3 Forks, 3 Creatures, 3 Lessons
This week I completed a hike I have wanted to do for a long time, the Subway in Sedona. Sedona, AZ is such a lovely town that always boosts my spirit and leaves me feeling hopeful and in awe. I love the vibes, friendly people and great food.
I woke up early to get the drive in and hopefully get a parking spot at the trailhead. Even for a weekday, I knew this would be a challenge given how popular it is there. My dog was a bit anxious on the way and I couldn’t seem to figure out what for. When we finally arrived, we went straight to the trailhead and the parking lot was full. Luckily, there was plenty of people parking down the road which would not extend our hike as much. With better planning, I may have taken the town shuttle, which is encouraged to use and is free.
This is a beautiful hike. I followed instructions from www.thenatureseeker.com, link below.
The hike starts out pretty flat and very scenic, of course. We were blessed by a beautiful butterfly that stuck around long enough for me to decide that I may as well take a video of it.
The cues for turnoffs were very helpful. I caught the crocodile tree turn but I almost missed the other one but there were some people around pointing out the right way. Since I have been misled before, I checked the instructions to make sure they matched the source and was grateful for the cues. I missed the next turn because the trail moves off in many different directions. So, if this happens, you will hit a dead end and turn back. I caught the right trail again thanks to some hikers that were coming up it on the other side of the small canyon. It was an option I had missed coming up because of the many forks. I was going to head back at that point and give up for not finding it. We made it right below the subway. What did not help was there was a man that was saying there was another way. There is not. From what I could tell there is one way to see the ruins and petroglyphs and only one way to get to the subway. If I listened to him I would have ended up in all sorts of trouble. Not everyone has your best interest at heart.
There is a little bit of scrambling at that point but me and the dog were able to do it. My dog impressed some people when she walked up it like a goat! Again, I thought I was going to have to give up being right below it. I did not want to leave doggie below while I climbed up, even though there were many people around. Some people ahead of me were talking about getting up and the challenge and I was not sure I would be able to make it if they were having issues. I sat in the shade, waited for the traffic to go down and thought about if I would care or not if I didn’t get there and was right below. I decided to wait a bit, then I could see for myself if I was capable of doing it. This has proved to be a good way of handling obstacles in my life right now. Just wait.
After traffic went down from the scramble, I had a look and saw that it was going to be much easier than I thought. It is quite beautiful up there and quite magical. Taking a picture at the end is not for those with fear of heights. the people I was in the subway with were some of the kindest people I have met in a long time. Just normal kind, offering to take the picture, taking turns without needing a prompt, happy to have all made it on the hike. This was really the biggest surprise of the hike.
https://thenatureseeker.com/how-to-hike-to-the-subway-cave-in-sedona-very-simple-guide/
On the way back we got a surprise of some wild pigs! This nearly scared me right to my core because I didn’t know what the sound was in the bushes. I am happy to say I had the right reaction which was to protect my dog and get something to scare it away. Luckily, they ran off. It seemed to be a mommy and some young pigs.
A few moments later a fawn stood about 10 feet in front of us on the trail. It did not seem to be afraid, had a big black nose. I stopped, said hello, waited for it to move. It seemed to be very curious of us and didn’t want to go. I took a video of it and asked it to move along.
The last bit seemed to go on a long time and doggie was getting tired so I carried her a bit. We saw another cute doggie headed up on the trail and said a quick hello. I was getting tired at that point but in hindsight, those are the times to chat a bit longer if the feeling is mutual. Generally, hikers are my people and how often am I going to get the opportunity to be in the same place as them. Total time, including rest, took us 3 hours and 15 minutes including the breaks and about 6 miles since we started a bit back.
This must have been a typo but gas prices were a dollar cheaper. I didn’t understand this as Sedona is a more expensive town to live in, but I don’t make the rules. I filled the tank.
There are a lot of people in the world that want peace. They are the kind strangers helping to find the way. If you haven’t been somewhere you can trust your instincts and directions but it is so nice to have people around that want you to succeed.
Next time I go back I am going to take the shuttle, enjoy being driven around and appreciate the company that people in Sedona and traveling to Sedona have to offer. It is just a sunny place!
#333hike
#sedonasubway
#spreadkindness
#natureheals
#hikesedona