Letterboxing in Sedona

This morning I woke up at 5:00am - don't ask me why, I didn't even set an alarm - I just woke up. I decided to get up and get things ready and start my drive to Sedona early. So after getting the car loaded I checked out of the hotel and hit the road. I kind of enjoyed the early drive - the roads weren't crowded and I could enjoy the morning. When I arrived in Sedona it seemed like the town was just waking up, a few cars on the road but still some places were closed. 
I decided to start my day with a hike to look for Azroadie's Quercus letterbox. When I arrived at the parking lot for the Huckaby Trail I was the only car. I read the clues for the letterbox and found the trail and began my hike. The first part of the trail was pretty flat and easy. One thing I liked about this trail was that it was well marked and maintained. After a little way the trail descends into a semi-deep wash and then ascends on the other side. Once I was out of the wash I was suppose to look for bench on the right and then count a certain number of steps. Not long out of the wash I came upon a bench on the left, so I reread the clues to make sure I was looking for a bench on the right, which I was. But I decided to do the steps from this bench just to check it out. After taking the number of steps I didn't find the social trail I was looking for (and the clues stated it was about a 30 minute walk and I hadn't been out there that long) so I continued on. I walked for a little over an hour and never saw a bench on the right. So I decided to turn around and head back, disappointed that I missed an Azroadie box. As I made my way back I kept my eyes open for the bench but I also looked for all social trails I could find. Nothing panned out and returned to my car at the trail head. I didn't get the box but the hike was beautiful. You get some great views of Sedona and Oak Creek so the hike wasn't a total loss. I will try again for this box the next time I am in this area. I hadn't really had any breakfast (just a Cliff Bar and some water so I decided to go have an early lunch. I didn't want anything heavy - I was hot and tired from the hike so I thought a salad would be good. I went to a place called ChocolaTree that I had read about. When I looked at the menu I decided on a Avocado Herb Sandwich (creamy herb pate, tomato, avocado, red onion, clover spouts, seasonal greens on onion flat bread) instead of a salad and an Iced Chai. It was perfect. Something cool and light. As I left I picked up some chocolate for later on.

The next part of my day entailed a drive up Oak Creek Canyon along Hwy 89A. I took my time enjoying all the beautiful scenery and of course made stops to find letterboxes. During the drive I stopped at a pullout at mile marker 382, Call of the Canyon/West Fork Trailhead, Cave Springs Campground and Oak Creek Vista. At these stops I found the following boxes . . . Buddhist Dharmachakra, Riders of the Purple Sage, Apple Seeds and Oak Leaves, Love in Sedona and Made from Recycled Materials. The canyon is beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the drive and even though there was lots of traffic it wasn't bad - it just gave me more time to enjoy the area. Back in Sedona I drove up Airport Road to a scenic overlook to find a box and enjoy the view. I didn't find the box but the view was incredible. I then made my way over to Posse Grounds Park to find Agent N's Determined Skier. I found the box (which is a camo bag) and it was chewed through to the inside. So when I finished stamping in I made sure to add a couple of new baggies to protect the contents and then I rehid it. By this time I was getting tired and there were still a few boxes to find so I prioritized the boxes and decided to try for two around Red Rock Crossing. I first stopped at a pullout to find a box by Mr. Lego Man. I am not sure if I was just tired or if the box is missing but I didn't find it. And I didn't have the energy to start at the beginning and try again. So I got back in the car and drove to Red Rock Crossing. Here I took the paved path which turns right toward the creek and turns to dirt. As I turned I looked across the creek and the area was covered with cairns. I thought it was amazing. I took a few pictures and then continued on following the clues for Silver Eagle's Red Rock Crossing. This was my first time to the area and the views are amazing. I quickly found the box and stamped in and then replaced the box so that I could just sit and enjoy the area. I spent 30 minutes just looking up at Cathedral Rock and listening to the water rushing over the rocks. It was so relaxing and a great way to end the day.

I left Red Rock Crossing and made the short drive to Cottonwood and checked into the hotel. By this time I was too tired to even think about dinner - I ended up just eating a few snacks I had with me. Now that this is done I can get some sleep so I can be rested for tomorrow.