Twisty Things & Other Stuff – Sedona, AZ
I recently returned from a camping trip in Sedona, AZ. It’s one of my favorite places, and it had been far too long since my last visit. After looking forward to this trip for several weeks, a wildfire broke out in Oak Creek Canyon on May 20, 2014. Our campground was shut down, the road into the canyon was closed, and people were evacuated. After much contemplation, my friend and I decided to go anyway. We were able to find another campground that hadn’t been affected by the fire, and another route into Sedona, AZ.
It was a vacation of contrasts, to say the least… It was one of the most peaceful I’ve had in a long time, and one that ended with a traumatic injury. I slipped while hiking, tried to save my camera, and ended up plowing face first into a small boulder. Thankfully nothing was broken, however, I did end up with a concussion. It’s been three weeks since the fall, and a very slow recovery.
In the end, the fire was finally contained on June 4, 2014… 21,227 acres had burned.
We arrived at Lo Lo Mai Springs Campground and were happy to find a tent site right along Oak Creek.
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After we set up camp, we headed into Sedona, AZ. This quickly put things into perspective. Signs of gratitude were everywhere.
The next morning we woke up to the smell of a campfire… Not a good sign since they had been banned countywide! The wind had shifted, and smoke from the wildfire was hanging low over our campground. Air quality was poor, so we went back into town to find some sort of air masks. We ended up with bandanas and goggles!
The smoke was so bad, we decided to go kayaking on the Verde River. We met up with the Sedona Adventure Tours team for a three hour guided tour. These guys are awesome, and the tour was tons of fun!
Thankfully the smoke shifted and we were able to go hiking. We chose the Bell Rock Path.
The higher you climb up on Bell Rock, the more twisted the juniper trees become from the vortex energy.
The views in Sedona are phenomenal.
After a four hour hike at Bell Rock, we headed over to the Airport Mesa Vortex. We wanted to grab a couple more photos, and it was a quick hike to the top.
I was just about at the bottom, when I started sliding on some loose dirt. I landed face first into a small boulder, and my faced swelled up like an inflated balloon! I also had multiple scrapes, and cuts on my legs and arms.
Thankfully the hospital was close, so I was able to get to Emergency Room quickly. By the time I got there, I couldn’t even remember my last name!
The official diagnosis was a concussion. Thankfully nothing was broken, except my sun glasses, and a camera lens.
It definitely was not a good way to end the trip!
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