I've been struggling a little bit lately with what I can only describe as some sort of "Social Anxiety"...i.e: I hate everyone. I've been taking extreme measures lately to get the hell away from everyone, and I figure that since I live in an Outdoorsman's wet dream, I should utilize it to it's fullest.
I woke up this morning feeling like I had been run over by a semi-truck and I had a splitting headache. I had gone kayaking with some friends on Thursday morning, and my traps were killing me from that. Then last night, I put a few coats of polyurethane on our new pallet patio furniture which requires standing and squatting in some very awkward, unnatural positions for a couple of hours. That, accompanied by moving said patio furniture around a few dozen times, the adjustment of our umbrella and the general cleanup and sweeping of the patio resulted in quite the sensation when I woke up this morning. Luckily, at 6 am sharp, Sam got up and made a pot of coffee, so I had something to get out of bed for. We sipped it out on the patio and talked about our plans for the day. Sam had to work, and I wanted to go hiking desperately, but I was in such pain, I wasn't sure if I'd make it. I looked toward the North though, and the cloud cover and steady breeze made their argument, so I changed, packed up, and headed to the Village.
I've been hiking at least twice a week now for a few months...the weather is usually pretty perfect if you leave early enough, but the humidity is pretty brutal. I like to try new trails and explore a little bit when I go out, so I figured that I was drive through the Village and stop at the first parking area that I hadn't ever parked in. There's always a map at the trail head, and I could figure out where I wanted to go once I got there.
I stopped at the Bell Rock parking area, got my situation all sorted out and started down the wide, tourist-packed pathway towards Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte Loop. I'd never tried that trail before and it didn't seem too long - maybe 4 miles, and then it would drop me back at the parking area when I was finished...perfect! I passed a few ladies on my way, enjoyed the scenery, took pictures and soaked in the silence and the 84 degree weather.
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| I attempted to make my way up to the tippy-top of this strange formation, but it was so steep that I was concerned I wouldn't be able to get back down again..so I just went up about 3/4 of the way and took a few pictures |
I continued on my journey and soon realized that I was heading away from the parking area and Courthouse Butte...in fact, I was headed in the complete opposite direction that I was supposed to be aiming for. The problem with hiking on many trails in Sedona is that much of the trails aren't actually trails at all...they are just solid rock that you are traversing. That fact is compounded by the fact that it's monsoon season, so following footsteps is pretty difficult. Many times, you're literally just following a wash up the mountain, and have no idea at what point you are supposed to get out of the wash and back onto a trail, and whomever is in charge of marking the trails has failed miserably at that task. I would come upon a huge plateau of rock and then couldn't quite figure out where the trail picked back up again on the other side. Eventually, I'd find what looked like a trail, and follow it as long I could before I lost it again.
At this point, about 2 hours had passed, and I was still headed deep into a canyon that was nowhere near the "Loop" that I was supposed to be following. There were no other hikers around, so I couldn't ask if I was going to meet back up with the main trail at any point...I was on my own. Then, I started to hear little cracks of thunder, just what you want to hear when you're following a wash into a canyon. I was actually starting to get nervous, and turned my phone off so I could conserve battery power in case I really needed help finding my way out. I was getting pretty deep into the woods, the terrain was changing and I still couldn't really find any footprints to follow. Except for one set. Of hooves.
Now, I haven't ever actually seen a Javelina...except for squashed on the side of the road or grazing in somebody's front yard at night. Never in person, face to face...and I've heard they can be pretty grumpy little critters. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has noticed the resemblance between the name "Javelina" and the word "Javelin". They are basically Sedona's version of a wild boar, and I have no interest in actually encountering one.
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| Google's Version of the Wily Beast |
I love the outdoors and exploring and nature and all of that, but I'm not a fan of animals in general, especially the ones we have around here, and sometimes I forget that they are here because I've never actually seen anything. But some fresh poop and defined hoof prints were all I needed to constitute myself "scared s&#%less". The last thing I needed at a time like this was to be run down and gored by a wild boar, armed with nothing but my chapstick and car keys. I made sure I stepped carefully and listened carefully for what I assume would be some sort of snorting noise (I have no idea what kind of sound they make). Luckily, no Javalina crossed my path.
As the thunder continued to strike and sporadic raindrops started to fall, I made the executive decision to head back towards the way I had come...though I wasn't entirely sure which way that was. I just looked toward Courthouse and Bell Rock and pointed that direction, hoping for the best. As I continued on my way, I finally heard some voices, and I've got to say, I've never been so happy to hear the voices of strangers while out in the wild. I followed the voices until I came upon a little family who confirmed that the trail I was on lead back to the Bell Rock parking area. Hallelujah! Who knows, maybe this adventure of mine was meant to teach me that having people around may not necessarily be such a bad thing all the time! I turned my phone back on and started to enjoy the scenery once again.
All in all, it took me about 4 hours to complete my little excursion...and I still have no idea where I went wrong. It's kind of tough when you're hiking on a Loop to make the decision to turn back the way you came or just keep going in hopes of it leading you where it promised. I'm so thankful that it wasn't hot and sunny though...that would have been absolutely miserable. Once I got back to the car, I hit up the drive-thru and Wendy's, texted Sam to confirm that I was alive and well, and came home to sit down and not get back up again for a loooong time :)