Another morning, another sunrise hike. I started my last day in Sedona by hiking Sugarloaf Mountain and the Sugarloaf loop trail. I started off a little before sunrise and enjoyed watching the faint glow on the red rocks as I made my way to the Sugarloaf summit.
The summit is only 250 feet high so it wasn’t a very long or hard climb. The top is fairly open with a few small trees and cacti. I sat on one of the rocks and watched the sun slowly illuminate the red rocks around me while a couple of hot air balloons took off in the distance. After coming down from the summit, I continued the Sugarloaf loop trail which provided even more stunning views of the surrounding landscape.
After my morning hike, I was ready for breakfast. I headed to Pump House Station and had eggs Benedict and a caramel latte.
Next up was a hike around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. There is a 4-mile loop trail that circles both rock formations located close to the Village of Oak Creek. The hike isn’t particularly difficult, just some ups and downs along the way. I followed the loop clockwise, first circling Bell Rock and then Courthouse Butte. I thought about climbing up Bell Rock, but couldn’t find good footing and just settled for the short loop spur on the lower part of the rock. The views from the trail were outstanding and the mostly clear blue skies made for a perfect morning hike.
After my hike, I went back to my hotel and relaxed for a little while before going for a walk around uptown Sedona. I needed to get a Christmas ornament (I also got one at the Grand Canyon yesterday) and a postcard for my classroom wall. And of course, I needed a little snack which came in the form of a scoop of malted vanilla ice cream. I read my book outdoors for a while and then put on my first non-hiking outfit of the trip and headed to Pisa Lisa for dinner. The only pizzas they serve are 14-inch, so I opted instead for a flatbread with cheese and a side of “mother sauce”. It was just as unmemorable as all of my other meals have been. After dinner, I took a drive down to the Village of Oak Creek to enjoy the late afternoon sun before heading back to my room to watch the sunset from my balcony. Tonight I have the fire going and am relaxing with a glass plastic cup of Bailey’s before heading to bed.
Traveling with Laura 