The Amblers hike on Jan. 12 visited the Canyon of Fools. Actually, we only used the Canyon of Fools trail as a starting point for a lollipop hike that visited Mescal Mountain and the Yucca Loop. Our 3.5-mile adventure had a modest elevation gain of about 300 feet.
After parking at the pull-offs on either side of Boynton Canyon Road, we broke into two groups. One was led by Jim Meade and the other by Jon Petrescu. The tailgaters were Sara Stiffler and Teri Petrescu, respectively. Although the hike was pretty straightforward, the leaders always do a good job of scouting it several days before to ensure it is safe and passable. The tailgaters’ job is to make sure we arrive back at the trailhead with the same number of hikers with which we left.
The Canyon — apparently only fools call it that — is more like a gully with high sides with tree roots sticking out. We were told it used to be a cow path. As the cows tromped it down, the waters came along and worked their magic. By the looks of it, the erosion is still going on. It had been muddy, but was mostly dry by the time we got there.
We headed down the gully and crossed several drainages from Mescal Mountain. They looked like mini-washes, or maybe gullies. As Matt Roberts, founder of Flagline trails, had explained at that night’s Sedona Westerners’ monthly meeting, the drainage crossings formed a little down and up, to let the water through without ruining the trail.
From the Canyon of Fools trail we saw Doe Mesa and the other side of Cockscomb, which did not look like a cock’s comb because all of the spires were invisible from that angle. Ahead of us was a beautiful view of Mescal Mountain. We moved on toward the big concave section, the Amphitheater, which we were told looked like, well, a natural amphitheater.
Sure enough, the Mescal Trail took us up to the Amphitheater, where we followed the path along the rim. Although the view of the ledge from a distance made it look steep, it was not that narrow and provided a wonderful walking path. In one spot we came across a forest of ocotillos, which must look spectacular in the spring with their orange and sometimes red and yellow blooms. Not much else was blooming on this hike, given the season. We found a lovely break spot down in the bowl of the Amphitheater, with room to spread out, and lots of rocks on which to perch and enjoy the views of Thunder Mountain in the distance.
Oddly, we encountered no bikes on the trails, although they showed signs of recent traffic — tread marks in the hardened mud — and the trail had been prepared for mountain bikes. The signs “difficult” and “moderate” were meant for bikers, not hikers. Accordingly, on the Mescal Trail, we took the “difficult” path.
After traversing the Amphitheater we joined the Yucca Trail, heading down the hill to rejoin the Canyon of Fools and return to our vehicles.
The Sedona Westerners always welcome new members. We have hikes multiple days of the week for all abilities. If you are interested in joining the club, please visit our website at sedonawesterners.org. You will find an interesting history, the whole season’s list of planned hikes, and a handy membership link. It only takes five minutes to sign up and start your new adventures here in the red rocks.
Sedona Westerners, written this week by Sara Stiffler, appears every Friday in the Sedona Red Rock News.
