February 6, 2009

By Tim Briese

Teresa and I wanted to check out hiking opportunities in the Sedona area on our way home from Phoenix. We had driven through this beautiful area on other trips but had never taken the time to do any hiking. We were most impressed by what we saw today on these hikes and came away eager to return for more.

4.5 miles roundtrip, 400' elevation gain, 1:45 total time

We left my brother=s place in Mesa about a quarter before seven in the morning and headed north to Sedona. We had two modest hikes in mind that we found in Scott Warren=s book A100 Classic Hikes in Arizona.@ We drove through the village of Oak Creek to the trailhead for the Courthouse Butte Loop, on the east side of the highway just north of town. Directly before us stood the impressive rock formations of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, two of the more popular red rock formations in the Sedona area. Our hike would loop clockwise around the two of them. A large number of cars were parked in the spacious parking lot, which served both as a viewpoint and trailhead. Crowds of tourists were milling about taking photos of the two formations. I noticed that many of the people spoke foreign languages. Several of them were ambling up the wide trail to get closer photos. We seemed a little over-prepared with our packs, hiking boots, and trekking poles, compared to the bulk of our neighbors who sported flip-flops and casual wear. It turned out, however, that few of them were hiking all the way around the loop as we were.

We started up a wide pedestrian trail toward Bell Rock around 10:30 a.m., and followed it around the west side of the majestic formation, on a spacious path that also served as a bike path. Presently we left this trail, known as the Bell Rock Pathway, and turned east onto the lesser-used Courthouse Butte loop trail. Splendid views of the surrounding scenery for which Sedona is famous presented themselves through the trees as we hiked up and down through minor washes along the trail. The trail looped around the east end of Courthouse Butte, which towered about a thousand feet above us. My climber=s eye scoured the butte for possible climbing routes to its summit as we hiked around it. I saw what appeared to be a possible non-technical route on its southeastern side, but attempting it was not on our agenda today. After crossing a more significant wash we hiked across gentle terrain back to the main trail and returned to the trailhead a little after noon.

6.1 miles roundtrip, 700' elevation gain, 3:45 total time

After lunch we drove a few miles northwest to the Boynton Canyon Trailhead. Multiple trails depart from this popular trailhead, and we were barely able to get a parking spot in the crowded parking area. Around 1:30 p.m. we took off through the woods up the trail. Near the mouth of the canyon we passed a short spur trail that leads up to a rock formation and an overlook that is said to be the location of one of the four powerful A vortexes@ that draw throngs of New Age followers to the Sedona area. I felt no differently when we walked past, if indeed one is supposed to feel so. In the first mile the trail skirted along the right edge of the canyon, above a private luxury resort that lies on the canyon floor, the Enchantment Resort. Once past the private property the trail dropped to the wide and smooth canyon floor. Scenic red rock buttes and cliffs treated our gaze all the way up the canyon. The vegetation changed from generously spaced junipers to a forest of tall ponderosas as we climbed higher and turned to the west into the shady reaches of the upper canyon. Colorful walls of reddish sandstone and beige limestone towered hundreds of feet above. The going got a little rougher in the upper canyon and we climbed a bit more steeply as the sheer walls above closed in somewhat on both sides. The scenic canyon reminded me of a smaller version of famous Zion Canyon. As the canyon came to an abrupt end we climbed steeply up to the right out of the trees to a point on the rocks where we gained an unobstructed view of the grand scenery surrounding us. Unfortunately the February sun had already sunk below the high rock walls, limiting sunlit photo opportunities somewhat, but not our enjoyment of this incredible place. A couple from New Jersey scrambled up to join us, and gushed enthusiastically about what a great time they were having in Arizona, escaping from the East Coast winter.

After a short break we headed back down the canyon, stopping to take numerous photos of the scenic rock formations along the way in the late day sun. We returned to the trailhead a little after 5 p.m., not long before sunset. As we drove back to Sedona we reveled in the grand scenery glowing in the last rays of the setting sun. What a treat to visit this beautiful area today! We knew we had to come back for more.

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