Note: I have a couple of pics in this entry, but you can find a ton more at the full size set on my Flickr album.
Me at the Oak Creek Canyon Vista
Friday, Jason and I headed out towards Sedona, AZ to see what good hiking we could find. First stop: The Oak Creek Canyon of the Coconino National Forest. Beautiful vista, but a little too limitedly touristy. We persevered on, driving through Uptown Sedona until we got to Red Rock State Park. We started on the marked trails, including a trip over a cute little plank bridge, until we got to a split. On one side: the marked Apache Fire trail. On the other: the great unknown, but with a Really Big Butte at the end. Guess what we chose? Yep. Big Rock it was. We hiked out for about an hour through inclines and long windy dried riverbed and made it pretty far, considering we'd gotten there later in the day. We made it to the base of the butte before we had to turn back for time. We saw lots of lizards and spiders. Big deer tracks. Lots of red dust. Not bad for some light hiking. We had dinner in Uptown Sedona, at an outdoor restaurant that boasted its own "misted patio." It's so dry out here that such things are apparently nice oases. Sedona was breathtakingly beautiful (I'd kill for a house there), but did sort of remind me of a beach resort town, only without the beach.
A Butte at Red Rock State Park
Today, Jason and I embarked on a Grand Canyon mule tour. The South Rim's Bright Angel Trail to Plateau point. Total roundtrip: 8 hrs, 12.2 miles, and 3,500 ft down (then back up again). Oh, and to top it off, the Bright Angel trail is one of America's ten most dangerous hikes.
The Bright Angel Trail
( The Grand Canyon by mule.Collapse )
Tomorrow: down to Tucson to visit Mrs. C-- Jason's near-gradmom. Then back to ABQ. Will update Sihaya Designs either tomorrow night or Tuesday morning, but if you want a preview, check the Flickr!
Me at the Oak Creek Canyon Vista
Friday, Jason and I headed out towards Sedona, AZ to see what good hiking we could find. First stop: The Oak Creek Canyon of the Coconino National Forest. Beautiful vista, but a little too limitedly touristy. We persevered on, driving through Uptown Sedona until we got to Red Rock State Park. We started on the marked trails, including a trip over a cute little plank bridge, until we got to a split. On one side: the marked Apache Fire trail. On the other: the great unknown, but with a Really Big Butte at the end. Guess what we chose? Yep. Big Rock it was. We hiked out for about an hour through inclines and long windy dried riverbed and made it pretty far, considering we'd gotten there later in the day. We made it to the base of the butte before we had to turn back for time. We saw lots of lizards and spiders. Big deer tracks. Lots of red dust. Not bad for some light hiking. We had dinner in Uptown Sedona, at an outdoor restaurant that boasted its own "misted patio." It's so dry out here that such things are apparently nice oases. Sedona was breathtakingly beautiful (I'd kill for a house there), but did sort of remind me of a beach resort town, only without the beach.
A Butte at Red Rock State Park
Today, Jason and I embarked on a Grand Canyon mule tour. The South Rim's Bright Angel Trail to Plateau point. Total roundtrip: 8 hrs, 12.2 miles, and 3,500 ft down (then back up again). Oh, and to top it off, the Bright Angel trail is one of America's ten most dangerous hikes.
The Bright Angel Trail
( The Grand Canyon by mule.Collapse )
Tomorrow: down to Tucson to visit Mrs. C-- Jason's near-gradmom. Then back to ABQ. Will update Sihaya Designs either tomorrow night or Tuesday morning, but if you want a preview, check the Flickr!
14 comments | Leave a comment