Sedona, Day 1: Hiking!

blouse: Target
sweater: Billabong (TJ Maxx)
leggings: INC International Concepts (Macy's)
shoes & socks: Target

Cindy and I planned an extra day (Friday) just for

hiking and exploring, and even though I was by myself,

I was very VERY excited to get out and explore the gorgeous RED

wilderness!  I took exercise clothes with me, but since I was going

out to lunch and potentially shopping for some groceries,

I thought leggings and a blouse and sweater were fine.

They worked great.  

My first plan was to go to one of my favorite spots in the world

and hike down to the river (snow runoff, so the water is frigid!),

but that parking lot is one of the only ones in the area that doesn't take the Red Rock Pass.

It requires cash, which I didn't have with me.

So I turned around, drove back into town, and spent a while trying to get cash.

I also hadn't taken my bank card (which I can't recall ever having used),

and I only had a credit card, not a debit card, so no one would give me cash.

It ended up being GREAT, though, because in the afternoon

I found some fabulous new places to hike

that I otherwise would not have discovered!

First, though, I realized I hadn't had a good breakfast and I should probably have some lunch.

I visited ChocolaTree, a hippie veg restaurant in Sedona. 

I am sort of a modern hippie, but this environment was a bit too woo-woo for me.

Indian gods and goddesses, chanting music (the SAME chant OVER AND OVER),

and no ice in my water (though they brought some when I asked).

The food was fairly good, but I prefer what I cook at home

(as I usually do).  This was the veg burger on "ancient seed" bread.

I asked specifically about quinoa, and the bread does not include any.

I'm extremely sensitive to quinoa.

I didn't eat the sprouts, because raw sprouts often harbor dangerous bacteria.

It turns out I was HUNGRY and I ate with great alacrity.

Then I headed out to hike!

Red dust quickly covered Clarabelle.

After some light research, I decided on the Fay Canyon trail.

It was pretty even just from the parking lot.

It is strange that the dirt is red.

hat: WalMart

This type of tree had bark that looked like scales

After about a mile and a half, I got to the end of the "maintained trail" . . . 

but Christie cannot resist rocks like this that are almost STAIRS, 

inviting her to adventure further up!

The views got better.

Even the tree roots helped make stairs.

 I was feeling fully happy and very proud of my ankle(s).

I see a cairn!

(a stack of rocks)

This large rock had two small cairns on top.

Very cool!

It got breezy and chilly up there, so I needed my ear-protective hat.

There was SNOW up there!

I headed down again, but I was on the lookout for 

a cairn + a straight line "arrow" towards a stone arch

that two sisters in the parking lot told me about. 

After one longish wrong turn, I found it!

There it is!

Can you see the arch?

It looks like a wind cave from this distance.

A wind cave is a shallow cubby in the side of a rock

that has been carved out by wind.

But this wind cave has a secret!

It really does conceal a rock arch!

It was a steep climb to get up there, especially on already-wobbly tired ankles and legs,

but I DID IT!  I was sweaty and worn by this point, but HAPPY and PROUD.

And again, the view was stupendous.

Without waiting long, I headed down again.

Since the trail was down in the bottom of a canyon,

the sun rays were already not hitting the bottom (even at 3 PM)

and it was getting shadowy down there.

On the drive back to the hotel, I saw this rocky stream

and zoomed in to enjoy it for a few minutes.

Clarabelle looks beautiful no matter what her surroundings.

Then I went home to enjoy a little purchase I picked up during my morning shopping:

a bullet-style blender!

I picked up some greens, some frozen fruit, and some bananas

so I could make smoothies, and they filled in my meals nicely.

Then I cozied up and enjoyed watching the sun set over the red mountains!

Don't miss the next post, when I meet my nutrition HERO!