We have to get well above and beyond that 'little guy' on the left
Easy does it—you don't want to know the length of the drop behind 'red shirt'
From behind the rocks, the ever present San Francisco Peaks appear, deep canyon to right
It was our fourth hike on Wilson Mountain this year. Two from the south and the others from the north. They are two completely different trails, scenery and styles. They meet for a mile in a middle as the trail makes the final push to the summit. A person then has the option to go to the Sedona side of the mountain or choose the canyon. By the time one fiddles around with the various permutations of this hike, you can do it weekly and be on a different track each time. One thing is for sure, at elevation gains of 2,600 feet and up to eleven miles in distance, a person will always be tired somewhere during the hike, and thereafter, for a while.
Our off-trail perch overlooking canyon
Talking of the physical side of things, looking back at the week of arriving in Sedona, the idea was to try a different approach to the hikes and pictures. We hope we have succeeded on the photography side but only viewers can tell—to us this place always looks wonderful and picturesque. Anyway, we interrupted our statistics update for the week, also known as our ten seconds of self-promotion, if we may be so 'humble'. In the last 7 days, we have hiked 5 of them, one being a short rock climb. Including the latter, the elevation gain reached amounts to 11,000 feet; the distance walked, 39 miles. Thank goodness for the Sabbath.
The last of fall colors, just made it
Editor on tricky path: narrow, steep and slippery in places but no ice...yet
We tried something a little different today, Tuesday. We headed for the north trailhead, followed it like two good children (it is strenuous but a delight), then went scrambling upon reaching the summit. We spotted a butte that looked interesting and headed in its direction. Fires have damaged the top of the mountain, fallen trees are scattered all over the place. We hope by the time of our next visit, the locals will have tidied up a little. We don't want to be unreasonable so we'll delay our return a few months. Besides some scratches, a bump and knock here and there, we returned to the trail in good shape. Before that, we stood gazing at the canyon floor, the San Francisco Mountain range in the distance again as well as other parts of Sedona, 360 degree views all to ourselves—quite spectacular. It is something we wish we could share but alas, few takers.
Thunder Mountain is visible from almost everywhere in Sedona
Unusual coloring in a wide and deep canyon
As we headed off-trail, scrambling, our editor mentioned that we were in virgin territory. We looked a little puzzled but thought better not to argue with her. Hell, we had not seen a woman the whole day, never mind a girl. We wonder whether she needs new lenses.
Each time we get to the beginning of the summit, we notice a tiny, worn shed. Graffiti covers the exterior, which of course does not change its function. Our inquiries revealed it houses fire-fighting equipment. We doubt whether our editor could fit in the shed, definitely not after a large meal. We are curious what the tiny structure contains, if anything. Maybe, that’s why there's so much fire damage on the mountain.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
On our return, the sun gently caresses the cone and back mountain
Editor asks whether there is a more gentle ascent
One of the best displays from the sun this trip (not in this city)
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