Sedona, Arizona

Monday, June 15, 2009
So we went out to do a hike at the Cathedral Rock. It’s listed as a strenuous, but short hike to a set of rocks on top of a mountain. About halfway up, Katy ran into a proverbial wall where she emphatically stated her opposition to continue further up the cliff side of the rock. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to see the top, I continued on, leaving Katy in a nice shaded area to wait for me to come back. Upon reaching the summit I found myself in a small saddle/plateau between three sets of enormous tower like pinnacles. After exploring the area for a while and taking some panoramic pictures of the area, I descended back to where Katy was. At that point Katy and I decided we wanted to try to find the mysterious vortex which according to our map was in the area. Katy called the ranger station to inquire about its specific whereabouts and we learned that the place I had just climbed down from was the Cathedral Rock vortex. Katy and I had been under the impression that the vortices were physical or natural phenomenon that could be seen but the rangers explained to us that in reality they were actually a spiritual and cosmic feeling that you experience in certain areas. The ranger explained that some people feel something in these places and others don’t feel a thing. While I didn’t feel any particular uprising while on top of Cathedral Rock, it was incredibly inspirational. Not satisfied with the extent of our adventure for the day, Katy and I chose to follow the Templeton trail west in hopes of finding a way down towards Oak Creek. After a short hike we found ourselves on the banks of the creek with clear crisp water running over rocks surrounded with trees lining the banks. We explored that area for a while and realized we were near the Crescent Moon Picnic area that offered a nice swimming hole and even a rope swing for the more adventurous. We found a shady spot on the creek where we could have a light lunch and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. We then hiked back to our car and returned to the campsite. After smelling ourselves we decided it was an absolute necessity to try to rinse ourselves off. The Manzanita campground where we have been staying offers no shower facilities so after a few days of hiking and stinking we found a small waist deep pool just a few hundred yards south from the campgrounds where we could stretch out in the frigged but refreshing water. Then we spent the rest of the evening trying to cook an early meal and then tried to find a scenic vista where we could drink a glass of wine and watch the sunset. Unfortunately the unusually overcast day prevented us from getting to see a red rock sunset.