Hiking Arizona: A year of great hikes!

 On top of the world near Brins Mesa Trail, Sedona, AZ

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is spot to talk travel, share hiking adventures and experiences about places far from home, in the greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

 

This year has been an exciting and unique one. To sum it up, I got married to Stéphane (a Frenchman) in March and spent most of the spring and summer navigating the unknown waters of marriage and the immigration paperwork process! 

Although exciting, this new lifestyle did not lend itself well to travel or adventure or offer a lot of time for travel writing (hence the huge gap in my blog posts.) Luckily, between paperwork sessions and adjusting to a new life, I was able to fit in some fun hikes this past year with our hiking group and Stéphane ventured out into the wilderness with me too.

Thought I would keep the theme going from my January post and provide an overview of my favorite Arizona hikes over the last twelve months...December to December from Brins Mesa to the Whitetanks. Enjoy!

Brins Mesa Trail, Sedona - December 2015

A great hike you can access from uptown Sedona. We did the easy/moderate out and back trail (1.5 miles one way) from the Jordan Road trailhead to the mesa rim.

 

We walked a bit beyond the mesa to a cool rock formation. I did a little rock scramble (see above pic) to enjoy the views and we walked back the way we came.

 

Click here to learn about Brins Mesa Trail



View from the mesa of Brins



Jennifer and a beautiful Sedona backdrop



Enjoying a sunny December hike

 ~

Mount Lemmon/Meadow Trails, Tucson - June 2016 

 

Stéphane and I took a trip to Tucson to visit family and escape the heat of summer up on Mt. Lemmon. We drove all the way up to the Ski Valley area to hike the easy Mt. Lemmon and Meadow Trails and have lunch at the top.

 

This makes for a perfect day trip with a friend or your hubby. (I love a man who wears his fedora hat while hiking!)

 

Click here to learn about Meadow Loop Trail



Check out the hoodoos on the drive up to the top

 

Stéphane leading the way on Mt. Lemmon Trail



We stopped in here for lunch with a view


Click here to learn about Iron Door restaurant


 ~

Veit Springs Trail/Lamar Haines Loop, Flagstaff - August 2016 

Another fun escape from the heat is to head up to Arizona Snowbowl to hike in the cool pines. Exactly two years prior, our ladies' hiking group did this hike but we never found the old abandoned cabin.

 

This time we found the cabin...and discovered a few other artifacts too!

 

 Check out my past blog on this hike! 

 

Click here to learn about Lamar Haines Loop

 

 Trailhead is a bit hard to find but it's marked as 9008U

The caved in cabin of the 1892 settlement by Ludwig Veit

Me pointing to the pictographs on the rock face above a small cave

 ~

 Waterfall Trail/Whitetank Mountain Regional Park, Waddell - December 2016 

 

Once it cools off, the greater Phoenix area offers many hiking options. I love that you can drive 30 minutes to an hour and be out of the city and in the desert exploring its beauty.

 

Our ladies' hiking group drove out to the west valley and did the easy and family friendly Waterfall and Black Rock Trails. No waterfall on this hike but the rock formations and petroglyphs are worth the trip.

 

Click here to learn about the Waterfall Trail

 

Example of petroglyphs in Petroglyph Plaza on the trail

 

Christina (lft), me and Jennifer at the end of Waterfall Trail
(photo by Carole)

No waterfall on this hike...have to come back after it rains!
(photo by Carole)
 

This year was a great year for Arizona hiking. What hikes are on your wish list for 2017? I wish you many fun adventures next year when you...Explore Beyond Your Door.

Happy Hiking!

~ Chris  

 

 

Spectacular Sedona: A Trip for All Seasons!

Kachina Woman rock, Sedona, AZ in May

Welcome to ExploreBeyondYourDoor! 

EBYD is a blog spot to talk travel and share experiences about places far from home, in the greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

Yes it's true. My travel writing has been on hiatus but my traveling has not! In late summer and fall of 2015, I enjoyed some great hikes with friends, spent three whirlwind weeks in France in Aug/Sept (more to come on this!) and took several trips to Sedona, AZ. 

Ahh Sedona! This magical land of red rock beckons me to visit again and again. Spectacular Sedona has also inspired me to revive my writing in 2016 and share highlights of trips I've taken over the years, during all seasons. 

I've included photos from my trips spanning the last three years (organized by season, rather than by dates), proving Sedona is a trip to enjoy any time of the year! 

~

Winter 2013

 Sedona is a great place to visit in the winter. Even though the average daily highs

 in January only reach about 55 degrees it's usually sunny, with an 

average of 278 sunny days per year!

Check out Sedona's climate

Me and Stéphane in Sedona, in January, when he and 
his friends visited from France for three weeks. 

Enjoying the wonderful view with my new French 
friend and travel companion, Michelle.

Stéphane's best friends, (and a couple who share the 
same name!) Michel (lft) and Michelle are world
travelers and loved red rock country!

~

Winter 2015 

In 2015, I was up in Sedona with my good friend, Terish, in early January to enjoy the snow, 

hike around Bell Rock and capture some photos.  

A view of Coffee Pot Rock and West Sedona
dusted with a little snow. 

Yes, it actually snows in the Upper Sonoran Desert
where Sedona is located. Have you ever seen
a cactus covered in snow?

Learn more about Sedona in the desert of Arizona

A view of Bell Rock on our January hike around the butte.


Learn more about Bell Rock

A photo of my friend Terish, the
photographer, capturing the beauty
of Sedona in the winter. 

~

Spring 2015

In early March 2015, Terish and I went back up to Sedona to see the changing season 

from winter to spring. We spent some quality time getting a tour of my 

step-dad, Graham's, beautiful garden. 

Spring has sprung for this almond tree and
wild flowers in Graham's garden!

Graham led us on a neighborhood hike up to Airport 
Loop Trail and vortex. 

Sedona is a wonderful place for
quiet contemplation.

Me and Terish on the hike...what a beautiful backdrop!

Me and Graham...he was our hiking guide for the day.

My heart is in Sedona!

~

Summer 2015

Sedona is beautiful during all seasons, including summer. It does start to heat up with rising temperatures into the 80s (and higher!) over the course of the month. Considering I'm from 
Phoenix, this is not even close to hot! In May of 2015, I took a trip up to Sedona with

 my good friend Larry and his daughter, Ashley, (my "chosen" niece) to 

experience the beauty of the red rocks.

Me and Ashley and a spectacular summer sunset up

on Airport Road. 

Ashley capturing the colorful setting sun shaped as 
a heart...can you see it!? 

Learn more about the Sedona Airport Overlook

That same May, I went back up to Sedona for a Writers' Retreat with the ladies from the

 Valley of the Sun Writers' Consortium. We had a lovely retreat weekend! It started 
on a rainy Saturday and we enjoyed the cozy atmosphere, hot teas and 

coffee and excellent food at Indian Gardens Cafe & Market on SR 89A. 

This is a must-see when in Sedona! 

Check out Indian Gardens Cafe & Market

Me, Judy, Jane and Joy (lft to rght) 
at Indian Gardens.

The rain provided a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a 

 double rainbow in Sedona! (Photo by Jane Van Dae)

On Sunday of the Writers' Retreat, we had time to write and enjoy a wonderful poetry 
reading by my mom, Lee, and spent some of the day hiking up to Kachina Woman 
rock in Boynton Canyon. It was a magical day and on the hike is where we met 
the Heart Rock man. (There's a good chance you'll meet him too!)

Joy, Judy and Christina (lft to rght) 

in front of Kachina Woman rock.

We were enchanted by the Heart Rock man, who 
played his flute up on the knoll at the end of the
Vista trail in Boynton Canyon.
(Check out the video!) 

The heart rock given to me...what a Sedona treasure! 

~

Summer 2014

A year before, in July of 2014, my brother Aaron came for a visit and spent some time 

in Phoenix and Sedona. There are certain places in Sedona you can visit again 
and again, and Red Rock Crossing is one of those amazing places. It is 
considered to some, as the heart of Sedona! This area offers famous
 mountain views of Cathedral Rock, wooded areas to hike, 
relaxing flowing streams, picnic areas to eat
and...it's also a vortex!

My brother Aaron and me at Red Rock Crossing. 

Graham, Lee (mom), Aaron and me (lft to rght)
with Cathedral Rock in the background. 

It was a relaxing and fun day with the 
family at Red Rock Crossing! 

Learn more about this must-see in Sedona!

~

  

Fall 2013 

I started and will end this blog in the year 2013. As the seasons change from summer 

to fall, I try to get back up to Sedona to see the fall leaves. Living in Phoenix, I miss 

experiencing the four seasons so I go out in search of fall! One of my favorite 

hikes in Sedona, during this season, is West Fork trail. In late October, my 

good friend Christina and I headed out to enjoy one of the best trails 

in AZ...and one of the top 10 trails in the United States!



Me and Christina hiking West Fork trail. 

Beautiful fall leaves on the trail. 

See the fall leaves at West Fork trail!

I hope you've enjoyed this journey through the seasons for one of the most beautiful places on earth! Does Sedona beckon you to visit and revive your spirit in the red rocks? 

If you've been to Sedona before, why not pick a new area to check out? If you haven't been, I encourage you to Explore Beyond Your Door and add this magnificent mountain retreat to your travel bucket list for 2016! 

Happy Travels! 

~ Chris

Mittens, Movies and Memories: A Trip to Monument Valley!

A memorable moment in front of  "The Mittens" at Monument Valley
(L-R: Christie, Terish, Angela, Anne, Mary Beth)

EBYD is a blog spot to talk travel and share experiences about places far from home, in the greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

This spring I was invited on a memorable journey to Monument Valley, AZ/UT...and I'm still dreaming about it! It's already been about two months since we embarked on a road trip of a lifetime to see one of the most photographed (and filmed!) places on earth. Monument Valley has mesmerized me with its majestic views of bold red rock formations juxtaposed the quiet reverence of Navajoland. 

Monument Valley is located in the Navajo Tribal Park on the border of Arizona and Utah, about 20 miles north of Kayenta, AZ. The park was designated in 1958 to preserve approximately 50 miles of sandstone buttes, mesas, spires and arches. 

Through timeless erosion,  this landscape created unique rock formations or "natures patient sculptures." It's amazing to think about how the "simple wearing down of altering layers of soft and hard rock slowly revealed the natural wonders of Monument Valley today." The Navajo name for the area is Tse Bii'Ndzisgaii, or the valley within the rock.

http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm

The many colors and textures of  Monument Valley
Photo by Terish Kuka

Photo by Terish Kuka

I was happily along for the ride, which ended up being quite a road trip! It takes a little over five hours to get from Phoenix to Kayenta. One thing to note is Kayenta, and this part of northeastern AZ,  does observe Daylight Savings Time and was one hour ahead of Phoenix when we traveled. Keep this in mind when planning your trip! 

Photo opp for Terish and I along the way...it was very windy!

Rock formations we saw along the road were amazing!
Can you find us?

We decided to drive beyond Kayenta and head toward the Monument Valley area to take in the views and cross the AZ/UT border. Inspired by a memorable scene in Forrest Gump (1994) we stopped and took some "Run Forrest Run" pics...fun!

A "Run Forrest Run" moment near Monument Valley!

In addition to Forrest Gump, did you know there have been many movies made over the years that feature Monument Valley? Check out this list of well-known movies with scenes of the area: 

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/09/28/12-movies-shot-monument-valley-navajo-nation-151484

Our group was invited to stay with our new friend and personal tour guide, Angela. She happens to live in Kayenta (lucky girl!) and not only knows a lot about the area, she's also an avid hiker! Angela led our group on a fun local two-mile hike known as "The Toes." 

http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=16324

Hiking "The Toes" in Kayenta, AZ 

We settled in for a nice evening with the girls. The next day we were off to Navajo Tribal Park to hike around "West Mitten Butte," eat at "The View" restaurant (with breathtaking views!), do the 17-mile scenic (unpaved) drive around the park and experience the magic of Monument Valley! 

Mary Beth  and "The Mittens!" 

Terish says, "Look at this amazing place!" 

Angela and Anne enjoying a photo opp!

The 17-mile scenic "Valley Drive" got us up close to rock formations.
Shot of "Three Sisters" spires in Monument Valley

Our tour guide, Angela, leading us on the "Wildcat Trail" in the park

My view of  "West Mitten Butte" on the hike...stunning! 

The East and West "Mitten" buttes are probably the most well-known formations in Monument Valley. They are thought to look like hands, with the West Mitten the left and the East the right hand. According to the book, "Monument Valley: Navajo Tribal Park and the Navajo Reservation" (Nicky Leach), the "Mittens are believed to be the hands left behind by the Holy People to signal that one day they will rule again." 

Hiking so close to the majestic and mystical West Mitten was awe-inspiring! Others on the trip described Monument Valley as a "peaceful, spiritual and beautiful area."

I think this poem, shared in the book, describes the experience quite well and may be why so many love this land: 

Beauty before me, 

With it I wander.

Beauty behind me, 

With it I wander.

Beauty before me, 

With it I wander.

Beauty below me, 

With it I wander.

Beauty above me, 

With it I wander.

Beauty all around me,

With it I wander.

In old age traveling,

With it I wander.

On the beautiful trail I am, 

With it I wander. 

From First Song of Dawn Boy 

Photo by Terish Kuka

I am grateful for the chance to visit such a beautiful and sacred place. A big THANK YOU to our entire group for the opportunity, hospitality and the memories!

It's true, beauty consumes you when you visit this amazing land, which is right here in Arizona! We invite you to Explore Beyond Your Door and experience the beauty and wonder that is Monument Valley...where the earth meets the sky. 


Happy Travels! 

~ Chris