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Cathedral Rock is the most photographed formation in Sedona and the unofficial symbol of Red Rock Country. There are several vantage points that offer excellent views of this landmark, but the best way to experience it is from inside. The trail to the saddle between the vertical walls of Cathedral Rock is only 0.7 miles, but the last half climbs steeply up slickrock and requires Class 3 scrambling at several points. Cathedral Rock is one of Sedona's vortexes, but I felt nothing unusual during the half hour I spent in the saddle. While the vortex thing adds to the mystique of Sedona, it is a very new "phenomenon" and was made up by a New Ager in 1980; a far cry from the ancient red rocks that inspired the vortexes.
The snow that blanketed the area above 5000 feet had retreated to shady pockets and warm sun allowed us to walk around town in short sleeves. Compared to the weather earlier in the week, 60 degrees felt like summer.
The morning dawned clear and after breakfast we drove west out of town to the Brin's Mesa trailhead. Of the two approaches to Brin's Mesa, the west one offers fewer people and more stream crossings. Brin's Mesa overlooks Uptown Sedona and sits between Wilson Mountain and Coffee Pot Rock. Our hike was graced with warm sun and we had the ridge overlooking Sedona to
ourselves. Reagan go a kick out of running free and studying the prickly pear cactus that flourish on the mesa. A seasonal waterfall tumbled hundreds of feet off Wilson Mountain.
We made it down from Brin's Mesa just in time for Reagan's nap and some R&R for Mom and Dad. Nap time was followed by play time at Sunset Park where Reagan honed the art of climbing, sliding and chasing other toddlers. Only studying the vast array of tiny pebbles slowed her seemingly endless energy.
Our last day in Sedona was another winner with clear skies and a warm breeze. We drove to the top of Schenbly Road to climb Schnebly Hill. Our room at Sedona Cedars Resort looked out over Schnebly Hill from high above Oak Creek and it seemed like a natural climb. The hike was a steady slog following the old roadbed up toward the top of the mesa. The trail eventually turned muddy and required hopping from rock to rock to avoid the ankle deep ooze. This took plenty of concentration and was made much more challenging with Reagan in the backpack, so Angie decided to let her roam around in a nice dry grove of pines while Vince went on to the summit. Munds Mountain is one of the highest peaks in the Sedona area and stood clearly visible from the flat top of Schnebly Hill. The temptation to 
grab this high point was too much and while it was only an extra half mile, it was 500 vertical feet that included knee deep snow for several hundred feet of the trail. 
The view from the 6,800' summit was well worth the effort. That's Humphries Peak north of Flagstaff in the distance.
We made it back to town in time to unwind with lunch and some shopping before heading back to Phoenix for our early flight home on Sunday morning. Reagan is in her element when surrounded by people and things to watch. This giant bear in front of a candy shop held her attention for some time. We pulled off I-17 north of Phoenix at sunset to hike out into the forest of saguaro. Most of Arizona is public land and there was no shortage of locals taking advantage of their access that Saturday night. As I waited for the sun to set, it occurred to me that they would probably equally impressed by our thick, luscious green landscape. Thanks for reading.
