Super Sedona

Sedona, Ariz., is one of those places I'd heard about forever but never visited. I was curious what I'd find. I'd heard that the hiking is amazing, that hippies love the place because of its vortex energy and that rich people have taken it over and made it Arizona's Aspen.

After driving from LA to Flagstaff, Ariz., and crashing on some North Arizona University basketball players' couch, I drove down to Sedona to check it out.

I was highly impressed.

The place reminds me of a more wide-sweeping and beautiful version of Grand Junction, Colo. Red rock spires and mesas pop out of the desert surroundings. It's dramatic.

After stopping at the Sedona visitor's center, I settled on a 5.5-mile hike that cuts through valleys and over mesas in the northern part of Sedona.

Because I got an early start, I beat a lot of the tourists to the trail. So I hiked more or less alone along the red-dirt trails. The path swerved through pinon and juniper trees. Large cacti covered the ground in spots.

The hike followed three trails: Cibola Pass (a standard-looking trail), Soldier Pass (basically a jeep trail) and Brins Mesa (another standard trail). The loop was fairly easy. The end of Soldier Pass boasted some steep sections (which two sports-bra-wearing female trail runners had no trouble taking in swift strides).

It needs to be noted I hike this trail in mid-March. So it was chilly. In the summer, it could be dangerous. The surrounding desert is hot and dry. Without ample water and smart clothing choices, you could find yourself frying.

All in all, though, Sedona shouldn't be missed. The scenery is spectacular, and I reckon you could hike there for years and not find all of the amazing trails.



The details:
Cibola Pass, Soldier Pass, Brins Mesa loop
Location: About 2 miles north of Sedona, Ariz., at the Jordan Road parking lot.
Length: 5.5 miles
Beginning elevation: 4,500 feet
Peak elevation: 5,300 feet
Difficulty (out of 5): 2