The day is cool and sunny as 18 top-notch Trailblazers start from Morgan Road Trailhead on the Broken Arrow Trail.

We follow the trail south, high above the Devil’s Dining Room, admiring the panoramic views and being glad that we’re away from the road. We would much rather dodge bicycles than Pink Jeeps!

A series of red rock formations leads us up to the high point of our hike, then over to Chicken Point.

Fantastic red rocks make this a popular tourist destination, but the best way to enjoy them is the way we are going — on foot.

It’s very windy.

Photographers snap away in between holding on to their hats.

The Little Horse Trail takes us down from Chicken Point on our journey to Courthouse Butte. There are two trail junctions ahead, “Not to be missed,” Ted advises.

The first is the Chapel Trail, going west to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a contemporary church built right into the rocks overlooking Sedona.

In another half mile we meet the Llama Trail, our route southward through the Munds Mountain Wilderness. Wildflowers and inspiring views of Munds Mountain and Lee Mountain cheer us as we look for the perfect lunch spot.

The trail goes above a dry waterfall, with plenty of rocks to serve as picnic benches. Here we enjoy a leisurely lunch while admiring the views out over the canyon and the valley below.

Continuing south, we follow a faint trail that connects us with the Courthouse Butte Loop. Route finding is easy, because we can see the great stone mushroom in the pass between Courthouse Butte and Lee Mountain.

We make a semi-circle around the butte and along a colorful streambed. The trail goes in and out of wooded streams and across a grassy meadow.

By now the sky is partly cloudy. We watch for a break in the clouds to get sunny pictures of Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock.

Delicate plants and intricate erosion patterns decorate the trail to Bell Rock Trailhead. The hike ends in mid-afternoon with everyone thankful for the cool day and the gorgeous scenery of Sedona’s red rock country.