Sedona Arizona Red Rock/Verde
Valley Trip (January
through April)
Scheduled trips: Please contact us to schedule a custom trip!
Trip Cost: $1,400
with
$300 single supplement.
Welcome to the spellbinding
geological and riverside wonders of Sedona and the Verde River Valley, a
wonderful place to go for a walk - several, actually - in the abundance of
nature that only springtime in Arizona's Red Rock Country can provide!
The magnificence of central Arizona's Red Rock lands - some 500 square
miles - has been 330 million years in the making. From the Mogollon Rim, high on
the Colorado Plateau to the depths of Oak Creek Canyon (part of the Verde
watershed), we pass through a rich geologic record, very similar to that of the
upper Grand Canyon - with the colorful shale and limestone layers. Like pages
in a great book, these horizontal layers of rock strata tell stories of ancient
oceans and swamps, floodplains, vast deserts of sand, and violent volcanic
eruptions.
Based all four nights at a superb B&B (w/private baths) near the rural,
bird-abundant area known as Page Springs, in the lower Oak Creek drainage, our
small group is perfectly set to take advantage of the impressive trail system of
west Sedona, as well as the riparian "fingers" of willow-cottonwood and the
clean, freshwater ponds of the lower valley.
Add to these wonder walks amongst arches, hoodoos, and mesa tops, the
dual pleasures of sampling the local wines (yes, four vineyards in Page Springs)
and seeing the bountiful springtime songbirds and hummers at preserves - such as
the B&B-adjacent Bubbling Ponds and the Verde River's Tavasci Marsh,. We will
also be taking in walks, millennia-old "ruins", and rock art at contemplative
sites like Palatki, V-Bar-V, Tuzigoot, Agua Fria, and Montezuma Well.
The terrain and walking is up and down and all around, and the landscapes
in this semi-arid, high-desert area are as varied as they are wondrous:
riverside cottonwoods and cattails to red rock canyons and mesas; cliff-hugging
"ruins" of ancestral peoples (the Sinagua) to "hoodoos" and other erosional
wonders. Moderate to somewhat strenuous walking/hiking with sturdy boots
required at times. We will be walking 5-7 miles/day, with elevations in the
3500-5000' range. Average highs at 70, with lows in 40s.
The trip starting April 27th at 12:30pm in Sedona (Phoenix Airport
shuttle leaves@9am); ending 5/1 at 3pm at Phoenix Airport. All-inclusive price,
excludes airfare and optional gratuity. Deadline is 3/27/08. Airport: Phoenix.