Photos by Samantha Demangate
My girlfriend and I read a lot about Sedona’s unparalleled natural beauty far before we decided to visit. Images of towering rock formations and desert wildlife danced in our heads when we excitedly added it to our road trip itinerary. We figured that during a pandemic, visiting such an outdoor paradise would be appropriate. The timing couldn’t be better as we were moving me out to Michigan to care for a family member and Sedona was well within our route. We happily packed the car, and slowly drove from California to the high desert of Arizona. Arriving on a blustery Sunday night in January we settled into our cozy AirBnB in a quiet Sedona neighborhood. Neither of us knew what to expect once morning came. When we woke up, we bolted for the front door and scurried outside to find ourselves shocked into stillness, surrounded by intense vermillion cliffs that encapsulated our entire neighborhood. Encircled by bright rock formations, green cedar forests, and endless blue sky, we immediately knew we had fallen in love.
We decided, without a social itinerary due to Covid, to spend our introductory day exploring the city’s most famous monuments: the four vortexes. These natural wonders are some of Arizona’s most traversed hiking spots and are famous for possessing cosmic energy. With the morning sun creeping up over the horizon we hit the road, for a day-long hiking expedition to discover for ourselves what all the fuss was about.
To start our journey we hiked up to the steep red sandstone lobes of Bell Rock, the southernmost vortex. Looping around the giant landmark we stopped periodically to take in the scenery which seemed to change in color and magnitude with every step we took. The majestic Courthouse Butte towered next to us as we encircled the monument like a natural stupa. Towards the precipice at 4900 feet we sat amongst the junipers and cactus and gazed north towards the distant red rock canyons while western bluebirds danced around us. Feeling charged by nature and the indescribably dramatic scenery, we shuffled down the formation and returned to our vehicle, to set off for the next landmark.
Next off, we headed to Cathedral Rock to check out arguably the most popular of Sedona’s vortexes. Here we scurried up the rockface, avoiding groups of weekday tourists and people looking to tap into the spot’s energetic flow. Whisked away by the cool morning breeze we immediately lost ourselves in the view, until the crowds started to show up. This being the height of the pandemic and Arizona being the nation’s number one hotspot, we took this as our cue to go. Dodging exhausted climbers we made it to the base and decided to scope out the empty trail leading towards oak creek. For us, the true vortex energy was found sitting next to the riverbank enthroned in the stillness of the flowing water and colorful mountain birds. That was until two thunderous Air Force Ospreys flew over the canyon and rattled us back to society.
After our meditative journey by the riverside we got into our car and headed to the northern vortexes. We took a short detour to check out the iconic Chapel of the Holy Cross. The chapel’s futuristic design was inspired by art-deco masterpieces like the Empire State Building. Unlike its big-city muse, it’s surrounded by the breathtakingly dramatic hues of Sedona’s red rocks and desert flora.
Once we were satisfied with our short diversion, we headed north to Boynton Canyon. The trail snaked through the forested interior, past resorts and housing developments, and split into trails leading to the spiritually charged red-rock formations, the ruins of ancient cliff dwellings built over a thousand years ago, and the vista loop through the forested canyon. We spent most of our time scurrying up the three mile vista trail. The seemingly endless bigtooth maples, elms, and conifers beset us, framed by the bright red facades of the cliffs above. At the end, we stopped at the end-of-trail sign and gazed out into the canyon at our progress. The cold winter wind funneled in around us. This being the perfect picnic spot for hikers, we busted out our snacks and water and hung around watching the birds and gazing into the endless mixture of colors, like nature’s impression of a masterpiece by Vincent van Gogh.
An uninterrupted peaceful hour flew by until we packed up and headed out. Upon our way back, we winded around a corner hidden by low hanging junipers and came face to face with a male javelina. The stout boar-like creature stared at us with its dark soulless eyes. Our chance moment was interrupted by a stampede of javelinas of all sizes, racing by us like the Gallimimus’ of Jurassic Park, devouring spiny cactus’ and any other plant life that their bouldering blind bodies came across. We stood still and watched as the herd made their way off the trail. Hearts racing, we stood still for a while as the last chubby creature scurried away. Our eyes met and deep smiles of appreciation lept from our faces. Nature surely brought us into the present moment and it felt exhilarating.
With a little over an hour of daylight left, we charged south to the magnificent airport mesa trail. This was the perfect ending to our unexpected hiking adventure. As the clear desert skies darkened, a kaleidoscope of evening colors lit the cirrus clouds over the western horizon. We hiked up to the main vortex, a raised outcrop of smooth sandstone overlooking the entirety of Sedona’s landscape, and melted into the rock. At sunset, a collection of photographers, hikers, students, and elderly sat comfortably distanced, transfixed by the orange sky and purple mountains in front of them. This was easily one of the best sunsets we’ve ever witnessed.
A place’s spiritual energy, although unmeasurable, can be felt when it forces you to be in the moment. Time seems to slip by and you’re reminded that you and everyone else are still part of this ecosystem. Before our road trip we, like everyone else, were being pushed to our limits by jobs, responsibilities, and most of all pandemic related stress. We came here without expectations, or much of an itinerary other than letting the natural landscape be our guide for healing. The next few days we raced through trail-after-trail, up canyons and creeks, and explored the spaces like children on recess in the woods. We let an hour pass meditating in the Birthing Cave, scurried up the Devil’s Arch, and most importantly lost ourselves in each other’s company, embraced by one of the world’s greatest natural wonders and her many surprises. Sedona turned out to be the spiritual vortex that we needed.
What an awesome trip!