Sedona - Brins Mesa Hike

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Our first day’s hike is to and along Brins Mesa to see Angel Falls then continuing around Cibola Mesa.  Don was here the previous day, snow and all.  He’s wants us to see Angel Falls; water does not flow over the falls very often so he wants us to see it while there is still snow melt.  After the first mile of hiking we take off the outer layer of fleece because the sun is warm.  Even with the warm sun, shaded portions of the trail are covered with ice and snow.  The sun drenched portions are wet from melted snow.  Climbing up on to the mesa reveals different views of the rock formations.  We pass by the west end of the Fin to its snow dotted north face.  As we ascend higher more snow appears along the trail.  Trickles of water are forming in the low sections of the trail from the sun warmed snow.  The final climb to see the falls is steep and icy.  We are encouraged to take our time since a slip on the rocks can end up painful, if not worse.

Angel Falls is flowing heavier than yesterday.  The drop must be over 150’.  The only real way you can get a sense of scale of the canyon is when helicopter tours fly through the canyon for their 20 second view of the falls.  We listen for the copters while scanning the sky for the small moving red or blue specks against the red rocks.  Each time they pass overhead we yell out how they are a bunch of wimps; hiking is the only way to see the falls.  As we scan the area we hear small avalanches of snow in the hidden canyons.

Returning down the trail then continuing on Soldier’s Pass trail, the trail turns into a muddy mess.  The trickle of water only an hour before is a small stream covering most of the actual path.  We proceed with caution watching each step since we cannot see the small stones under the surface of the muddy water.  The ice in the shade of the trees has turned to slush.  We leave red footprints in the remaining snow from the muddy trail.

It is strange seeing cactus and snow together.  Openings in the forest reveal other red rock mesas tempting us to wander off in their direction to see their hidden treasures.  We stick to the trail knowing that what seems close is several miles as the crow flies, even more traversing the undulating terrain.

Water is flowing in the washes.  Don having lived here for the past 4+ years keeps saying he has never seen water flowing in this area.  This is all new and exciting to see.  The Seven Sacred Pools on the Soldier’s Pass Trail has turned into one continuous pool connected by a fast flowing stream.  Here the hiking trail and jeep trails intersect allowing dozens of people to view the pools.  What has been a quiet day hike has turned into a noisy side street with all the jeeps and ATVs taking people back and forth.

A quarter mile down the hiking trail the jeep trail runs off in a different direction, our hike is again peaceful.  We run into dozens of people all along the trail, some we meet a second time; they walked clockwise on the loop trail and we counterclockwise.  Everyone looks a bit worn when we see them the second time several miles further along the trail.

As we come around the Cibola Mesa we know to watch for the Fin.  It means we are getting close to our destination, the car; which takes us to the Oak Creek Canyon Brewery, so we can order a beer then food; in that order.

Traffic in Sedona is horrendous.  The round-about coming from the opposite end of town has traffic lined up at least a half mile.  It’s actually worse when we leave the restaurant after dinner with the line of traffic extending up to a mile.  Our drive to Cottonwood, in the opposite direction is traffic free.

We walk kind of slow and stiff to the restaurant.  Upon arrival we look at each other taking a deep breath when we see a set of stairs between us and the restaurant.  There's an elevator nearby but no self respecting hiker would take an elevator.  I don’t want to turn in my newly earned Sedona hiking card by riding in an elevator.

Pants went into the shower upon arrival at the hotel.  The bottom of the bath tub turned red from dried sand on the bottom 6” of my pant legs.  Hiking boots were next.  I couldn’t tell where the red sand ended and the red of the boots started on my hiking boots.

I was in bed by 8 falling asleep around 9.

I can’t wait for tomorrow’s hike.

Thank you for stopping by,

Mark