39.02 Sedona, AZ: Bear Mountain: A pair get 'mauled' by bear in the nicest way.
End of line: In the early stages, one of us makes a wrong turn but nevertheless, enjoys the magnificence of the region. A tough hike for a girl not yet recovered from illness. Should we be appointed travel advertisers for Sedona's hiking club, we might select this hike as an example of a solid challenge with incredible beauty viewable throughout the hike. At no stage on the trail is there anything but great visible offerings—truly remarkable. It's over 2,000 feet in elevation gain but we would argue the vertical gain is greater or all our previous hikes were overstated. Unlikely. Nearly seven years ago, we undertook the hike and a couple of times before then, too. Although Jen remembered most parts of it and in detail too, my memory proved disappointing. My new attitude to compensate for memory deficiency is to follow the designer's trail and let the path take me to the top...well, 'take' me might be the incorrect verb. It's a little sobering and m...