Arizona: Sedona and Grand Canyon National Park Pt. 1

I woke up to a beautiful backdrop of mountains just outside of Las Cruces, NM the day after going to White Sands. I had arrived at my camping spot after dark so seeing it just after sunrise was a nice surprise. During the night I think I heard a pack of coyotes in the distance. I decided today was a good day to take a shower at Planet Fitness in town before heading towards Tucson, AZ to stop in for a visit with my cousin who lives in that area.

It was good to see her since it had been a number of years since we last saw each other. She let me mooch some electricity to help charge my external battery. After a nice visit over lunch, I searched for a library to use their free WIFI to post some updates on my Blog. My next venture was to find some ice to help keep my fridge cold since my electrical system was having a hard time keeping up with it. I decided for a quick fix and stopped in at the closest fast-food place to get a cup of ice. It was a Dairy Queen so I got an ice cream cone and my cup of ice, hoping it would be enough to cool my fridge for that night (Spoiler Alert: It was not enough). I was trying to get as close to Sedona as I could so that I could have an early start the next day for the Devils Bridge hike. I wanted to find a dispersed campsite but ended up camping at a Walmart, which ended up being a good decision.

In the morning I bought a bag of ice and put it in various bags and containers so that it would all fit in my fridge. I headed for Sedona and was greeted by a few hot air balloons drifting around as the sun finished rising. The parking lot was already full and overflowing when I got there around 7:15 am. But I found a spot along the road and started walking. The ground was red from the red rocks and there were big red cliff-like structures that surrounded my view. The area around the trail was lush with grasses, desert-like trees, and cacti. The first two or so miles were pretty flat, until gradually it got steeper, and then not so gradually I was climbing rock steps. There was a nice overlook about halfway up to the bridge that overlooked a valley. As I made my way higher, I could see a long line for photos on the rock bridge. I sat across from it watching people pose and laugh as they got their photos taken. Eventually, a nice couple offered to take my photo if I wanted one and I would take theirs after. So, I waited in the line that probably took about 15 to 20 minutes and got the famous Devils Bridge photos. I took my time looking at the views as I made my way down. Once I got back to my van, I had a second breakfast and started on my way to another hike at Cathedral Rock.

The parking lot was closed at Cathedral Rock; I think because there were so many people there to hike. I decided to drive the Red Rock Scenic Byway and see if there were other hikes I could do in the area, but parking lots were full. A little discouraged I decided to make my way up to the Grand Canyon a bit earlier than I planned but was still happy with what I saw in Sedona.

As I got closer to the Grand Canyon, I started to feel a nervous anticipation, as I have always wanted to visit this national park. As I walked up towards Mather Point, I was stunned by the vastness of this incredible canyon. As always, pictures don’t do it justice and I was amazed by how big, and almost fake looking it was. After looking out for a while and snapping some photos, I went to the visitors center to find some hikes I could do while I was there. I decided the South Kaibab Trail and the Bright Angel trail were the ones I’d do. I decided to do the South Kaibab Trail this first day since it was a bit shorter and sunset viewing is nice there. I started the hike pretty late in the day, around 4:30 pm, and thought it’d be a good place to watch the sunset since it would probably take me until then to do.

Switchback after switchback I went down as people huffed and puffed coming up. The way down was obviously easy and quick. I made it to the first overlook Ooh Ahh Point and decided this was far enough since the second viewpoint looked far away, had many switchbacks, and I was already nervous about how late in the day it was. The view at that point was amazing! I spent a while sitting and looking and taking photos. After a long while, I started my hike back up. I was breathing heavily but this trail only reminded me that I really like hiking when I have to go uphill, it feels like I’m actually hiking and not just out for a nature walk. My goal was to make it to the top without stopping and I did. Towards the top, it got a little harder since it had the steepest switchbacks but it felt good to be doing something challenging while being rewarded with the view.

I hiked that trail too quickly to watch the sunset from that overlook, so I got on the shuttle to take me to one of the most famous sunset viewing areas of the park. I was on the shuttles just in time to get over to Mohave Point (recommended by the shuttle driver over the Hopi Point, which is much more crowded) and found a seat almost right on the edge of the cliff. It made me a little nervous to sit there but there was a ledge that came out under me so it felt safe. I watched as the sun went down, with a semi-quiet crowd, birds flying around the canyon, and a ranger playing Amazing Grace on a flute. I stayed for a little while as the sky changed colors before waiting in line for a shuttle back.

There were a lot of dispersed camping sites in Kaibab National Forest, which neighbors the park, so I found one for the night.