Posted by Austin Booth on September 14, 2009 at 3:56 PM
This is a followup of my previous post about me being in Sedona for one day next friday and I am trying to make the best of it in the limited time I have. So this is the Itinerary I've made so far. I'm open to suggestions so please let me know what you think.
1st stop - West Fork Trail. Hopefully it won't be too crowded as its past labor day now so there won't be quite as many tourists because kids are back in school and we will be there on a weekday morning.
2nd stop - Slide Rock State Park. Time to cool off after that 3 mile hike we just did. My girlfriend is really looking forward to this one. Maybe there are some worthwhile photo ops here too?
3rd stop - The town of Sedona. My girlfriend likes to look at little shops so this is for her so the whole day isn't just about me taking photos.
4th stop - undecided and whether or not this stop happens depends on how much time we have until sunset.
5th stop - Red Rock Crossing. Time to get that iconic shot of Cathedral Rock. I know, I know a million people have done this shot before but I want my chance at it too, maybe I'll find a way to be more creative with it and make it unique in one way or another.
Well thats my plan for Friday. Depending on how much time all of this takes I do still need some suggestions for other areas to explore that are accessible by car or a short hike so that I can kill some time before sunset. I may also attempt to get some star trails shots at night. After all that I have one more stop to make in the morning...
6th stop - I am planning on getting up for sunrise before we leave Saturday morning but haven't decided where to go yet. I'd like a sweeping panoramic vista if there are any good ones which are easily accessible by passenger car and won't require me to hike too far in the dark before the sun rises. I was thinking of heading north to the Oak Creek Canyon Viewpoint which I originally planned on doing friday morning to start things off but that would have meant I would have had to leave for Sedona around 3:30am to get the full sunrise show. It looks like a great view of Oak Creek Canyon but doesn't have views of the red rock buttes which I would like to shoot if possible. So if anyone has any suggestions for an easily accessible panoramic view of the red rocks around sedona please share your knowledge with me otherwise I'll probably just do the Oak Creek Canyon Viewpoint. Thank you.
Posted by Laurent Baig on September 14, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Busy day.
If you need more, I'd recommend Sedona Hikes by the Mangums. They've got a pretty comprehensive description of hikes in the area. BTW, you won't be too warm doing the West Fork trail. It's three miles through pines and maples and towering coconino sandstone cliffs. It'll probably be mid morning by the time the sun gets in there (probably 9:30-10am). I'd take a long sleeve, it might be cool.
Posted by Kurt Budde on September 17, 2009 at 9:40 PM
That's a hell of a lot to do in a day.
When I lived there I would devote *entire* days to the West Fork alone. FYI, it's 3 miles one way - and fall colors are already showing high up in there.
Discussion
2 replies1st stop - West Fork Trail. Hopefully it won't be too crowded as its past labor day now so there won't be quite as many tourists because kids are back in school and we will be there on a weekday morning.
2nd stop - Slide Rock State Park. Time to cool off after that 3 mile hike we just did. My girlfriend is really looking forward to this one. Maybe there are some worthwhile photo ops here too?
3rd stop - The town of Sedona. My girlfriend likes to look at little shops so this is for her so the whole day isn't just about me taking photos.
4th stop - undecided and whether or not this stop happens depends on how much time we have until sunset.
5th stop - Red Rock Crossing. Time to get that iconic shot of Cathedral Rock. I know, I know a million people have done this shot before but I want my chance at it too, maybe I'll find a way to be more creative with it and make it unique in one way or another.
Well thats my plan for Friday. Depending on how much time all of this takes I do still need some suggestions for other areas to explore that are accessible by car or a short hike so that I can kill some time before sunset. I may also attempt to get some star trails shots at night. After all that I have one more stop to make in the morning...
6th stop - I am planning on getting up for sunrise before we leave Saturday morning but haven't decided where to go yet. I'd like a sweeping panoramic vista if there are any good ones which are easily accessible by passenger car and won't require me to hike too far in the dark before the sun rises. I was thinking of heading north to the Oak Creek Canyon Viewpoint which I originally planned on doing friday morning to start things off but that would have meant I would have had to leave for Sedona around 3:30am to get the full sunrise show. It looks like a great view of Oak Creek Canyon but doesn't have views of the red rock buttes which I would like to shoot if possible. So if anyone has any suggestions for an easily accessible panoramic view of the red rocks around sedona please share your knowledge with me otherwise I'll probably just do the Oak Creek Canyon Viewpoint. Thank you.
If you need more, I'd recommend Sedona Hikes by the Mangums. They've got a pretty comprehensive description of hikes in the area. BTW, you won't be too warm doing the West Fork trail. It's three miles through pines and maples and towering coconino sandstone cliffs. It'll probably be mid morning by the time the sun gets in there (probably 9:30-10am). I'd take a long sleeve, it might be cool.
When I lived there I would devote *entire* days to the West Fork alone. FYI, it's 3 miles one way - and fall colors are already showing high up in there.