Photo: Jenny Roberts Red Rock Kaleidoscope; Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08280A Price: $1,845 Deposit: $200 Capacity: 10 Leader:
The Trip  Photo: Jenny Roberts Please note you must book with a partner or friend for this trip . Each cottage must accommodate two people and has only one queen or king bed. Some cottages do have a daybed option. If you require a daybed, check with the leader before booking trip to see if any of these cottages still available. Sedona is widely rated as one of the most beautiful places in the United States. The pink and red cliffs and buttes are even more striking surrounded by the changing colors of fall. Our accommodations will be within the amazing Oak Creek Canyon which offers an array of fall colors within its spectacular limestone walls and we will take numerous hikes within Sedona. We will also venture out east of Flagstaff to explore the wonderful cliff dwelling ruins within Walnut Canyon National Monument and the amazing lava fields within Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument .
Please arrive by noon on day one. We will meet in the Leader's cottage for lunch and orientation at noon. Our accommodations are approximately a two hour drive from Phoenix airport, and there are private shuttle services available from Phoenix Airport to our cottages. Transportation to/from the cottages is not included. Transportation to all trail heads and the National Monuments will be provided. Further information and directions will be provided by the trip Leader. Day 1: We will meet at for lunch at the Leader's cottage. After lunch and trip orientation we will hike 2-3 miles along a nearby scenic trail Days 2-5: After a large continental breakfast, we will depart the cottages at approximately 9:30 a.m. each day with transportation supplied by the trip leaders. Lunch will be prepared at the main cottage and enjoyed on the trail. Cozy evenings will be spent having dinner at our cottage with one or two guest speakers to educate us on the area. Guitar music can be provided by one of the leaders upon request. Two of the four days will be spent hiking around Sedona and the Oak Creek Canyon area. The trails will be of moderate length (approximately six miles daily) with an elevation gain of less than 1,000 feet. We will be hiking within the soaring cliffs of Coconino Sandstone and Kaibab Limestone among vegetation which includes shrub live oak, manzanita, juniper, pinon, ponderosa pines, and Arizona cypress. There are over 150 types of migratory birds including hawks, peregrine falcons and roadrunners and wildlife including javelina, deer, coyotes, and rabbits in the area. One day will be spent outside of this area, to the east of Flagstaff, where
we will explore Walnut Canyon National Monument and its cliff dwellings and
the ancient lava fields of Sunset Crater National Monument. This day will be
made up of a couple of shorter hikes. Please note that we will be over 7,000
feet this day and the optional hike at Walnut Canyon includes approximately
200 steps. Day 6: The trip will conclude at 10 a.m. after breakfast.
You will have your own beautiful fully equipped cottage furnished with southwestern charm. Each cottage has one king or queen bed, a sitting area with wood-burning fireplace and kitchen and outside patio. Housekeeping is provided daily including setting you a new fire for that evening. The Leader's cottage will be the main gathering spot where all meals are prepared and enjoyed and people can socialize in the evenings. The cabins are among towering sycamore and oak trees and the property consists of nine acres along Oak Creek Canyon . There is even an area you can have a massage along Oak Creek Canyon in an open air creek side gazebo (for an additional cost). Your first decision each day will be whether to have breakfast outside in the wonderful grounds creek-side, sit inside in the wonderful stone lodge on the grounds beside one of the two wood burning fireplaces or take a tray back to your cabin. A large continental breakfast is provided. Lunches and communal dinners will be provided by the trip leaders. Food will be of good quality, plentiful, and easy to prepare. Special diets cannot be accommodated. Trip participants will share in food preparation and cleanup. Happy hour snacks will be provided each evening before dinner. Participants are welcome to bring their own beer and wine. Adequately sized water containers (at least two liters) should be brought for daily hikes.
The two day hikes are moderate with an average of six miles daily. Sedona's elevation is 4,500 feet, elevation gains will generally be minimal; the greatest elevation gain on our hikes should be less than 1,000 feet. Both our hike on Sunday afternoon, and our half-day hike will be 2-3 miles each with only slight elevation change. The paths are generally rocky due to the nature of the local terrain. Please note: There are a few parts of the trail with steep drop offs on one side of the trail. The paths are generally wide, however they may not be suitable for someone with a fear of heights as there are no railings. We will be at higher elevation the day we go to the National Monuments, which will be at approximately 7,000 feet. Trip participants should be fit and able to walk six miles comfortably. The pace of the hikes will be moderate noting we want to enjoy the scenery and allow for picture taking, nature viewing etc. It is anticipated we will leave for the trailhead approximately 9:30 a.m. each day, this will give adequate time to have a leisurely breakfast which is a special experience itself at these cottages and its grounds.
Necessities include comfortable hiking shoes (already broken-in; tennis shoes are not suitable) and a day pack which can store lunch, snacks, and water. The heat in Arizona is a dry heat and the trails are not very shaded, so it is imperative that you have at least two liters of water readily available as we are hiking. A CamelBak-type bladder is preferable. Water bottles carried inside day packs require having to constantly stop to access them and are therefore not suitable. Hiking poles are a good choice due to the uneven terrain. Rain can occur at this time of year and rain gear should be packed. Days should average in the low-mid 70s and nights in the mid-high 40s in Sedona. Along Oak Creek Canyon where we are staying, temperatures could be 10 degrees colder. A flashlight should be brought to navigate between cabins in the evening. All towels and linens are provided, as are all eating utensils.
Maps Coconino National Forest Map The map shows most Forest Service system roads
and trails, and are a 1/2"=1 mile scale and is $7.00. It can be purchased
at any Coconino National Forest Information Center or Ranger District office
or by calling 928-527-3600. The USDA Forest service has a lot of great information about the area and trails: www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/index.shtml Conservation Don Steuter, the conservation chair for the Arizona Chapter of the Sierra
Club, will be the assistant leader on this trip. Locals who are knowledgeable
on the area's geology and environmental concerns will also be invited to address
our group. Group discussion of local environmental issues of the participants
will also be encouraged.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
Leader:
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Jenny Roberts, an Arizona transplant of 13 years, is originally from Australia and has traveled in over 50 countries, but would not live anywhere other than Carefree, Arizona. She is very active in the Sierra Club not only as a trip leader but as a member of the excom and as the treasurer for the Arizona Grand Canyon Chapter. 
Don Steuter is originally from Nebraska and has resided in Phoenix for over 30 years. Don is the conservation chair and a member of the excom on both the Arizona Grand Canyon Chapter and the Phoenix Palo Verde Group of the Sierra Club, and was named conservationist of the decade by the chapter in 2005. Don has hiked considerably in the Southwest and is very knowledgeable on conversation issues within Arizona. Don will also offer to provide some evening acoustic guitar entertainment if participants are interested.