Return to Sedona - Part 2

Return to Sedona - Part 2

Day 3 of 4

Brins Mesa Trail to Soldiers Pass to Jorden Trail to Cibola Pass: 

We had wanted to do Soldiers Pass the previous day
but couldn't get parking at the trail head - very limited with  only 12 spots.  We wanted to do that trail to see the Seven Scared Pools & Devils Kitchen.   While hiking on Little Horse Trail on Day 2, I struck up a conversation with a volunteer Ranger.  We discussed several trails and I told him about  wanting to see the Seven Scared Pools and he told me about Brins Mesa Trail.  There are 4 trails that hook together to create a loop that will take you pass the Seven Scared Pools.  Doing all 4 trails will be about 6.5 - 7 miles round trip.  It has an 800 ft elevation climb to get you up to the Mesa, then you follow Soldiers Pass Trail which will take you past the Pools, then on to Devils Kitchen (amazing!!) After Devils Kitchen,  hook up with the Jordon Trail and then on to Cibola Trail & back to parking.  This was the most strenuous of our hikes, but it was my favorite of this  trip!

Cathy & the Blue Agave

Brins Mesa 

Brins Mesa

Devils Kitchen

Devil’s Kitchen Sinkhole caused by the collapse of caves. It first occurred in the 1880’s then 1989 and as recently as 1995. In the picture below,  that's me sitting on the ledge - Cathy took the picture from the other side of the sinkhole.

I just love these red rock formations.  They are all so interesting & alien looking.  

Devils Kitchen 

7 Sacred Pools Yes, I know you only see three, but trust me, there are 7

The Seven Sacred Pools are naturally carved out of ocher colored sandstone and feb by a seasonal stream. The pools are a very important source of water for the wildlife in the area. 

on the trail 

Day 4

Red Rock State Park - House of Apache Fires - This was our departure day so we wanted to do a shorter, easy hike before we had to drive back to Phoenix.  Red Rock State Park was fairly close to our hotel, and we read an intriguing story about the House of Apache Fires so off we went!  The park is very well maintained and I woulds say a great place for families.  Good facilities, easy hikes.  A bit expensive though - $7 per person, compared to the $5 parking pass you pay for at most trail heads.  The trails are very easy, there is no challenging hikes here - it is more like taking a nice stroll, beautiful scenery as you stroll though.

Very Red Trail 

Oak Creek

The trails her are super well maintained and marked.  I would say this is really more of an easy walking trail than a strenuous hike.  But beautiful & enjoyable.  Oak Creek cuts through the park.






There is a neat looking trail that crosses the river, but it was closed due to the rains washing out the bridge crossing.

We were hoping to be able to hike along the rivers edge, but due to all the recent rain, we couldn't get close as all trails were blocked off.

House of Apache Fires (photo from blog, state park archives)

Here is the story of the House of Apache Fires:  This house is in the middle of Red Rock State Park - how did it get there?  In 1947 Helen & Jack Frye decide to build a house in the Sedona area on land that they had purchased,  They bought the land in 1941 and it was originally the Smoke Trail Ranch and Oak Creek ran along much of the property.  The house was named for the smoke from the campfires of the Yavapai Apache employed in the construction.  The Yavapai camped out on the property and built fires at night, which you could see from quite a distance.  Jack Frye was the President of Trans World Airline (TWA) and he and his wife Helen  (formerly Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt!) would come to Sedona to vacation from the East Coast.

Photo by Cathy - what a view they had!

Photo by Cathy - can you imagine having Cathedral rock in your back yard?

Helen liked the Hopi Indian pueblo style - which is thin flat red rocks stacked to create the exterior walls.  The house is two stories and approximately 3,000 sq ft.   Sadly the Frye's divorced before the house was completed.  Helen did live there for a period of time after the divorce.  It's a shame that this historic building has fallen in to disrepair and is fenced off.  It is an interesting structure and we would have loved to be able to tour it.  Maybe someday it will be restored and opened for people to get a close look at.  I was fascinated  by the story of Jack & Helen Frye & this unique house.  You can find out the whole story by googling House of Apache Fires or Sedona Helen Frye.

Title to this 286 acre property was acquired by the state in the 1980's and the Red Rock State Park opened in 1991.

As we made our way back towards the parking area we passed the Willow House, which was also part of the Frye land.  They lived in the Willow House while the House of Apache Fires was being build.  As we approached we saw a couple of Mule deer.  We slowed our pace and very quietly walked towards them.  As we got closer, we saw more deer - ended up it was a group of 11 all told!  They didn't seem to mind us clicking away taking pictures.

After departing the park we headed to our hotel, check out and began our trip back to Phoenix.  Along the way we made a stop in Cornville to check out an item in a store that Cathy was considering purchasing, then on to Page Springs Cellars, where we enjoyed a light lunch ad a 5 flight wine tasting.

tasted 5 wines for $11 - excellent deal!

looks good eh? 

Last time we were in Sedona, Cathy had mentioned that there was this amazing place for pie on the way back to Phoenix.  We did not have time to stop on that trip, so we had to stop this go around. The name of the place is Rock Springs Cafe in Black Canyon City (which is really just a wide spot in the road)  This place has been around for 100 years and indeed they do have delicious pie!  (service leaves a bit to be desired but pie was wonderful)

After pie, we made the trek in to Phoenix.  Tried but satisfied with our trip.

We will be heading out on an 8 day hiking adventure in April to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah.  I hope you'll come back and read about our adventures in Utah!






Until next time - safe travels!
Susan 

Return to Sedona - February Hiking Adventure - Part 1

Hello Hiking Enthusiasts!

This month I returned to Sedona to do a few days of hiking with my friend Cathy.  We are going to be doing an 8 day trip to Zion & Bryce in April, so we thought this would be a good 'warm up' for that trip.  And I am here to tell you - it's not warm in Sedona in February!!  Average temps were in the 20's overnight.  40-50 degrees during the day.  We discovered that you warm up rather quickly when hiking, as the sun is very warm.  We each found our preferences for what to where, but layering is the key.  For me a sleeveless t-shirt with a long sleeve t-shirt over it, a down vest, a scarf, a knit hat, gloves, long leggings & Keen waterproof hiking boots with Darn Tough socks.  I found that I pulled off the gloves & hat pretty quickly and loosened my scarf.

Before I get in to our hikes - I should mention we drove to Sedona from Phoenix where Cathy lives.  Along the way we stopped at Cottonwood for lunch.  The historic old town of Cottonwood is known for its main street which is about 3 blocks long.  Cute shops, galleries, cafes & restaurants.  And surprisingly 5 Wine Tasting rooms!

We decided to have lunch in a charming looking cafe called 'The Red Rooster Cafe'.

  Really cute place.  You order at the counter and they give you a number, and they bring your order to your table.  They have sandwiches, wraps, salads & soups.  Everything looked really tasty but Cathy & I ended up ordering the same sandwich: Chicken & Goat Cheese - Grilled chicken, tomato confit, mustard aioli, goat cheese & organic spring mix on toasted fresh bread.  Yummy.  I also had an Iced Chia Tea Latte that was delicious & spicy.  I highly recommend The Red Rooster Cafe - don't be fooled by the small front room of the restaurant - the place is quite large if you walk to the rear and see the second dinning room - plenty of space.  Fast, courteous service too.  I will go back next time I pass through the area to try more of their delicious menu

After lunch we strolled around town a bit ducking in to a shop here and there.  It's a quaint town, worth the stop.

We got in to Sedona in mid-afternoon and immediately when for a hike!









Here are the hikes we took:

Boynton Canyon Trail :  This is a beautiful scenic trail that leads to a Box Canyon.  It is easy to find the trail head & parking.  (be prepared to pay via debt or credit card for the $5 all day parking pass).  This trail goes behind the Enchantment Resort, the walk is pleasant & easy. We did this hike the afternoon we arrived.  It was a lovely trail and we got quite side-tracked looking at icicles that had formed on the rocks.  Before we knew it the sun was starting to set and we had to hustle to get back to the start of the trail.  According to our hiking book there was supposed to be an 'overlook' at the end of the trail, but we did not make it to the very end due to the setting sun. As we approached what we thought was the end of the trail, the grade steepens.  I went up the hill to see if I could spot the end of the trail, but no luck and it really was getting too dark to continue, darn!    Hike is approximately 6 miles round trip.  Easier hike, good for all levels.

Day 2

Little Horse Trail:  We had done part of this trail when we visited Sedona in April of 2017 and loved it.  We were initially going to do a different hike this day - Soldiers Pass, but there are only 12 parking spots and no on street parking in this area, so Little Horse was our back up plan.



When we woke up this morning (Feb 11) there was snow on the ground!  I'm from San Diego & Cathy lives in Phoenix so it was a bit of a surprise for us!  But as I said earlier in this piece, the sun is warm and once you start hiking, no problem!



















Little Horse Train is part of the Bell Rock Pathway.  Watch for the signs and the basket cairns to lead you to the correct path.  There are a couple of trails that intersect along the way.  Beautiful view of the red rock spire formations



You may see Pink Jeep tours in the area of Chicken Point.  Great place for some rock scampering and amazing views.

You can return to parking by the same route you came up ( round trip about 3 miles) or go north on the Broken Arrow Trail.

Amazing photo by Cathy 

a little perspective - can you fine Susan in this pic?

oh no!  Don't worry friends, she did not fall!

This is a fairly easy hike, 400 ft elevation climb, nice trails, approximately 3 miles round trip.  Great view and rock scampering.  You'll occasionally see Pink Jeep tours here by Chicken Point, but there are areas you can walk/climb around that they don't go.


Please come back tomorrow for Day 3 & 4 Hikes!

Until next time - Safe Travels
Susan

Brins Mesa Trail to Solders Pass to Jorden Trail to Cibola Pass: We had wanted to do Soldiers Pass the previous day, but couldn't get parking at the trail head - very limited with  only 12 spots.  We wanted to do that trail to see the Seven Scared Pools.   While hiking on Little Horse Trail I struck up a conversation with a volunteer Ranger.  We discussed several trails and I told him about  wanting to see the Seven Scared Pools and he told me about Burins Mesa Trail.  There are 4 trails that hook together to create a loop that will take you pass the Seven Scared Pools.  Doing all 4 trails will be about 6.5 - 7 miles round trip.  It has an 800 ft elevation climb to get you up to the Mesa, then you follow Soldiers Pass Trail which will take you past the Pools, then on to Devils Kitchen (amazing!!) and hook up with the Jordon Trail and then on to Cibola back to parking.  This was the most strenuous of our hikes, but it was my favorite of this  trip!

Red Rock State Park - House of Apache Fires - This was our departure day so we wanted to do a shorter, easy hike before we had to drive back to Phoenix.  Red Rock State Park was fairly close to our hotel, and we read an intriguing story about the House of Apache Fires so off we went!  The park is very well maintained and I woulds say a great place for families.  Good facilities, easy hikes.  A bit expensive though - $7 per person, compared to the $5 parking pass you pay for at most trail heads.  The trails are very easy, there is no challenging hikes here - it is more like taking a nice stroll, beautiful scenery as you stroll though.

Here is the story of the House of Apache Fires:  This house is in the middle of Red Rock State Park - how did it get there?  In 1947 Helen & Jack Frye decide to build a house in the Sedona area on land that they had purchased,  They bought the land in 1941 and it was originally the Smoke Trail Ranch and Oak Creek ran along much of the property.  The house was named for the smoke from the campfires of the Yavapai Apache employed in the construction.  The Yavapai camped out on the property and built fires at night, which you could see from quite a distance.  Jack Frye was the President of Trans World Airline (TWA) and he and his wife Helen  (formerly Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt!) would come to Sedona to vacation from the East Coast.

Helen liked the Hopi Indian pueblo style - which is thin flat red rocks stacked to create the exterior walls.  The house is two stories and approximately 3,000 sq ft.   Sadly the Frye's divorced before the house was completed.  Helen did live there for a period of time after the divorce.  It's a shame that this historic building has fallen in to disrepair and is fenced off.  It is an interesting structure and we would have loved to be able to tour it.  Maybe someday it will be restored and opened for people to get a close look at.  I was fascinated  by the story of Jack & Helen Frye & this unique house.  You can find out the whole story by googling House of Apache Fires or Sedona Helen Frye.

Title to this 286 acre property was acquired by the state in the 1980's and the Red Rock State Park opened in 1991.

As we made our way back towards the parking area we passed the Willow House, which was also part of the Frye land.  They lived in the Willow House while the House of Apache Fires was being build.  As we approached we saw a couple of Mule deer.  We slowed our pace and very quietly walked towards them.  As we got closer, we saw more deer - ended up it was a group of 11 all told!  They didn't seem to mind us clicking away taking pictures.

After departing the park we headed to our hotel, check out and began our trip back to Phoenix.  Along the way we made a stop in Cornville to check out an item in a store that Cathy was considering purchasing, then on to Page Springs Cellars, where we enjoyed a light lunch ad a 5 flight wine tasting.