Trailblazers and Westerners on the trail. [photo by Li]

On Saturday, April 6, 2024, the Arizona Trailblazers and Sedona Westerners, met at Sedona to start a long-planned, very first joint hike between the two clubs. Sandi, the Vice President of the Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund and membership chair of the Sedona Westerners Hiking Club, and I had been talking about this joint hike for almost one year. After finally settling on a date that would work out for both clubs, it seemed as if luck was not on our side as the weather changed for the worse just a few days before our hike. This turn in the weather unfortunately led many to opt out of the hike, but I was still grateful that nine AZ Trailblazers stayed with me for this big event.

Our two organizers.

Great view.

Some Trailblazers.

We met 17 Westerners at a large parking lot to arrange the carpool. I was surprised at how many of them decided to participate despite the bad weather forecast and was happy to see that even many of their executive committee members showed up as well. Some of them had clearly been there for a long while since they were cold even with thick jackets. They were extremely kind and thoughtful, greeting us with hot coffee which was much appreciated on a chilly morning. I was so happy and grateful that we had the opportunity to meet and hike with such a wonderful group of like-minded people.

Time to climb the hill.

After the climb, time to look at the sights.

We started the hike at a small parking lot near the Turkey Creek Trailhead, splitting into two groups. Sandi and her husband Dick were the leads for the two groups and they also had two tailgaters to make sure no one was left behind. They suggested mixing both groups of people so we could socialize and get to know each other better. We very much welcomed the idea so we mixed the two groups with club members from both clubs. Contrary to the forecast, the weather was perfect, and so at around 9:30 AM, we started the hike on a flat trail, gradually going up and then down along a wash. Not long after starting, we all decided to stop to shed layers since the weather was getting warmer. Then the groups continued upward and onward to the first butte.

Great view.

Just hanging out.

This first butte was beautiful. Far away we could see the magnificent cathedral rock formations, and below the hill, we could see the prestigious Verde Valley school nesting at the base. There was also an interesting natural rock crack that formed a small window behind a large rock formation that Sandi showed us. We got the best pictures of the day from here. We also saw many metal bolts on the rock peak that were used for rock climbing although we did not see anyone rock climbing while we were there. The views from the top were stunning beyond description. We took many pictures and were excited that our Westerner colleagues took us to this awesome place that we had never been before. After a short snack and water break, we continued toward the second knoll which was close to what the locals called the Turkey Breast Mountains. We walked passed these Twin Pillars from a short distance.

Turkey Breast Mountains.

Time to find the the next upward path.

The whole group took another small break and made clothes adjustments before proceeding uphill to our lunch spot atop House Mountain. This peak gave us a clear view of all of Sedona, letting us see everything from an almost birds-eye perspective. The weather was perfect, with a sunny blue sky and scattered white clouds only adding to the majesty of our surroundings. We sat on the top of this marvelous red mountain overlooking the entirety of Sedona, enjoying our well-deserved lunch and the company of our friendly Westerner partners. What a wonderful day, we could not ask for more! The scenery was beautiful but what really made the day was the well-organized Westerners Club who showed us so much hospitality during the hike.

Time for lunch.

Nap time.

Just back up a little more.

We finished the hike with a stop at a hidden sinkhole that the Westerners showed us. We would never have known it was there if they hadn’t been the ones to point it out. Dick William, one of the US forest service directors made a speech and informed us that there will be big trail changes in this area in the future. I hope that we will be able to contribute to their efforts to make this trail become one of the most popular ones in Sedona.

Seats with a view.

Time to go down.

A face in the rock

We were so happy that we had such a wonderful and successful hike with our Sedona Westerners friends that we decided to invite them to see the beautiful Superstition Mountains or Goldfield Mountains sometime this fall or next year. What a beautiful day spent at Sedona with great friends, getting to share the great experience of hiking in the mountains together! We celebrated our successful joint hike at Pisa Lisa in the Village of Oak Creek. Cheers!

We made the paper.