Weekend in Sedona – Sterling Pass Trail

This past weekend was spent in scenic Sedona, a good time of year to go with tourist season at a slower pace. We arrived mid-afternoon on Friday, walking through art galleries and checking out downtown. A sales lady tried to scam me on a free tour to an archaeological site normally valued at $99 per person. All I had to do was spend a morning listening to a times share talk at a Sedona resort, plus I could come back for another weekend and stay free. Sounds great, right? Wrong! I pulled out my view book I brought with to tantalize galleries to exhibit my paintings and tried to sell her a painting. I think she got the point. I told her you are trying to sell me something and so I will try to sell you something in return. Haha! Apparently, neither of us were interested in each other’s wares. We checked into our place of respite, the Briar Patch Inn, a wonderful place in Oak Creek Canyon. We had our own little cabin (the Inn puts on a killer buffet breakfast). We then drove on Schnebly Hill road to watch the sunset. Mid-morning Saturday, we ventured up to Sterling Pass and back down to Vultee Arch. The hike was great! Right away, the trail went straight up into a side canyon off of Oak Creek Canyon through a burn out area. Snow and ice provided some hazards, Denise slipped and earned a souvenir on her wrist (nothing serious, just a scrape). The trail gained almost 1200 feet in the first 1.2 miles up to Sterling Pass, and then back down again to meet up with Vultee Arch trail. We walked on the arch, and felt the dizzying “vortex” there (I really don’t think vortexes exist, people claim they experience a vortex after a long hike and felt dizzy from Sedona’s energy vortexes… whatever works for you). I do believe in being taken away by extraordinary scenery, a possible experience on the sublime; a transformative or awe-inspiring experience of nature’s splendor. After lunch, we re-traced our steps, slipping again on the ice, and back to our cozy little cabin. Sunday morning, today, we awoke to an overcast sky and explored Oak Creek a little. All in all, a wonderful time with my beautiful wife!