I was standing in the car park which abuts the various buildings that comprise a decent holiday resort in Oak Creek, a village adjoining Sedona. When a person looks to the north, the icon Bell Rock not only catches the eye but glues itself to the organ and refuses to release without strong resistance. However, the Rock knows there's always a next time which may be as soon as seconds later. We have some history with Bell Rock, see addendum should you make it to the end.
I took my eye from the Bell when I heard shuffling on the asphalt surface. A young fellow, probably in his late thirties was passing by. Most people these days seem to be in the range of nearly half our age or less. It feels like just the other day when I was nineteen and ready to take on the world. What happened? I'd like to mention it's a long story but that would not be true. Suffice to say, that age was one of supreme optimism...thereafter, life has been wonderful but also realistic...(continues below).
Expecting 93 degrees heat and so we began the hike at 6:22am.
For perspective: The 'red dot' is where we sat the previous week: Above 'Hangover trail'. This photograph taken from Wilson peak. See below for the reverse.
Jen making her way up to the position of the 'red dot'. (She still wants to know why she could not find the dot on our hike 😉). A superb place with a partial view of Wilson. (We miss Howard Greek and Sedona.)
Jen reaches and takes breakfast at the 'red dot' looking across at Wilson. Perhaps a nice place for a kiosk. In Europe it would almost be a given. (Note the trail below where a hiker in blue makes her way.)
We submit this could be the best viewing position in Sedona...alongside all the other great locations.
A close-up of the 'red dot' position.
Sedona gives new meaning to the concept of the 'shortest distance between 2 points is via a straight-line'.
A Sedona landmark, Cathedral Rock. As with all cathedrals and churches, the icon is closed during the pandemic. The Sedona community takes things so seriously that you can see all pews have been removed.
Give me height, baby. Excuse me, got a little carried up...um away.
I greeted the young man who was tall and slim and nice looking. We began conversing and before long, Travis decided to unfold some of his history. I don't know why but many people do reveal intimate details of their lives to strangers. Obviously, he was one such person. He had just booked an additional night at the resort for him and his partner, a woman who was with child. (I love that phrase). He mentioned that a few months before he'd been released from prison. The couple were moving from Santa Barbara to Sedona to begin a new phase in their lives, certainly for him, away from California. I notice many people are tending to develop acrimony toward the golden state—I can empathize with the sentiment although we all have our own reasons for such feelings.
I don't shock as easily these days, because age and experience, reveal much of the various paths that people take to 'hike' through life. My weakness or at times, a strength, is that I can be a 'soft touch'. It's a horrible feeling to be 'taken' but the rationalization behind it is the alternative in not helping someone who is genuine, would be worse. Who knows? He was married previously and relayed that he lost his wife, children, his possessions and landed in jail. Whereas I understand these things don't happen by accident, they are often earned or to be blunt, deserved. Nevertheless, it's different confronting it in the flesh; when a man stands before you and bears his soul while you look directly into his eyes. For the record, he did not ask for anything.
While in prison, he received a visitor. She was a former friend from early high school days. When he was released, she collected him. That night, she became pregnant...funny how those things occur. So here he was, a new beginning with a woman who stood by him, notwithstanding his recent history of tough times and carrying their child, still 6 months to birth. In a sense, it could be the beginning of a new beginning, perhaps something inspirational. Before parting, he showed me his feet, explaining the hardship of living on the road, literally, walking more than twenty miles a day. We live on the road, too, but figuratively speaking, a very different place.
We stayed at the resort for ten days and then departed and returned again. We are partial to Sedona. Some three or four days later, I was returning from the laundry, heaven is a synonym for this service, when I saw a homeless fellow talking to a worker in the car park. He looked familiar. He left his position and came over toward me. Wow! He had changed in the few days. Travis.
"What are you doing here, Travis?" I asked but only after he wondered why we were still there ourselves.
"She kicked me out," he replied.
"Why? What happened?" I did not know what to say.
"You know what pregnant woman are like," he answered.
I thought, ' Yes, I do. Invariably, wonderful and self-sacrificing. Oh, Travis. Why did you blow the opportunity?' Then I realized, there was always a good chance of failure.
He showed me his rucksack. "Whatever I own in the world, is in here."
Travis take this but we both knew it was just the continuation of a life requiring handouts from strangers. Another tear in the fabric of humanity and another tear dropped on the tarmac. Perhaps, he'll see the light.
A general view. Sedona, what a special place.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
Addendum
Bell Rock
'Guess who' stands in a position we never envisaged ourselves even wanting to reach some years back.
Two quick stories from Bell Rock, in Sedona. Both have been mentioned before but...
Long before we embarked on the Hike-About adventure, we spent time in Sedona. On our first trip, somewhere in the nineties, not Jenni's age but 1995, we stood at the entrance to the Bell Rock park. I looked up toward the rock and noticed a climber/hiker nearing the high point. I was astounded, shocked. I distinctly remember turning to Jenni and saying, "You want to know about a moron. There. That's a moron", I uttered in surprise and admittedly, rather rudely. I realize I was out of line but I felt so concerned about the person doing what he was. I shook my head and we walked around a little and headed back to our residence.
The following year, another moron and his wife stood at that position on Bell Rock. A few years later we went higher. There's a moral to this somewhere.
Technically, I can make the argument this is not showing off, even though a lot younger at the time. Practically, I don't have
the mental capability to argue it.
The second story is one of surprise for me, still to this day. We had climbed to the top of the rock and missed a turn on the way back. We sat and looked down the steep slope to rock bottom. The longer we sat, the more paralyzed we felt. I turned back to Jen who was perched a few feet behind me. I asked her whether she felt the fear I did. After all, we were not in a secure position and the slope was extremely steep and the rock smooth. The longer we remained in position, the more acute the slope seemed.
She replied, "I feel okay."
I was surprised even though I knew she was courageous and had a good sense of balance and traction. Nevertheless, it was a difficult situation or else I had lost my nerve—an obvious possibility.
"I'm impressed with your attitude and skill, Jen. How do you do it?"
"Quite simple," she replied, "Should I slip or roll, I'll bump into you and that will stop my momentum. Thereafter, it will be your problem."
I'm still thinking about it, maybe 20 years later.
The slope on which we sat was steeper than this but it gives one an idea (higher and to the left). We'd hate it should you think we make up stories. Reminds us of the guy who accused us of using 'Photoshop'. (Rumor has it he fell off Bell Rock mysteriously.)
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