219. Sedona (24): Ruins of Boynton Canyon

Boynton Canyon is one of the most popular trails in Sedona. I’ve been there a number of times by now, early in the morning, late in the afternoon, alone, or with others. There are so much to see, especially if you go off trail. I was told that there are more than a couple of dozen ruins in the canyon. Personally, before yesterday, I’ve only went to one—one day I wandered off trail and happened to stumble upon one by surprise.

Yesterday, Gary, a friend of mine, took me to a hidden ruin back in the canyon. It was a hot day, over 95F. When we reached the normally crowded parking lot in the afternoon, there was only one car.

Beside the heat, a bear warning sign was posted at the beginning of the trail. Not too long ago, rangers had to kill a bear there simply because people fed the bear. A fed bear is a dead bear—we really should leave wild animal wild!

There is an unofficial trail to the ruin. However, it’s not easy to find. We bush whacked through dense scrubs. My arms and legs were scratched a few time; sweat dripped like rain drops. It wasn’t that much fun at the time, but the reward was truly worth the effort. A small, but beautiful ruin tucked away on the steep cliff of the canyon. A “spiral turtle” signified the importance of this hidden gem.

Whenever I’m in places like this, I feel grateful to be able to stand in front of those “secret places” in person. Not too many people, including me, without the help of a friend, will be able to find such undisclosed sights.

 

218. Sedona (23): Being a “Guide”

I’ve been taking advantage of my friends’ kindness and knowledge of Sedona area for quite some time. That’s why I was pretty happy to take Gary1 and Gary2 to somewhere they had never been to before. Woo Ranch (post #178) contains a number of pretty good pictographs and petroglyphs. Even it was a hot day, we still had fun seeing those amazing rock arts. I wish I knew more hidden treasures so I could share with my friends.

 

217. Sedona (22): Ruins in Loy Canyon

Ruins in Loy Canyon is one of the best I’ve seen in Sedona area. Gary, my friend, took me there once. I was happy to go with him and his friend, Rik, again. No wonder ancient people chose this location—the view is spectacular. Okay, that is my emotions talking. 🙂 Logically I doubt that was the reason they chose to live so high up the cliff. It must be for defense purposes. Nevertheless, the sight is perfect for a “home with a view”, if you don’t mind climbing.

PS. It is off trail, require some scrambling to reach it.

 

 

216. Sedona (21): Sunset & Big Moon Hike at Dry Creek

It’s that time of the month again—full Moon. So I went hiking, during sunset and under the big Moon—it was an event I organized. 🙂 There were only five of us, but we had a lot of fun. How could anyone not to have fun? Amazing red rocks, beautiful sunset, a faint rainbow, a full Moon in and out of dark clouds, and a group of friendly hikers. At times, the moonlight was so bright, I joked I would get “moon-burn”. 🙂

 

215. Sedona (20): Exploring Petroglyphs in Red Tank Draw with G1

I have got a couple of friends named Gary here in Sedona so I started to call them G1 and G2, respectively. 🙂

Two days ago, G1 took me to Red Tank Draw which is a tributary canyon in Wet Beaver Creek area about a half hour’s drive southeast of Sedona.

We hiked along the bottom of Red Tank Draw, which is bone dry at the time. It was a hot day; temperature reached mid 90 in the middle of the day. But curiosity kept us going for more than 4 hours. Along this dry creek, there are a number of petroglyph sites on the red cliffs of the canyon wall.

Later on I learned that out of all the rock arts around Sedona, Red Tank Draw is one of the least known, most remote, and difficult to find sites. Luckily G1 was there. At times like that, I’m always so grateful to have friends like G1 to lead the way.

214. Sedona (19): “There is Always a Smile after a Tear”

I should’ve believed the saying that “there is always a rainbow after the rain”.

But I didn’t, I left a little too early.

I organized an event through the meetup hiking group to watch sunset and to stargaze at Cathedral Rock last night and invited several of my non-member friends. Boy, I picked the wrong date.

A couple of hours before the hike, dark clouds rolled in, with rambling thunders. We haven’t had any rain for many months now! And when I set up the event just a few days ago, the forecast predicted 0% chance of rain.

One by one members and some of my friends dropped out, but I still went, just in case someone showed up. I was right: my friend Gary showed. “I know you will be here,” he told me. He knows me well, even only knowing me for months.

We hiked up toward Cathedral Rock, in the rain, but pretty soon we turned back. The thunder and lightning seemed too close to be safe. Yet we didn’t want to give up completely so we walked on a lower level for awhile. By the time we left, dark, dark clouds still covered most of the sky.

On my way home, though, I watched the Sun peeking out the thick clouds. The red rocks blazed under the intense sunset. It was gorgeous. And pretty soon, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the pinkish sky.

I kept on thinking that we should’ve stayed longer. I should’ve believed the quotation: there is always a rainbow after the rain. And this saying reminded me a similar quote: there is always a smile after a tear.

I don’t know about “always”, but sure, sometime, there is a rainbow after the rain. All I need to do is to believe and to be patient. A smile or a rainbow will come, sooner or later, after the tear or the rain!