancient Indian sites. That will be the subject of the next few posts.

Trip Index: