Sedona, Arizona March 6, 2001
There are only a few places in the world where the color of the scenery or color of the countryside are overpowering. These include: the Caribbean with its brilliant blues, Bryce Canyon with its oranges and golds, Ireland with its glorious greens, and Sedona with its myriad reds.
The soil and
mountains of Sedona are colored by iron (rust,
actually) present in the native earth. Massive rock formations and
sandstone spires tower over and surround this attractive, touristy town. There are
breath-taking views in every direction and wonderful hikes. Sedona is an
all-season destination, though I think spring and fall are probably best weather-wise. Summers can be
hot and, since the elevation is
4500 ft, winters can be cold.
The small town of Sedona is broken up into a few separate shopping areas, Uptown, Tlaquepaque, and the Hillside area. They each have an interesting assortment of art galleries, stores selling southwest clothing, jewelry and trinkets, and shops offering healing crystals and the like. We especially loved the original blown glass and amazing assortment of kaleidoscopes at the Scherer Gallery in the Hillside Shopping area. For lunch, there are several restaurants with outdoor patios. Here you can savor the food and the views.
Our
colorful friends, Bill and Barbara Wellman, who were married in Sedona, joined
us for a few days and showed us some of their favorite spots. Their
4-wheel-drive Blazer allowed us to venture down rocky dirt roads,
without needing to rent a jeep or do a tour. We
drove up Schnebly Hill Road, which is just behind Uptown Sedona. These photos
can only give you a sense of the incredible views from this scenic drive.
Bill and Barbara also thought we
should see 
Cathedral Rock -- perhaps the most photographed of the local
formations -- up close and personal. Aside from it's beauty, Cathedral
Rock is a "vortex" site -- where the earth is at its healthiest -- so it's a place
with great karma. And I'm always trying to improve my karma.
The unmarked road to the trailhead (named the Back O' Beyond) led past some modern homes dotted around and up the sides of a valley and, of course, surrounded by the red, rocky outcroppings that are Sedona's signature. Many of these homes blend into the landscape, both in architecture and coloring, so it can take a bit of looking to see them.
From below, the
hike -- less than a mile each way, rising 700 feet in elevation -- didn't appear to be too difficult, though the
trailhead map said it was "strenuous".
Actually, I wouldn't say it's a strenuous hike, though it is hard at times; I would
just say it's dangerous! After some hiking and climbing, we were forced
to scramble over loose crumbling rocks and to scale several huge cow-flop shaped
boulders. Some of the latter fortunately sported chiseled notches to accommodate
footholds. (Nonetheless, I sure wish I had bought a good-luck crystal before
starting this trek.) Anyway, going up was exciting, and thankfully
Bill didn't expected me to
scale the vertical rock face that was the only route to the tippy-top of
Cathedral Rock.
Our vantage point rewarded us
with three
different, and wonderful, valley views. Grand vistas in every
direction. We lingered. resting on a rocky ledge and trying not to think about having 
to climb back down to the car. But
eventually we had to face the fact that the helicopters and bi-planes that occasionally
passed nearby were not going to stop and offer us a ride
It's often easier to do a steep descent on one's butt, and this one was no exception. Crab walks, and butt-slides seemed the most appropriate ways to go. With some effort, we eventually got back to where we could almost walk vertically again. Luckily, all four of us made it to the bottom unscathed.
Later at the condo, drinks in hand, we all agreed: red-stained pants and a bit of soreness the next day was a small price to pay for the magnificent views and exhilaration of this adventure. Still, I think I'll ask a few more questions before going hiking with Bill and Barbara again.