Vultee Arch...kinda.

Don't let our smiles fool you...

Well, it's a crying shame that I didn't put this up earlier. Oh the endeavors my lovely friend, Leti, Simon and I had. We set out for one of those impromptu hikes, like I normal do. It was a hilarious hike, none the less. Vultee Arch, more like, one hell of a place to try and find. This place seems easy from what the book said, but nope, it's kinda confusing. 

The morning of our hike 20 miles away from the destination, the weather was cold, somewhat snowy-ish and light rain. Oh boy. We got ready to go (Simon and I) then we went to go pick up Leti. As we are driving down to Sedona, guess what happens to welcome us...? The same weather we had back home! Hmmmf. We continued and told each other that maybe the weather will be better out in the middle of no where...we were incorrect times a million. 

If you guys remember a hike called Devil's Bridge, with my friend Chris, well Vultee Arch is just about 3 or 4 miles further down. So as Leti, Simon and I went about this hike, we parked a few miles before Devil's Bridge. The roads are extremely "rocky" and I didn't want to ruin my shocks on the truck so we opted to walk...bad idea. Simon is 9 years old. He is, even though he's 63 in human years, very active for a big dog. Simon was diggin this hike. There are a few in between hikes that we thought was Vultee Arch, but turned out to be other hikes that weren't even on the map. Go figure. 

Where oh where is Vultee Arch!?

We walked for what felt like miles and miles. We past many hike points along the way, but somehow didn't run into Vultee Arch until the sun was hitting the set. We even made videos of where we were, if we were to even get lost. 

We made it!!!?!?!

We reached Vultee Arch about 3 or 4 hours later, maybe... Super excited as were were, come to find out that while encountering the horrible weather that was welcoming us, the trail was full of mud. I looked at Leti and Leti looked at me and then we nodded in agreement to head back. WELL, to get back, that felt like an eternity of death. We walked and walked, thinking that we were finally back to my truck. We ran into people who were just coming into do a hike. Those people are crazy. As we did the eternity walk, snow, sleet and rain decided to greet us all within a few minutes of each other. 

Always be prepared!

Sedona weather is...unpredictable.

Being that Leti and I are both Hispanics, we pack very tactfully. Leti brought food and so did I, we brought coats, socks, baby wipes, and whatever else we could think of. I had an umbrella that came into good use for the inclement weather we experienced. As we got further to the truck, we decided to stop and take pictures...Simon was not happy that we stopped. He was a wet, tired pup who really didn't want to stop. The sunset was beautiful and we just couldn't pass up a picture...

If anyone needed to find us, my umbrella would help. :)

The pictures were simply necessary! Simon couldn't disagree more. Poor baby. I felt so bad. Our feet were muddy and we were soaked. My calves hurt like no ones business. My whole body ached from head to toe. Uphill, down hill, we were sliding up, down, and side to side. It was defintely the most intersesting of the hikes I have been on. By the time we got back to my truck, it was pitch black. Thank goodness we brought flash lights, food and extra clothes. Hispanics...what can we say? 

J. Cay

Wilson Canyon...

boring...

This trail really boring. Not impressed whatsoever. Simon seemed to be enjoying though. This trail was messed up from the monsoon season. There was suppose to be a creek running throughout the hike, but it was dried up. My book said it was easy on paws and good for seniors, but that was a lie. 

Hot day in Wilson Canyon...

Not much to this trail for sure. The sites are beautiful and the elevation is amazing. It was awkwardly hot since it was Halloween... Simon was panting more than usual. The picture below shows me standing where the creek would be. Really sad that we didn't see the creek from here. I was looking forward to Simon swimming. There's always 2 summers from now. :) Hopefully Simon will still be willing and able to hike with me like he always has been.

Hot day...

It was a hot day in Sedona. Lord, hotter than I remember! I'm glad we went early. You would think that Halloween would be somewhat chilly, but nope. That's all I have on this trail. To sum it up, it sucked, it was hot and it was a challenging hike for Simon. Boo.


J.Cay

Our Halloween hike, Huckaby Trail...

Halloween Hike. :)

I decided to go out during the day for a hike on Halloween. Interesting people came out on this hike. Like...people who seem to come out only at night. Bahaha. I know it's rude, but it was strange to see. This hike was about 1.2 miles round trip at most. It definitely is not an easy hike. It's a moderate to difficult hike for sure! Its a downhill/uphill hike. No smooth turf whatsoever. It hurt my feet so I can only imagine what Simon's feet were like. Poor guy. His boots came in, but silly me, I forgot them! He went swimming down in Oak Creek and loved every minute of it. :) As we hiked back up he was starting to slow down. Super tired boy. 


This place is easy to get to...just a sharp turn and BAM, you're there. If you're coming from Phoenix, follow Flagstaff signs till you have reached the Sedona exit sign. It should say Sedona 179 North. Take that road all the way down till you run into the 89 South. You will drive over Midgley Bridge. Parking fee is $5. CHEAP! There are 4 different trails at this site... Wilson Canyon Trail # 10 and #12 (...I think it's 12) J.W. Powell?? J.W. Something trail. That one looked a bit sketchy. 


So all in all, this trail was rough, but fun. The creek is at the end of the trail, so that was a plus for sure. Simon seemed to enjoy himself. It was definitely a hot Halloween day. Hope to see you on the trails! 


J. Cay

Such a tired Lab. 

Devil's Bridge...

Well! Unfortunately, Simon was not able to go with me on this hike. Although, some people bring their dogs, but I don't know how in the world they do it! I mean, it's seriously a vertical hike. I guess since I have a 112lb dog and the people I saw had 50 or 75lb dogs; it's possible they are able to bring their dogs.  I absolutely love this trail. It's easy and difficult depending on where you veer off to. My friend and I went the difficult way going up and went the easy way going down. It was much more adventurous, that's for dang sure!

It's a pretty easy place to access. You just take the Sedona exit, drive into the gorgeous town, there's a round about so you need to take it heading towards the Hyatt Dr. Follow the road all the way down to Dry Creek Rd and follow the signs. :) There are a couple of trails here. The parking is $5. CHEAP. There's Vultee Arch, Devil's Bridge, Soldiers Pass and another I cannot remember. I literally was stepping on the bridge that was being help by 2 sheets of rock. Not safe, but definitely a rush of a lifetime. :)

If you see him, here is the info for you to contact

 Don't let the name intimidate you at all. It's a really easy hike, but the last 100 meters is a bit rough. My friend Chris and I took the "wrong" way so I took about 45 minutes more than what it should have. We hiked a total of 4 miles round trip. Pretty decent hike. I wouldn't recommend taking kids or dogs on this hike. Although people do it, I wouldn't take the chance. We saw a sign for a missing person. Very, very sad. I was so disheartened. A man by the name of Jim Schwartz went missing 11 days ago. ( 19 October 2011). He was last seen hiking around the area of what they call, Village Creek. Which could be ANYWHERE. I hope and pray  they find him. My thoughts and prayers go to his family. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if my grandfather or dad went missing for 11 days. Who knows the condition of what he's in. Not to sound negative, but not many people can survive out in the desert. It's hot during the day and cold at night, especially during this time.

Perfect day for a perfect hike...

US!

Lookout Mountain Summit...

...and away we walk!

Exploring the new stuff. 

     Well...we hiked in Phoenix, Arizona for Lookout Mountain Summit. :) It was Simon's birthday this past weekend, so we decided to spend it with my parents and BOY did he have fun! It was an impromptu hike and it was amazing. This place has seven summits to view from. We hiked Trail #308. It's pretty manageable. It's hard on the feet and paws though. So bring extra shoes AND TONS AND TONS AND TONS OF WATER!!! Even though this hike was only 2 miles round trip, that dang on heat will get you good. I dumped a bunch of ice in my water bottles along with Simon's water bottles. We left around 0830 and we got done about 1130ish. It was perfect weather at around 81 degrees and when we were done it was about 96. BLEH.

My parents. :)
This trail is not out in the middle of no where by any means. It's literally right next to a housing complex. Which if you get lost, someone is bound to hear you. I recommend to bring baby wipes too. I used a bunch of them. I've never sweat so much on one hike, in my entire life until this one. haha. I also recommend bringing food to munch on. I was feeling a bit drained during this hike. Sunscreen or a light breathable jacket is always swell too. The elevation change to the summit is about 500 feet. 

At the top of the summit.

The mountain is awesome. Simple as that. We literally walked around the mountain for a few hours. My parents really enjoyed it too. The trails can start either from the left or from the right. Lookout Mountain Summit is located off Greenway Parkway and 16th Street. Make a left at the light if you are coming from Scottsdale. I'm not too sure how to get to this place otherwise, but it's super easy...just "lookout" for the "mountain". :) The best part is...NO PARKING FEES!!!!! Wonderful I say, wonderful. You do need to pick up after your dog and they must be leashed to be on these trails. Love that rule. No stupid people and their maniac dogs off leash running a muck. 

Signs of heat stroke. :(

We are spent! 

Notice! My mom is not in ANY of the summit photos...she is deathly afraid of heights. I am too, but I am slowly easing into getting the height phobia fixed. :) I believe Simon almost had a heat stroke when we were done. NEVER EVER, EVER let your dog lay on their side when they are panting like crazy...that's the first sign. If that happens like it did to me, pour water on their face, ears, back and remove any vest or hiking jackets so that they can get some air. Make sure to give them some extra water after the hike is done, along with some treats for energy. :)

  

The birthday boy gets his own vanilla custard cone. :)

Moon Crescent Crossing...

Ready to rock and roll!

So I totally have not blogged about my hikes lately. Jeez, I'm behind the power curve! So last week I was SUPER DUPER sick, but I'm determined! :) Simon, my dad and I went on a FABULOUS hike today. 

"Jillian's Spiffy Rock"!

Oh my goodness! What a place we went to today. I decided to go to Moon Crescent Crossing for a wonderful celebration of Simon's ninth birthday...which is Friday! Yay. :) This place is AH-MAZING. It's a definite must see. We went around 1600 hours. I think it was the perfect temp and lighting for pictures, among the hiking. It took us about 2 hours or so for this hike. Bring lots of water! This place has a bit of an up and down trail. You can also see Cathedral Rock from here. We were probably 3.5 miles away from it. 

I would have loved to go to Cathedral Rock, but Simon wouldn't have been able to climb up that high. It's really steep. Might be doing that when the bestie comes up for a visit. :) I live about a hour away from Moon Crescent Crossing. We left around 1500 or so. My dad asked me how I knew about this place and I simply responded by saying..."Oh, I just drove around till something popped up". Haha. I only used one pair of shoes today which is not good, but my feet were doing great. No pain, no gain. Simon's new booties should be coming in soon so we will be in sync with each other. :) I would also recommend getting boot liners, aka doggie socks, especially if your pup has dewclaws. The booties will be less of a bother to them if you have liners, but just be aware that some dogs hate liners. 

There are some awesome yet odd "rock formations" that we saw. I guess one person took it upon themselves to start a trend. I decided to carry on that trend. I made my own "rock formation" and named it, Jillian's spiffy rock! These formations were EVERYWHERE. I only got 3 pictures of them, but I swear, everywhere we looked, they were there! It's like they were on stalker status. ha. I enjoyed them none the less. It's really a site to see. 

:) So pretty

There's a creek that runs along the trail. It's so peaceful. You can hear it as you start to trek into the trail. There are tons of people on this trail! Some tourist who take tons of pictures and kids who are swimmin' like fish! The rocks are slippery, and I wouldn't dare cross them with Simon. He would pull me into the water with no problems. He's a Labrador and if he could, he'd live in water. 

My dad and Simon.

There's a path to get to the other side, however it's a running current with stepping stones...funny thing is, our paper we got when we went to the trail told us, "cross at YOUR OWN RISK". Really?! My goodness! It didn't even look safe, but my dad seriously wanted to cross it. I responded by saying, "UMMMM.....did you forget I have a psycho water bound dog???!. He just started laughing. Go figure. 


This trail has been the best, by far. :-) Simon seemed to enjoy himself a bit more than usual. Maybe because he knows it's his birthday??...or maybe because my dad went with us, either way, it was a marvelous time.

J.Cay

He looks so small, but he's on a lowered rock. :) So when I said this trail had it's up and down's, I meant climbing over rocks...not too bad.

Red Rock Secret Mountain...

Sedona, Arizona

     This trail is super easy and fun! There are creeks along the way for a touch of peacefulness. Red Rock Secret Mountain is located in the Sedona, Arizona, Red Rock area. If you ever have the time, please visit this place! It's absolutely fabulous. 
     
     As you all know, Simon is an older guy and this trail was pretty easy for him to go on. Your pets must be leashed at all times on this trail...as well as any other state law, they need to be leashed. Some people think it's not, so just be aware of your surroundings. I ran into some people with an Akita off leash...it was a lovely encounter.

Driving to our trail

Gorgeous views to and from Phoenix

     The drive to this place is gorgeous. Red rocks, cliffs, trees and much more. I'm the type of person who DESPISES heights, but it is well worth it! If you are coming from Phoenix or Flagstaff, take the scenic route. It'll leave you speechless. 

Beginning of trail #108, West Fork

     Trail #108, pictured to the left is about three miles round trip. There are some challenging areas, but not too much for you or your furry friend. I'd recommend getting boots for your dog if you do start to hike more than usual. Simon has vibram dog boots from Ruffwear. You can find them for a great price at departmentofgoods.com. They are the cheapest boots, but the BEST you can find out there. REI does sell them, but for about 60% more than the link listed above.  Once you pass the "sidewalk" portion of this trail, it turns into sand...like beach sand. It's a bit tough to walk in (I'd recommend bringing an extra pair of shoes...), but if you have good shoes for traction it's a breeze.  I'd recommend a trail shoe, such as Merrell's barefoot series or Keen's trail shoes. They are AWESOME! Most people don't know who, what or where to buy Merrell footwear. You can get them at Dillards, REI, Amazon and many other places they sell hiking gear and such. They have the best shoe around, in my opinion.

Creeks along the trail. 

     This trail is used A LOT. I found the best times to go are during the mid mornings. Not many people will get up that early to go hike. The drive to get here is not that confusing, but it is a sharp turn to get in. There is parking, but a fee is required as well as a permit to hang visible in your car. The current fee is $9.00 and with that you can park anywhere there is a "permit required" parking area. 

Beautiful views of the red rocks. :)

     If you drive further up the road there is a place called "Halfway". I've been told that it's the busiest of the trails through Sedona. Not sure if that's correct info though.  One thing that kinda wigged me out about this particular trail ( Secret Mountain), there are ungodly amounts of vegetation. I don't mind it, but Simon's face was everywhere in it. Snakes are there, but no poisonous ones to note. Gardner snakes are harmless, but still hurt when they bite you, of course. 


J. Cay