Devils Bridge Hike

Day 2 we planned to hike to Devils Bridge just outside Sedona.  So many beautiful hikes in the Sedona area it can be hard to chose. This made the Top 10 list and was said to be a moderate hike.  We started out and it was a beautiful trail.  Wide, easy to navigate with not a lot of elevation change and only 4 miles out and back.  That all changed at the end of the trail.  It was basically straight up with a rock staircase to navigate.  One misstep and it was going to be a very painful bounce down the rocks.  The youngsters on the trial were hopping up the rock steps with no fear.  Us not so much.  

We had Charli with us and at one point I let her go as I didn’t want to get tangled in her leash.  When I got to one of the plateaus there was no Charli to be found.  I wasn’t sure if she had gone up the second tier of the rock ladder or had bounded off the plateau into oblivion.  After calling her for a few minutes she came bounding back through some trees, happy as can be.  

Lori and Charli stayed put as I navigated the second tier.  I’m not sure that was the wise thing to do but I was told we were almost there.  I did get to the top, took some pictures and then it was time for the even more perilous trek down.  Much of that was on my ass, sliding from one rock to another.  A father behind us kept telling his 8 year old to slow down and not rush the old people in front of them.  Ok he didn’t actually say “old people” but I knew what he meant.  We did stop for lunch on the trail and picked a nice quiet spot on some rocks.  Turns out the spot we picked was also the natural route for the bikers, who also use the trail, to climb out of the riverbed up to the level trail above.  We got some nasty looks but we were too tired to care. 

Just the usual views in Sedona.  Ho Hum.

Trails complete with road signs.
The trails are all pretty well marked with rock cairns  

Some hikers make building the cairns a competition

Lori and Charli after ascending the first rock ladder.
Thats as far as they went.  

The view was fantastic.

Devils Bridge.  This is what we risked life and limb to see.
I was surrounded by hikers taking pictures of their partners on the bridge.
I managed to get this shot between people doing silly poses. 

On our way back to the trail head.

That was it for day 2.  It was time to get back to the camp site, open a beer, pour a glass of wine and be thankful we were still alive.  Lori managed to pull a muscle in her leg and days later she is still feeling it.