After a wonderful week in the Sonoran Desert Amaris and Fox were wheels up towards Sedona after spending a few days hunting quail near the American / Mexican border. Traffic through Phoenix was minimal and within a few hours we were stopped in Sedona enjoying a beverage and $0.25 pool games at Bar before checking into Sedona Cedars Resort.
The next day started early and we were more than pleasantly surprised by the views of Sedona's red rocks being kissed by the morning light while Oak Creek whispered in the background. A quick to-go breakfast was picked up from The Secret Garden Cafe as work took up the morning. Once the calls slowed down a beer was enjoyed at the nearby Pump House Station and a plan was decided on for the afternoon. The decision was made to hike Bear Mountain, which is an aggressive five mile out and back with an ascent of 1,800 feet. As always, be sure to pack plenty of water, perhaps a couple of beers, and allow plenty of time to complete the hike based on the party's fitness level.
Due to work, our hike did not begin until 2:15pm and a slight detour at the beginning delayed the already late start. With the October sun setting at 5:30pm we know our pace would have to be quick as to not get stuck descending in the dark without head lamps. While the ascent was steep both of us felt strong and we made quick work upwards with a final charge of the final summit. The clock struck four and a few minutes later we were enjoying the stellar views from the top of Bear Mountain as the Arizona sun casted longer shadows on the desert. Beers were cracked as we took in the views and caught our breaths for a relaxing half hour before deciding it was time to beat the sunset down.
The return journey was significantly quicker and we got to the desert floor just as it was becoming difficult to find the trail. Amaris was convinced that another ten minutes and we would have been in trouble. Time was spent in the parking lot enjoying the sunset and absorbing the final minutes of daylight before hunger took over. A separate errand brought up close to the Sedona Beer Co. and we decided to have dinner there, which more than exceeded our expectations - highly recommend the food.
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