Hiking in Sedona – Day 3

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Third and final hike in Sedona this long Thanksgiving weekend and the perfect anecdote for our longing to be back outside.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

We’re out on the West Fork Trail, which is a 6.5-mile out-and-back hike and involves a few creek crossings.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

There were others out here on this trail with us today, but they didn’t matter as I had other things to take in.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

I never fail to be amazed at what Caroline and I stop to take in and how many people simply sprint by on their way to reach the end and get back to their cars, as all they really wanted from their time out here was to be able to brag that they went hiking in Sedona. But what about all this other stuff?

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

While my first photos might have you thinking we are tucked into a small space, that’s not exactly reality.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Overhead, the red rocks of Sedona assure visitors of where they are.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Even if not all sandstone is red.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

From the ice on the creek and these icicles, you should be able to glean that it is cold out here.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

The trail is well marked, at times with cairns.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Today, this looks like an overhang with trees growing atop it, but it could also be an optical illusion; I no longer know.

Caroline Wise hiking in Sedona, Arizona

No, that is not our dog, and yes, Caroline is wearing flip-flops in icy water; she’s tough that way.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Canyon reflections on frozen water just add to the charm of our getaway.

Caroline Wise and John Wise hiking in Sedona, Arizona

The shelf at the end of the trail was actually a bit too crowded for my liking, so we didn’t spend much time there; we were on our way back to the trailhead.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

With the trail almost finished, it was time for something to eat…

Colombian-style Simon's Hot Dogs in Sedona, Arizona

…we’ll just go and consider this our Thanksgiving dinner this year. We are at Simon’s Colombian Hot Dogs, situated in the Oak Creek Brewing Company, and the first dog we opted for is known as the Colombian. Just what is all that you ask? It’s a hot dog topped with pineapple, cheese, Simon’s sauce, and crushed potato chips, and it’s yummy.

Hiking in Sedona – Day 2

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

I need to note something at the beginning of this post that really should have been said on day 1 of this trip to Sedona: these three days of hiking north of Phoenix weren’t posted until 2023 because things slipped through the cracks. It’s been stated in other posts I’ve not always been diligent in keeping up with this blog and tragically, there were no notes about this adventure, so whatever is written here are musings pulled out of thin air.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

At the time we took this journey away from home, we were escaping the confines of being in Phoenix, which was becoming oppressive because, as I said on day 1 of these posts, we’d recently come off our first whitewater rafting trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. This was our way of repairing a small part of us missing being in nature.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

As I moved to post these entries, triggered by the creation of our massive travel index that’s been a work in progress, I’m looking at these photos for the first time in more than a dozen years.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

While the images are familiar, there’s also an otherness to them: I’m surprised by what I captured, such as with this particular shot.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Other images might just be standard fare, such as a look at the trail we’re hiking out on, but seeing the colors of fall and reminiscing where we were at that moment in our lives is a pleasant re-encounter.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Obviously, it was a beautiful weekend out here, and the views on the Boynton Canyon Trail were spectacular.

Caroline Wise and John Wise hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Considering this is one of the most popular short hikes in the area, the trail was not as quiet as yesterday’s, but as it was the day after Thanksgiving, people were probably spending time with family because it could have been a lot more crowded.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

I wonder if we revisited these trails today if they’d be overrun?

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Good thing that, at least pictorially, I’m at the end of the trail, which also means we’ll leave Sedona at this juncture to visit a place nearby.

Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale, Arizona

This is Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale, about 20 miles west of Sedona.

Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale, Arizona

The pueblo was built over 600 years ago by the Sinagua people.

Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale, Arizona

We spend a good amount of time here this afternoon following the trail down to the river that is the namesake of the Pueblo ruins. While we call it Verde River today, the old Tonto Apache name for the river was Tuzigoot, meaning crooked waters.

Hiking in Sedona – Day 1

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

Barely two weeks after our monumental Grand Canyon rafting trip on the Colorado River, we were itching to get out somewhere off the beaten path. So, last night, we drove up as someone we know owns a motel up here and offered us a deal that was not to be missed.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

One might not think that Sedona would come to mind for such an adventure, but we knew that the trail we were taking today was not a popular one as it doesn’t pass the iconic spots everyone who visits this corner of Arizona is looking for.

Caroline Wise hiking in Sedona, Arizona

And so we had the morning and early afternoon out here to ourselves to connect with nature on the Jacks Canyon Trail. It starts out right next to a housing subdivision and is poorly marked, so for a while, we were not sure if we were heading in the right direction.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

This is Jacks Canyon Tank, which confirmed that we were still on the trail.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

While the trail, in general, didn’t “look like Sedona” and didn’t go past the famous red rock formations, this red sandstone really is a big clue about our location. Those other trails might have been busier, but we had our corner of the world here just to ourselves.

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

And for our first of three days out, this was perfect for minds that were looking for quiet.