Our son opted to try something new - corned beef hash, eggs, and a pancake on the side. We entertained him with stories of how the only meal his uncle and aunt ate as kids was corned beef hash, as that was the only thing that his grandfather could cook. He didn't really like his meal, and has a new found empathy for the struggles my older siblings went through as children.
The wife chose a Denver omelette, 86-ing the green chilies and adding tomatoes.
With enough food in our gullets to last for several days of wandering in the Red Rocks Secret Mountain Wilderness, we began our attempt to walk off the calories at the parking for the Boynton Canyon trailhead.
Of course, given the size of the breakfast, our first scenic overlook was the pit toilets.
The start of the trail, and the majority of the first three miles, is flat and easy walking.
It is clearly signposted.
We saw deer, birds, and a bees nest, but alas no spiders, scorpions, or snakes.
The views along the Boynton Canyon trail are predominantly to the right/north side of the trail, so the light on the rocks is beautiful during the winter months.
The trail passes above Sedona's Enchantment Resort.
One word of caution...whatever you do, don't stray off the trail to the downhill side and blunder into Enchantment Resort from the rear. Why, do you ask? Simply read the sign posted on the trail.
"Armed Patrol on Duty 24 Hours...Video Taping in Progress" - sounds more like the tower used to imprison the princess. The sign sends the wrong message and makes me wonder about the attitude of management. I'm not sure I've seen any wild-eyed hippies on the trails or in Sedona that merit video taping and armed patrols. The tapes might be interesting to watch, though, as I'm sure lots of fascinating things happen in the bushes.
Now back to our hike! Some of the houses in the canyon are stunning.
Lots of red rocks, and as you get into the canyon, the light from the northern wall reflects to the southern wall, bathing the entire canyon in an orange-red glow.
The view to the right...
...and to the left.
Boynton Canyon is home to one of the New Age "vortexes" (yes, I know it should be vortices, but here in this Special Place, the rules of basic Latin grammar get set aside and they call them "vortexes"). Trees twist in unusual ways, and your inner energy is enhanced and strengthened or balanced, depending on your personality and the characteristics of the vortex. While we feel ourselves to be pretty in tune with the natural world, having spent so much time walking and camping in it, and having stripped our lives down to pretty much the bare necessities in order to do so, the main vortex we sensed came from the helicopters that kept buzzing overhead during our hike. This one below was a real daredevil, taking his passengers right up next to the red rock face.
One thing that we did notice was that some of the massive red rocks in Boynton Canyon looked to be your regular sandstone, but some of them also had an inner core of crystals, my guess being rhyolite.
So here's a bit of "crystal power" in the red rocks...but since it seems to have been "discovered" in the last thirty years, and then back filled with a whole history of UFOs and visits by extra-terrestrials and Indian lore, and accompanied by an explosion of retail and real estate development, I'm a bit incredulous. Those of you who know me know that I've had my hippie days, that I've partied with the Rainbow People in the Ocala National Forest, but when something smacks of hype as much as the New Age machine that markets Sedona to over 5 million visitors a year, I can't help but feel like there is more marketing than metaphysical energy at work here. As the bumper sticker says, "Happiness is a Journey, not a Destination." If you've got positive energy inside you, you can harness it regardless of what rock you happen to be standing on...in my opinion.
Back to the hike! At the very end of the canyon, the trail cuts steeply up the face.
If you keep walking past the "End of Trail" sign, not going higher but instead walking along the rock face away from the end of the canyon, you are rewarded with stunning views in all directions. Looking back up the canyon...
...and back the way you came.
Of course, no hike through a place as visually and spiritually powerful as Boynton Canyon is complete without the moment of epiphany.
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