Next, we “pigged out” on the High on the Hog Trail, which angled towards Jeep routes we borrowed for access to Submarine Rock. This famous formation is bookmarked with two small prominences — one easy to master while the other required some balancing. At this point, whatever the level, participants spent some time exploring and snacking.

Next stop was the Devil’s Dining Room, which you could speculate is the less expansive but more ominous sinkhole cousin of Devil’s Kitchen. Due to protective fencing recently upgraded by the USFS you can’t get close enough to the edge to view its bottom 90 feet below. From there we trekked briefly on the Broken Arrow trail and looped back to the Mystic Trailhead by entering another section of the Hog Wash trail.

So, now time to figure out a lunch spot. A quick traffic review on Google Maps indicated traffic was already backed up for miles towards the primary eatery near uptown Sedona, so I thought I was REALLY PREPARED with my back-up plan in a shopping center in the opposite direction in the Village of Oak Creek. Unfortunately I was not aware that a Yoga Festival was taking place in that same area, so our drivers were not feeling harmonious as parking options were enveloped by attendees of the event. Although a couple cars were nimble enough to assume the rare opening, others gave up and either returned home with or without a secondary stop for nourishment elsewhere.

Special thanks to Lin for being my carpool organizer in Phoenix.