Captivating Canyons

Distant Drums RV Resort
Camp Verde, AZ
May 11, 2014

 Canyons just have a way of drawing a person in...and spring in Sedona has been the perfect time to find ourselves captivated by these wondrous deep gorges.

I instantly become absorbed with all the beauty these  wonders of nature provide. Surrounded by massive red rock walls, the light and airy young leaves blowing in the breeze, birds singing and pops of color from wildflowers saying, "Look at me!".  It is a photographers paradise...

Fay Canyon is an easy 2.5 mile in and out hike. At the end of the maintained trail there is a "rock slide" you can scramble. The top of the slide gave us a great view of the canyon and miles beyond...a very nice spot for a snack and water break.

Boynton Canyon is one of those "can we do it again hikes".

 

Its a 6.4 mile in and out trail that has it all...rock formations, lush forest, and thick manzanita lined trail. Only disappointment was the noise from the Enchantment Resort at the beginning of the hike. 

 

 Unlike most days we head out with cloudy skies, the sun never came out. That was a bummer...the wind had a definite chill and we even had a couple of sprinkles.

No blue skies today!

I have admired the lupine on most of our hikes here, but never really took time to notice the leaves.

Birds were singing...it was very hard to find them though!



"Berries for lunch anyone?" Can't id this little gem :(  .

And we spotted a spotted towhee...

 

 What a show...dry leaves were flying as this beauty was scratching for food.

And what an acrobat...

 

Peek-a-boo.....

I couldn't find his name either...I have got to get a bird identification guide so I don't use our internet time searching.

Today begins our last week here. My how the past few weeks have flown by!

Until next time, take care and

 

 happy trails!

 

Up next...Pearl has been busy too!

A Pain in the Neck

Distant Drums RV Resort
Camp Verde, AZ
May 7, 2014

A pain in the neck might be someone that really annoys you...its been a long time since I had to deal with those folks.  Or something is a pain in the neck if you don't like doing it...ummm... can't think of anything we do that isn't fun. Seems like this retirement thing sure took care of all those "pains in the neck"! But, this past Sunday, I woke up with a REAL pain in the neck. Just about the worst crick I have ever had. Couldn't turn my head right or left, couldn't look up or down either. What a bother! My pain in the neck was a pain in the neck! Monday it was better, I could at least turn my head right, but a hike was out of the question. So it was off to PetSmart to stock up on doggie food and other doggie needs. Of course no trip to the pet store is complete without surprises.

 Dover knew just what to do with her rope bone...

Wrecks knew exactly what to do with his, but he did keep a watchful eye...sharing is not his thing!

Sally wasn't so sure...she smells everything! And she is very cautious. "Am I suppose to eat this?" 

Jack was by far the most excited! Joe and I always describe him as the "life of the party". He shook it, tossed it in the air, and then settled in for a good chew!


I am sporting a new look these days. Joe and I want to step up the difficulty level of our hikes...just a little...to include steeper inclines/declines and more rock scrambling. Joe has become a firm believer in trekking poles. He would like for me to use them as well. Taking pictures and using poles don't mesh! So, we have purchased a Cotton Carrier that my camera attaches to so I can walk, scramble, hold on to a tree for balance, crawl under or over obstacles, and yes, try the poles.  As soon as I feel comfortable with the harness, I have promised to give them a try.

 The first hike I used it on I didn't like it at all. I couldn't get the camera off the harness or back in the harness. It was very frustrating. I had been so used to pointing and snapping at everything without a second lost. There is a camera hub that screws in where the tripod goes. This hub slides into a slot on the vest. It also comes with a  tether so I can carry it and be camera ready.


The harness is adjustable. It feels great to have the weight of my camera in front of me. With the Black Rapid shoulder strap, which I love, the weight of the camera was dangling at my side and my hand was always holding it!

Now that I have used the carrier on 4 hikes, I like it better. It has gotten easier and faster to release and lock the camera.  And I am enjoying having my hands free.


If interested...check out their website at www.cottoncarrier.com. Its a great site with videos, accessories, and explanations of all the products. They even have a cotton carrier for binoculars.

We have had a couple of great mountain hikes...

...a 2.5 mile round trip which includes a .07 mile to mesa top with 410 feet elevation and a beautiful walk around the mesa. Our book said to aim for lizards. We were not disappointed.

 This is a picture of Doe Mountain I took from the Devil's Bridge 4X4 trail.

Bear Mountain - another mountain hike
 ...a hike we will definitely do again. Its also one of the hardest hikes we have ever done! This hike is 5 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 1,803 feet.



A good example of what we scrambled up...and back down!

 The views were spectacular at every plateau. 

 Wandering aimlessly is not an option for this hike. It would be very easy to get lost! A huge excitement factor was not knowing where the trail was going...

I also enjoyed the changing terrain as we climbed higher and higher.

Doe Mountain in the foreground with Cathedral Rock behind... 

We have also enjoyed some canyon hiking...more on that later.

 

Until next time, take care and

 

 

happy trails!