Evening in Sedona

Sedona Travelog #6
Sedona, AZ - Sat, 28 May 2022, 8pm

After hiking Fay Canyon this afternoon on the northwest side of Sedona we stopped in town for a late lunch (around 2:30pm) and then drove down to our hotel in Oak Creek Village. It's a small community 5 miles south of Sedona where there are several hotels and a bunch of restaurants. There are tons more of each in Sedona, but over the years the town has become extremely congested, to the point that it's not as enjoyable. Sure, the red rock mountains are as beautiful as ever... and the miles-long traffic jams all day Saturday and Sunday give you plenty more time to admire them through the car window. So I chose the Hilton Sedona Resort, a few miles south in Oak Creek.



Our room at the Hilton is a suite. We have a living room with a dining table and a bare-bones kitchenette (really just a counter with a small fridge, a small microwave, and a small sink). There's also a fireplace, in case we should happen to feel cold here. Like, "Oh, darling, the temperatures have dropped below 80° F, let's light a fire!"



There's a separate sleeping room. On the one hand, a suite is more space than we strictly need. On the other hand, having the room to spread out is nice on a longer stay like this. We're staying three nights in the same place; for us that's long! Plus, when one of us is ready for bed and the other isn't, having a separate sitting room makes it so neither of us has to inconvenience the other. Oh, and the small dining table is excellent for sorting out computers, other electronics, and our hiking gear.



In the first picture you could see a sliding door out to a balcony. The balcony really delivers! Delivers views, that is. We've got an excellent view over the red rocks. The tall bluffs just left of center are Courthouse Butte. Munds Mountain stretches across to the left. On the far right, the cone shaped peak is Bell Rock. We might hike up/around any or all of these the next 3 days!

For now, though, we're just relaxing at the hotel. After checking in we drove back out to a grocery store to buy snacks, drinks, and breakfast to keep in the room the next few days. Among these critical provisions was a 6-pack beer, one member of which I am now drinking as I sit on the balcony watching the sunset. ...Though before sitting out here we used the hot tub downstairs for awhile.

When the sun finishes setting we might go out for a light supper. By then we might be hungry again. And then we'll get to bed somewhat early-ish. Especially as Arizona doesn't do Daylight Saving Time, we'll be up early tomorrow, 6am, to get started on another day of adventure.

Hiking Boynton Canyon

Sedona Travelog #7
Sedona, AZ - Sun, 29 May 2022, 10:30am

This morning we got up early to beat the heat and (hopefully) the crowds at popular trailheads in Sedona. By early I mean we set our alarms for 6am. The sun had already been out for at least 45 minutes. We roused, ate breakfast, packed our hiking bags, and were out the door by 7am. It's a good thing we took it easy last night!

Out at the Boynton Canyon trailhead things were already busy. Apparently lots of people visiting Sedona have the same idea to get up early and beat the heat and the crowds. We parked in the last open space near the trailhead, laced up our boots, applied sunscreen, and shrugged on our packs. We were afoot by 8am.



The trail into Boynton Canyon skirts the edge of a resort development at the bottom of the canyon. The constant signs (and smells, unfortunately) of habitation can largely be ignored by focusing on the mountains to either side.



The trail winds around past the resort, hugging the base of the mountains, for over a mile before dropping down into the bottom of the canyon. From there the trek is mostly under heavy tree cover. The canyon walls close in high above but it's hard to see them because of the leafy canopy.

Close to 3 miles in the trail starts to rise steeply. It's the back end of Boynton Canyon.



There's nowhere to go here but up.... And the Forest Service asks people not to go up. Unlike in Fay Canyon where "TRAIL ENDS" meant the fun begins, the area beyond the sign is sensitive habitat they're trying to restore.



That's just as well because, like I said, there's nowhere left to go but up. Almost straight up.



Bear Mountain (above) forms the southern edge of Boynton Canyon here. On the other side of those mountains is nestled... Fay Canyon! Yes, there's a trail up to the top. Yes, it's really intense. No, it doesn't come down this side.



We sat for a while on a sunny rock eating lunch and enjoying the views. While the front part of the trail was crowded, here at 3 miles in the crowds had thinned out substantially. While literal bus loads of people started the trail, during our lunch break here we saw a total of maybe 12.

Stay tuned... we take an amazing detour on the way out!

Update: keep reading in Seeking The Subway Cave