Hike 31, and so much more

I think I’m getting accustomed to sleeping in the car. I slept REALLY well last night. Maybe it was the cool dry air, or the fact that the campground quieted down early, or maybe I had simply been exhausted. I don’t know, but I was grateful. I woke up around 7am wanting to continue sleeping, but my desire to get an early hike in was stronger. I made some coffee, brushed the funk off my teeth, and decided to forgo the $4 shower.

I drove from the Cave Springs Campground to the Oak Creek Visitors Center to get a signal so I could get in touch with my parents, and to look at a map. This place is pretty cool. I arrived as the huge daily Navajo craft display was being set up. There is a short walk around a cliff wall that offers all sorts of panoramas.

The road I snaked around to get up here.

The Hangover Loop had been recommended to me by the same teacher friend that recommended the Santa Ysabel trail. He’s hiked all over the world, and said there is nothing like the Hangover Loop. I was starting to worry about time. I would have to drive a distance to get there, and it would be backtracking. I wanted to spend the afternoon in Flagstaff, and not in traffic. I decided to get in the car, start driving in that direction, and see if something sparked my interest. Something told me that any hike in Sedona would be a good one.

I pulled off at the Midgely Bridge. At just before 9am, there was still a parking space available. Sedona seems to be a hot destination for tourists. The roads and the parking fill up early. Added bonus, having my annual National Parks Pass displayed on my rear view mirror meant I didn’t have to pay the $5 to park. That pass has been so handy on this trip.

There were several trails to choose from at this parking area. I chose the Huckaby Trail. It sank into the canyon, crossed Oak Creek twice, ran through a shaded area, then climbed up and followed an exposed ridge for a bit. The views at every turn were amazing. I completed 4.2 miles, and even remembered a hat! I’m so proud of me.

I made it back to the car, and started on my way to Flagstaff. Along the way I made a snap decision to pull off and park at Bootlegger Day Use Picnic Area to see if I could take a dip in Oak Creek. And I did take a dip. And it was a very cold dip. I dried off on some large rocks afterward, then got back in the car. Hunger was starting to set in.

Once in Flagstaff I parked the car and Yelped for a lunch spot. I had a lot to choose from, and settled on Beaver Street Brewery. I got the Goddess Salmon Salad and a cucumber cooler. I highly recommend both. Not only was the food good, but so was the service.

I went to the library next to spend some time on their wifi. This place is impressive. It’s high tech and boasts a fireplace. Not to mention it’s quite large. Curiously there was a hazardous waste receptacle in the ladies room for needle disposal, and it was rather full. Either Flagstaff has a really big diabetes problem, or they have a drug epidemic. It seems they are doing what they can to offer a safe place for disposal of needles, which I’m sure cuts back on the amount found discarded on the streets becoming a hazard for everyone. With this and the PSAs for teen condom use and not smoking in order to set a good example for younger siblings, I feel like maybe Arizona is taking some progressive steps in changing its culture. It will be interesting to take a look at their teen smoking, teen pregnancy, and overall drug problem in 5, 10, 15 or more years to see if any of these things made an impact.

Around 4:30 I hit the grocery store to replenish my supply of Cliff Bars, chips, and water. I was hoping to pop into the Grand Canyon just in time for a sunset vista so I had to hurry. Plus I hadn’t figured out where I was going to camp, but I knew it wouldn’t be in the Grand Canyon. Those sites were booked at least a year ago, and a year ago this trip wasn’t even an inkling of an idea in my brain. I passed Kaibab Lake Campground and continued driving for 45 minutes when it became clear I was not about to pass anything else. In my head the logistics of getting a sunset photo and making it back to Kaibab before all the sites were taken was not going to happen, so I decided to forget about the sunset pic. I turned around and secured myself a site in a very pretty and spread out campground. This is a nice one folks! Take a look at that view. I felt another good night’s rest coming on.

 

 

Why does “desert” only have one “s”

I woke up super early this morning so I could get moving quickly. The plan was to attempt to make it through the big stretch of empty desert before the peak heat of the day in hopes that my car won’t overheat. I was sent on my way with a packed lunch that could feed two people several meals. I gobbled it all down before the days end. I have been so fortunate to have been taken such good care of by every person I visited on this trip. I appreciate each one of them, and hope to return the favor some day.

Off I went, into the desert a little nervous about the day. I’ve crossed the desert before, but never alone, and never in this vehicle, so I had cause to worry a little. I drove away from the coast and watched the landscape change dramatically while listening to Tim Gunn tells Vivian Vance stories on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. Or were they J. Edgar Hoover stories? Funny stuff. I decided to pull over and get gas in a tiny town because I didn’t know how long it would be before I found another gas station. I paid $3.67 a gallon, the most I have paid this entire trip. I guess you can charge whatever you want when you’re the only gas station for miles. Oh wait, there was one at the casino just over the hill. Face palm! I eventually lost that station in the Volcan Mountains. I lost all but two stations actually, a Spanish  station and a religious station. Once I reached the other side of the range my selection came back, and I found an amazing hip hop station that ended up following me all the way to Sedona. Score!

I watched my temperature gauge while driving through the desert, and to my surprise it didn’t budge. I love my car! I saw a sign for a Painted Rocks display, and, feeling confident, decided to drive the 10 miles off the highway to see the exhibit. When I pulled in I nervously turned off the car wondering if it would start again when I was ready to go. I got out with my camera and walked the loop, mesmerized by the fact that anything existed out here. It was hot. Like, I was in an oven on broil hot. It reminded me of the page in my elementary school spelling book that asked why there was only one “s” in “desert” with the response of, it’s too hot for any other “s”s to grow. For real. If letters had to grow, there would be no language in the desert. In the 10 minutes it took me to walk the loop I think I turned another shade of brown. But I got to see some cool stuff while cooking. Here are just a few of the photos I took of the painted rocks and the signage. Some of these were scribed as far back as 7500 B.C.!

Hot!

Looks just like a pile of rocks

On closer inspection, check out all the messages

Cactus detail

I got back into the car, and it started right up. Sweet! I got back on the highway and bounced to the hip hop station until I reached my destination, Sedona, AZ, passing overheated cars along the way. I had told a number of people that I was going to stop into Flagstaff. Each of them urged me to drive through Sedona on my way. So of course that’s what I did, and I didn’t regret it. When I dropped into the Red Rock section I may have cried a little. Seriously, in minutes the landscape changed from this…

to this…

I walked around a little, then decided I should find the campground before I lost the sun. The campground I had chosen was full. I bet it was a good one. So I kept driving. This is one of those places where you just know you’re going to find something, and I did. I found Cave Springs Campground. It was packed with lots of families. And there were plenty of trees making this the first spot I could hang a hammock. What a treat! I set up the hammock and Ethel because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep in the hammock. I read for a bit, you know the summer book assignment we have for school, and I wrote. I ate dinner, and I eventually decided to sleep on the air mattress.

Tomorrow I hike!