Gone Viking 2

Surprises on Soldier Pass Trail in Sedona, Arizona

On Monday, May 17, 2021, I made another attempt to get a parking spot at Soldier Pass Trailhead, but was once again unsuccessful. This time I headed to Jordan Road Trailhead next. The “road” to this trailhead was barely a road. It was in the worst condition you can imagine, filled with huge potholes and gigantic ruts. Thankfully, the truck is a high-clearance vehicle, or we would not have made it. When I finally reached the parking lot at the end, it appeared that all the spots were taken. I pulled over to figure out where to go next, and people who were parking on the edge of the lot asked if I was taking that spot. I told them I didn’t think it was a spot, and they pointed out that the “no parking” signs indicated that parking was only forbidden to the right of the sign, and that if I just moved over a couple feet, I should be fine there. I moved the truck over and verified that it was completely out of the way. I then checked the trail info and determined that we could use Brins Mesa Trail to hike to Soldier Pass Trail, and then take Jordan Trail and Cibola Pass Trail back to the parking lot, making a loop that’d be about five miles.

The beginning of Brins Mesa Trail was rather flat, but then the trail began to climb and climb. The views of the surrounding red rocks were fantastic. When we thought we couldn’t climb any more, we reached the top of the mesa. We were surprised at how level and grassy the mesa was.

We came across a very tall flower stalk on an agave, as well as some blooming prickly pear cacti. Dark clouds rolled across the sky, and we got sprinkled on.

As the trail returned to the woods, we were startled by a rattle and hiss that caused us to jump backwards. We had almost stepped on a rattlesnake! It blended right in with the ground. We stood back and watched the snake until it uncoiled itself and slithered away into the woods. As we continued down the trail, we saw a couple hiking toward us. When the boys told them that we had just seen a rattlesnake, the woman started screaming and jumping up and down. She declared that she was not going to hike any further. We assured her that the snake was off the trail and not a problem. I even showed the man where the rattlesnake was so that they could see it was far off the trail and headed away from the trail.

Soon we came to a beautiful vista with a large tree that provided a shaded spot to sit and eat our lunches while we enjoyed the scenery.

When we reached Soldier Pass Trail, two groups of other hikers were discussing which trail went to the parking lot, and they mentioned they had just come from the caves. I asked about the caves, and they told us that the trail we had just passed led up to some caves we could go in. We turned around and took the steep trail to the caves. The caves were actually arches, one of which we could climb up behind. Torsten climbed up before I had even reached the base of the arch. When I attempted to climb up, I found that it was not as easy as Torsten made it seem. I ended up needing a hand from someone already in the cave to get up to the top. Some people were climbing even further so they could stand on top of the arch. Torsten wanted to, but after all the trouble I had getting up there as it was, I decided we weren’t going any further.

We returned to Soldier Pass Trail and came to the Seven Sacred Pools next. Torsten was thrilled to watch the tiny tadpoles swimming in the pools.

Next we came to Devil’s Kitchen, where the land above a gigantic underground cavern had collapsed, creating a huge sinkhole.

As we hiked back to the truck, more dark clouds filled the sky behind the rock formations called the Ship and the Tugboat.

McDonald Trail Cliff Dwellings and Fort Verde State Historic Park in Camp Verde, Arizona

Through the trail app I use, I learned about some caves nearby in Camp Verde, Arizona, that we could hike to and explore. On Sunday, May 16, 2021, we found the trailhead for McDonald Trail and hiked the very steep trail up to the caves which were actually former cliff dwellings. We saw hundreds of pottery shards along the trail.

Only a few of the walls which had been built to create rooms in the cliff dwellings remained. Crawling through these ancient dwellings was quite an experience. The rock ceilings were black from the smoke of the ancient peoples who had lived here. We tried to imagine what it would have been like to live in these cliff dwellings so many years ago.

The view from the dwellings was amazing.

After we had explored the dwellings on one level all the way to the southern end, we climbed to another level and explored those dwellings.

After we had explored most of the caves, we hiked back down and drove over to Fort Verde State Historic Park. Other than a couple people who were leaving as we arrived, we had the entire park to ourselves. The ranger in the museum was more than happy to tell us about the fort and show us weapons that would have been used at the fort when it was active. We spent some time exploring the museum, then walked across the road to view the remaining original buildings which still stand.

The buildings were furnished as they would have been when they were in use and contained many, many artifacts. Unfortunately, the glass protecting the rooms made it difficult to get good photographs.

The boys completed Junior Ranger activities for this Arizona State Park, and earned buttons.

Chimney Rock, Sedona, Arizona

On Friday, May 14, 2021, we drove to Soldier Pass Trailhead, but were unable to get a parking spot in the small lot there. We tried another trailhead nearby and found that lot full as well. The third trailhead had four of its seven spaces available when we arrived! After checking out the map in the lot, I decided we’d make a loop around Chimney Rock.

Colorful cacti bloomed along the trail, and we enjoyed listening to all the birds as well as seeing some. We also spotted several lizards and even a snake that slithered away as quickly as it could!

We passed many rock formations and had some good views.

When we reached the intersection with Lizardhead Trail, we could see the rock formation for which that trail is named.

We continued on Chimney Rock Pass to complete our loop, but this loop was only a mile and a half, and we hiked it rather quickly. I decided we needed to add a little more to the hike, so we took the Thunder Mountain trail next. We had even better views along this trail.

Finally, we looped back on the Andante Trail to return to the parking lot.

Fay Canyon, Sedona, Arizona

On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, the boys and I managed to snag a parking spot in the lot for Fay Canyon Trailhead in Coconino National Forest in Sedona, Arizona. Several trails can be accessed from this parking lot, and like most trailhead lots in the Sedona area, it was busy. Fay Canyon Trail is a short, one-mile, in-and-out trail with little elevation gain.

Hiking through the oak forest here was a nice change from some of the more open trails in the area.

Torsten wanted to climb all the rocks!

We hiked to the official “end of the trail” – a large rock slide – where we took pictures of the rocks and climbed up to get a view from the rocks.

On our return, we also hiked up the side trail to see the Fay Canyon Arch.

We enjoyed this short, easy hike with some cool rock formations!

Jerome, Arizona – The Largest Ghost Town in America

On Sunday, May 9, 2021, we drove up to Jerome, Arizona. Founded in 1876 on what was once the largest copper mine in Arizona, Jerome has quite a history and reputation. It was once known as the “Wickedest Town in the West.” At its peak in the 1920s, Jerome’s population was about 15,000, making it the fourth largest city in Arizona at the time. However, after the mine closed, the population dwindled to less than 100, earning it the title of ghost town. Today, Jerome is a destination for history buffs and artists.

Our first stop was the Audrey Headframe Park. The Audrey shaft and headframe, built in 1918, was used to bring ore to the surface safely. Over the course of its use from 1919 to 1938, over 3.6 million tons of ore were brought up. This yielded 5.3 tons of gold, 190 tons of silver, and 320,000 tons of copper, making it extremely profitable. A glass floor enables visitors to look down a 1900-foot shaft!

Next we visited Jerome State Historic Park. The mansion of James S. Douglas, one of the wealthy mine owners, was donated to the state and has been converted into a spectacular museum. We spent hours looking at the exhibits which included minerals, mining, the railroad, uses of copper, the history of Jerome, and a video presentation on the town.

In addition to showing off the glory of the Douglas Mansion itself, many rooms display artifacts from the town.

This model shows both the town of Jerome and the mines beneath it.

The gem and mineral collection contained many great specimens.

The award-winning model railroad exhibit upstairs was built by a 13 year old and based on the railroads in Jerome.

The grounds surrounding the mansion were used to display mining equipment, including another sanitation car.

Rose gardens and huge examples of azurite and malachite adorn the walkways here. Torsten especially enjoyed seeing the huge specimen of petrified wood.

Next we walked around the town of Jerome. Signs throughout the town tell the historical significance of the buildings.

We visited Jerome’s Famous Sliding Jail, which slid 225 feet from its original location.

Inside the remains of the Bartlett Hotel, we found the wishing outhouse – an old outhouse and other toilets that people attempt to throw coins into to gain wishes.

We finished our day by enjoying a dinner out for Mother’s Day.

Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona

On Thursday, May 6, 2021, we drove back up through Flagstaff to visit Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Wupatki National Monument preserves and protects a number of ancestral Puebloan villages, while Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument protects the lava flows of the most recent volcanic eruption that occurred in Arizona. These two monuments are about 15 miles apart, and both can be seen by driving the 35-mile Loop Road. We decided we’d drive the loop by going north on Rt. 89, entering Wupatki National Monument first, and then heading south to Sunset Crater.

Our first stop was the Box Canyon dwellings and the Lomaki Pueblo. It was interesting to learn about these dwellings and see how the Native Americans built along the cracks in the earth out here.

Next we stopped at Nalakihu Pueblo and Citadel Pueblo. We were amazed by the size of Citadel Pueblo and the spectacular views from the top of it.

We continued along the loop which crosses into Coconino National Forest. At the picnic area near Doney Mountain, we stopped and ate lunch. Since we had read that Doney Mountain was one of the cinder cones that people are actually allowed to climb, we decided we’d climb it! Along the way, we saw ruins that had been used for shelter by Native Americans farming in the area. It was difficult to imagine farming in this dry landscape. From the top, we could see for miles and miles. The Painted Desert stretched out before us in one direction, and we could see snow-capped mountains in the opposite direction.

Continuing along the loop and returning to Wupatki National Monument, we finally arrived at the visitor center. Here we acquired the Junior Ranger books for both Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. As one of the activities Torsten needed to complete for his level of the Junior Ranger book was an interview of a ranger, we spent some time outside the visitor center interviewing the ranger and working on the books. Then we took the trail behind the visitor center to the Wupatki Pueblo. This huge pueblo included one hundred rooms, a tower, and a community room.

In addition to the huge pueblo here, there are also two ballcourts and a blowhole. One of the ballcourts had been excavated, stabilized, and partly reconstructed. The blowhole is a crevice in the earth where air can be felt either blowing from the hole or being sucked into the hole, depending on the air pressure above the hole.

We spotted a striking lizard and stopped to photograph it. Walking back up, we had views of the other side of the Wupatki Pueblo.

We drove next to Wukoki Pueblo, but decided to just view this one from the car.

When we reached Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, we stopped first at the Lava Flow Trail. Here we stayed on the paved portion of the loop instead of taking the whole one-mile-loop. We read the interpretive signs and learned about the volcanoes that created this amazing landscape.

At the visitor center, we were disappointed to find that only the park store was open, not the museum. Some of the activities in the Junior Ranger book required visiting the museum and we were very interested in learning more about the volcanoes. Fortunately, one of the rangers was available to answer the boys’ questions and teach them about the different types of volcanoes and lava in the area.

It was a busy and very educational day!

West Fork Oak Creek Trail, Arizona

On Wednesday, May 5, 2021, we headed out early in the morning to hike West Fork Oak Creek Trail. We had read that the parking lot here fills quickly. According to the National Forest Service website, the parking lot was supposed to open at 8 A.M., but it had obviously opened earlier. We were fortunate to nab the last two parking spots.

The trail led through the remains of the historic Mayhew Lodge. The boys enjoyed peeking in the cliff opening that was probably used for food storage.

As this trail requires crossing the creek multiple times, we came prepared with water shoes. The creek wasn’t very high though, so crossing without getting wet was possible. However, Torsten preferred to walk through the creek, so he changed into his water shoes after the first crossing.

Walking through the canyon with so many trees was much nicer than walking out in the open with the blazing sun. We admired the magnificent canyon walls that rose up on both sides of the trail.

When we spotted a great blue heron in the creek, we stopped to photograph it. Torsten and Noah had taken to walking up the creek instead of staying on the trail, and they were a bit behind us. A second great blue heron came flying up the creek, and we heard the boys exclaim, “Guess what we just saw!!!” They were so surprised when we guessed correctly.

After about three and a half miles, we reached the end of the maintained trail. The complete trail is fourteen miles long, but from this point, you have to walk through the creek to continue, and the website warns that continuing on could involve not only wading, but also swimming up the creek. We sat here and ate our lunches before returning the way we’d come.

Torsten and Noah tried to stay in the creek the entire way back, but found that was not possible. We found another great blue heron fishing in the creek. It was so intent on catching something that it allowed Torsten to walk right past it!

Our friends declared that this was their favorite hike of all the hikes we had done!

Tuzigoot National Monument, Arizona

On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, we visited Tuzigoot National Monument with our friends. While most visitor centers we’ve been to have been closed due to Covid-19, the visitor center here was open. We procured Junior Ranger booklets, and the boys began working on them in the visitor center/museum. We learned about the people who lived here and saw examples of their pottery, clothing, and hunting and farming tools.

Next we headed outside to eat lunch before taking the trail up to the ruins. As we walked toward the trail, a ranger in front of the visitor center invited us to see a rattlesnake that had been caught on the monument property. A scientist is conducting research on the snakes in the area, so the rangers were about to gather data for the scientist. The ranger we had met the day before at Montezuma Well prepared a clear plastic tube by taping off one end. He then removed the rattlesnake from the bucket it was in and placed it in the tube. We got to watch as they measured the snake and recorded data. They scanned the snake to see if it had been captured before. As it hadn’t, they inserted a chip in it and painted its rattles so if it was spotted again, they’d know that they had already caught this one. As we watched, the ranger taught us all about rattlesnakes and even let the boys “pet” this one, a black-tailed rattlesnake. The ranger explained how most snake bites result from people harassing snakes. He wanted to demonstrate how a rattlesnake would react in the wild if you came across it. When he finished collecting the data, he let the snake out on the ground. He attempted to show us how the snake would coil up and rattle to warn people away, but all the snake wanted to do was slither away, further proving that snakes just want to be left alone.

We climbed the hill to the ruins and marveled at the size of this structure which once comprised 110 rooms. Unlike the other dwellings we’d visited in the area, we were allowed to enter these ruins.

On our walk back down, we spotted a lizard with a colorful belly!

We all agreed that our visit to Tuzigoot National Monument was amazing!

Walnut Canyon National Monument and Montezuma Well, Arizona

On Monday, May 3, 2021, we drove up to Walnut Canyon National Monument to see the cliff dwellings there. The views along the way were spectacular!

Walnut Canyon National Monument was established in 1915 to protect the ancient cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua in the 1100s. We walked the Island Trail which uses 273 steps to descend 185 vertical feet into the canyon. A one-mile loop passes eight cliff dwellings up close.

Several other cliff dwellings can be seen across the canyon.

Next we stopped at Montezuma Well, a sub-unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument. As we arrived, the ranger there was just coming down the trail from the well. We asked him about getting the Junior Ranger badges for the Well. When we had gotten the Junior Ranger books at Montezuma Castle, the book was divided into pages that could be completed at the Castle, and pages that could be completed at the Well. The ranger told us that there was a separate Junior Ranger book for the well, but he wasn’t able to find any in the office. After we told him about the pages in the book we had gotten at the Castle, he gave us the badges for the Well.

We hiked up to the well and were amazed by the size of it. This natural limestone sinkhole is fed by a spring, however, the water is high in arsenic and dissolved carbon dioxide, as well as other chemicals. Because of this, fish are unable to live in the Well. There are, however, thousands of leeches living in the Well, as well as a few species that can be found only here, including spring snails and water scorpions.

We observed the cliff dwellings on the edges of the Well, and walked along the edge of the Well to the ruins of some ancient dwellings. Then we looped back around to the ranger station where we were able to ask the ranger to verify that we had answered the questions about the dwellings at the Well correctly. We also asked about the two closed trails we passed and learned about the bats that were living in the cliffs above the Well.

On our way back out of the park, we stopped at the final dwelling, the remains of a pit house.

Montezuma Castle National Monument, Cathedral Rock, and Sedona, Arizona

On Saturday, May 1, 2021, we left CT RV Resort in Benson, AZ, and headed north to Verde Ranch RV Resort in Camp Verde, AZ. Traffic was heavy, and the drive was stressful. It didn’t help that I had just seen on the news that the section of I-17 north of Phoenix ranked the fourth most deadliest stretch of highway in the United States.

Our friends from Texas, who had left to visit other friends in Phoenix, rejoined us at Verde Ranch RV Resort, along with their grandparents.

On Sunday, May 2, 2021, we met our friends and their grandparents at Montezuma Castle National Monument. This national monument preserves and protects cliff dwellings constructed by the Sinagua around 1050 CE. We walked the short loop trail and learned all about the people who once lived and worked here. As we sat and observed the castle, we noticed a large bird fly under the castle to feed its young. Some of us thought they were owls, but others thought they were hawks.