9.21 Boynton Canyon, the home of Sedona’s greatest vortex

“We’d like to borrow a skirt for today’s hike,” we asked our dear editor. We are not too naïve to expect a smooth outcome to this unusual question. “A what?” she asked, thinking she had misheard.

We explained what we needed and most importantly why. Our editor stared at us with wide, blue eyes. We get tingling feelings when she looks at us in that manner. However, we knew her mood might be a little on the dark side following the request. Why the skirt you ask? We’ll get to that later.

Nature's Balancing Act

Could be the resting place of the vortex but we're not sure where the 'bugger' sleeps

A couple of weeks ago, we approached a volunteer ranger near a trailhead to ask exactly where the hike began. It took the woman, very sweet and all that, twenty minutes to give us incorrect directions. During this period, she explained the vortex position, what happens to the gyros on a helicopter as it approaches Sentinel Rock, that she is a biologist, pilot, engineer, traveler, scientist etc. Clearly, she is an intellectual. As we have often mentioned, we fear intellectuals and ‘world-fixers’. Rather than delay you twenty minutes, too, we’ll fast forward.

A rather steep climb, a dare from the editor

Editor refuses to follow—somewhat rebellious, in the heat

She explained about the vortex. This one, Sentinel, is so powerful that it is able to bring to the fore a person’s feminine or masculine traits. We then checked this information in a Sedona guide and found it substantiated.
“If you are going to be hostile to intellectuals as well, you’ll alienate another group of persons,” our editor mentioned as we left the ranger and proceeded to get lost, as directed. “Well, there’s still Mum,” we replied. “Mothers can only take so much, you know,” she concluded.

Rather hoping that Captain Dudley, our English pilot, frequent Adat visitor, is in the cabin—flies low into the canyon, nearly providing us a 'haircut' as we perched nervously above

“Regarding the skirt, you know wearing it is immoral as it amounts to cross-dressing,” our editor piped up. “Of course, we know that. However, that’s the essence of our point.”

“Pray tell,” she eloquently encouraged.

“Say we get to this powerful Sentinel Rock vortex (a 7-mile round trip hike). Let’s say the vortex waves break through and bring out our true gender. Say that’s a strong feminine side. Do you follow? Then we’ll be standing at the rock, a woman in a man’s clothing—that would be cross-dressing, maybe, cross-dressed.”

Our editor looked at us in a very strange way. She did not spit we gratefully acknowledge. After a short while, we noticed her face relax somewhat, which we of course, were delighted to see. Then she said to us, “Okay. Don’t even ask for my red heels; you can have the black pumps and pink lip-gloss. But that’s it…and by the way, we are now done with vortices. Get over them, already!”

The canyon end

Cheers,

Jenni and Jeffrey

The resort, 'Enchantment' nestled in the mountains—("Hikers Keep Out" a sign on the trail commands—unnecessary, we know our place).