Weather: 67ยบ, sunny, breezy
About this Hike: Back in October of 2016 I attempted Vultee Arch via the Sterling Pass trailhead but failed to reach the red sandstone bridge. Sterling Pass is accessible from 89A just heading north out of downtown Sedona. The trailhead is not easy to find as it originates directly off this narrow, busy mountain pass. There is a wide soft shoulder for parking and a bigger parking area just south of the Manzanita Campground. The latter option––which I opted for––requires some careful walking on the narrow shoulders of 89A.
Sterling Pass goes up and over the mountain. It's a steep ascent and a equally steep descent. It was during this switch-backy descent that I chickened out in 2016. After consulting with some fellow hikers, I felt confident that I had been on the correct path and this year I was going to complete this hike. The temperatures were a lot better than in October. The underbrush wasn't as thick.
I made it down Sterling Pass and lo and behold, there was the Vultee Arch sign. Be careful here. I misinterpreted the sign as pointing me down Sterling Canyon trail further. In fact, there is a side trail up to the arch. I continued (mistakenly) down Sterling Canyon and ran into an older gentleman. I could tell he was frustrated when he asked me where the arch is. I said I believed it was down the trail further and he told me it was not and that if I wanted to see I should follow him. Put off by his attitude I didn't respond but instead consulted GPS. While a cell signal is non-existent out here, GPS still works, and these trails are mapped on Google Maps. Indeed, GPS revealed a side trail. I returned to the signed junction.
Getting up to the arch is no easy task. A lot of steep scrambling is involved. I've seen photos of people in the middle of the arch, but this is not Devil's Bridge. Vultee is suspended over a steep wash that drains into Sterling Canyon. You have to walk along a very narrow rock shelf in order to get onto the equally narrow arch/bridge. I was satisfied getting close to the arch and snapping plenty of photos. I ran into the older gentleman on the way down and wished him well as he too had found the correct trail now.
The arch completed, Sterling Canyon continued intriguing me. The arch isn't more than a two-and-a-half-mile hike from Sterling Pass, and it was still early in the day. I continued on. Sterling Canyon is ensconced by magnificent Sedona red rock cliffs. The canyon floor has a diversity of pines, scrub maple, gamble oak, and Arizona Cypress. Blue-gray and red rock-lined arroyos cross the trail.
Caught up in all this beauty, I ended up at the Vultee Arch Trailhead. This is only accessible via an old forest road. Further intrigued, I followed the forest road a ways down to Secret Canyon Trailhead. The name of this place has always enchanted me. Today I only hiked a brief way on Secret Canyon, so I can't give it a fair review.
I will say that I was evaluating the forest road as I walked along. My previous research indicated this road may be so rutted and bad that even my Xterra may not be suited for it. While I realize I didn't see all the road, the portion I did see makes me think that with careful driving my Xterra could handle this. I am already planning a Secret Canyon return trip when I cover the entire five miles into the canyon. On the way back along the forest road I ran into the older gentleman again, this time driving out in his Jeep.
This made for a long day of hiking––far longer than I anticipated for. Thankfully the weather was perfect and I was well-equipped with food and water. Looking forward to exploring this area more in the future.
About this Hike: Back in October of 2016 I attempted Vultee Arch via the Sterling Pass trailhead but failed to reach the red sandstone bridge. Sterling Pass is accessible from 89A just heading north out of downtown Sedona. The trailhead is not easy to find as it originates directly off this narrow, busy mountain pass. There is a wide soft shoulder for parking and a bigger parking area just south of the Manzanita Campground. The latter option––which I opted for––requires some careful walking on the narrow shoulders of 89A.
Sterling Pass goes up and over the mountain. It's a steep ascent and a equally steep descent. It was during this switch-backy descent that I chickened out in 2016. After consulting with some fellow hikers, I felt confident that I had been on the correct path and this year I was going to complete this hike. The temperatures were a lot better than in October. The underbrush wasn't as thick.
I made it down Sterling Pass and lo and behold, there was the Vultee Arch sign. Be careful here. I misinterpreted the sign as pointing me down Sterling Canyon trail further. In fact, there is a side trail up to the arch. I continued (mistakenly) down Sterling Canyon and ran into an older gentleman. I could tell he was frustrated when he asked me where the arch is. I said I believed it was down the trail further and he told me it was not and that if I wanted to see I should follow him. Put off by his attitude I didn't respond but instead consulted GPS. While a cell signal is non-existent out here, GPS still works, and these trails are mapped on Google Maps. Indeed, GPS revealed a side trail. I returned to the signed junction.Getting up to the arch is no easy task. A lot of steep scrambling is involved. I've seen photos of people in the middle of the arch, but this is not Devil's Bridge. Vultee is suspended over a steep wash that drains into Sterling Canyon. You have to walk along a very narrow rock shelf in order to get onto the equally narrow arch/bridge. I was satisfied getting close to the arch and snapping plenty of photos. I ran into the older gentleman on the way down and wished him well as he too had found the correct trail now.
The arch completed, Sterling Canyon continued intriguing me. The arch isn't more than a two-and-a-half-mile hike from Sterling Pass, and it was still early in the day. I continued on. Sterling Canyon is ensconced by magnificent Sedona red rock cliffs. The canyon floor has a diversity of pines, scrub maple, gamble oak, and Arizona Cypress. Blue-gray and red rock-lined arroyos cross the trail.
Caught up in all this beauty, I ended up at the Vultee Arch Trailhead. This is only accessible via an old forest road. Further intrigued, I followed the forest road a ways down to Secret Canyon Trailhead. The name of this place has always enchanted me. Today I only hiked a brief way on Secret Canyon, so I can't give it a fair review.
I will say that I was evaluating the forest road as I walked along. My previous research indicated this road may be so rutted and bad that even my Xterra may not be suited for it. While I realize I didn't see all the road, the portion I did see makes me think that with careful driving my Xterra could handle this. I am already planning a Secret Canyon return trip when I cover the entire five miles into the canyon. On the way back along the forest road I ran into the older gentleman again, this time driving out in his Jeep.
This made for a long day of hiking––far longer than I anticipated for. Thankfully the weather was perfect and I was well-equipped with food and water. Looking forward to exploring this area more in the future.
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