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| Hiking | 7.00 Miles |
850 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.00 Miles | | | |
| 850 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | First of all, this hike is Fay Canyon--Arch excluded! Secondly, I did it over two days, Friday and again on Monday. I've been reading "Secret Sedona" by Larry Lindahl, who I heard speak a couple years ago about his ruin hunting and photography in the Sedona area. One of the chapters mentions Fay Canyon and a ruin he called "Waterfall House". His writing is poetic, captivating, motivating and has just a few hints on where to hunt.
Day 1: Beautiful day for hiking with almost 60 degree weather. I made quick time past the arch trail to the fork at 1.4 miles. Which way to go today--left or right? I have never gone to the left, so up the scree to the base of the cliffs. The other side of this canyon was in shadow, with snow and ice remaining on the red rocks. Little by little, then louder and more frequently, the ice cracked and fell, bouncing off the ledges and sometimes knocking rocks loose. I'm glad I was on the sunny side where the ice had already fallen. The trail follows the cliffs and in and out of overhangs. There is an area where the trail has been wiped out from an ice fall that has taken down a pine tree and the manzanita, which resulted in many scratches on my arms while diving through to get back to the trail. Around corners, down a steep ravine and up the other side, I followed the trail to another large overhang where I got cliffed out. Had I been with other people I probably would have tried to climb up to the next level, but thoughts of GPS Joe were nagging at the sane parts of my ego. The views were beautiful, but not a ruin in sight! Larry's clues fit the trail, but no luck here. I made my way back to the fork in the trail and decided that since I had another hour of hiking time in me, I'd go up the right fork. I've been there before, about 2 years ago when I wrecked my ankle sliding on wet sandstone. After another 30 minutes up the trail, I decided to turn around--had to get to Red Rock Crossing for sunset. I made good time back to the trailhead and got my sunset pics, too.
Day 2: Determined to search out the ruin, I returned to Fay Canyon and took the "right" trail to the ruin at the end of the trail. Larry's description doesn't totally match this ruin, so I searched farther, investigating cracks and crevices for a way up. I really should take up rock climbing! I don't know of the little ruin at the end of the trail is "Waterfall House", but it could be it. The snowmelt was cascading down several pouroffs right over the ruin, resulting in sparkly drops landing on the pinons below. I guess I'll never know.....
The trail was popular with tourists today--I had to re-direct some of them to the Arch Trail and warn most of them that the trail was not at all improved, very steep, and not suitable for everyone! |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
