Our initial destination was the Slide Rock State Park just north of Sedona. This is a great little park in the valley of Oak Creek. We came in from the north to avoid the Gatlinburg like congestion of Sedona. The drive down the canyon to the the Sate Park was great. The valley is awesome with the road hugging the cliffs and cruising around the switchbacks is always fun.
We wanted to do a hike up Sterling Pass before we toured the Park. The trail head is about a half mile down the road from the State Park entrance. This hike was a real stairmaster. It is very steep going up a red rock canyon to a "low" spot in the white rock that sits on top of the red. There is much evidence that a wild fire has occurred in this canyon in the recent past. All the Ponderosa Pines are black up the trunk with many of them dead. We saw many of the lizard natives on the way up and down.
The views back down the trail to the Oak Creek canyon were spectacular. We were a little disappointed that the pass at the top did not yield a better view down into the valley on the back side. There were quite a few trees up there that did not afford a good view.
After we went up and down on the Sterling Pass Trail, we headed back to the Slide Rock State Park. My brother had introduced me to this park several years back. It is a nice family oriented park for picnicking and swimming, when the water is warm. We hiked up the river to check out the rocks and the stream. I think the water was about 50 degrees.
The cliffs and the river are nice to hike in. There are huge boulders that have washed down the stream bed in the past. The best part is the smoothly eroded "slide" that is the real attraction here. If you can brave the water the ride looks like great fun.
On our drive back south, we took the detour to Verde River Hot Springs. I "discovered" this hot spring on the web when Julie mentioned she wanted to go to a hot spring while she was in Arizona. I always give her what she wants.
This one has a great history. It was established back in the 1920's as a resort. The resort was built around the springs and now provides the pools that you soak in. These were made of poured concrete and had the inlets and outlets to provide a stable level and two different temperatures.
The journey just to get to the hot springs is a tale. From I17 you head east on AZ260. After about ten miles a Forest Service road heads south. The trail description told us we had about 20 miles of bad road. They were right! The first half is used extensively by cattle ranchers to reach their grazing lands. This has resulted in heavy washboard of the road surface. Then the road gets worse. It really just meant that we had to go slow and revel in the scenery. At one point we came upon a large bull that seemed to want to get friendly, and I mean really friendly, with our car. He must have liked the color. We also observed another car down the embankment that seemed to now be there permanently.
After running the road gauntlet succesfully, the last hurdle to the Hot Springs is a short hike from a small campground. The hike is about a mile long upstream to a river crossing. The trail begins at an old hydro-power plant that is in the process of being dismantled and the area restored to its natural state. This was easy at the time we did it due to the low water level. There was evidence in the brush and trees along the river that the water can get very high.
Our trail description told us to look across the river to find two lone palm trees. These are some of the remains of the resort that can be seen easily from the far side of the river. Due to the vegetation it is difficult to see the other remains.
After getting across the river, the excitement level goes really high. It was kind of amazing we found the place and it actually existed. As you hike the last hundred yards the old ruins and the actual hot pools come into view. It would have been a great place to escape to back in its day.
As we came around the corner of what appeared to be a large concrete main plaza, the hot pools appear. It happened to be strewn with rafts and camping gear. Two guys were in the middle of a one hundred mile rafting journey down the Verde River and this was their second night out. They were great company and a real source of history as they have lived in the area for quite some time.
The pools themselves are unique. Two different pools give two separate experiences. An outdoor pool built out from the rocks with poured concrete is the "cooler" of the two pools. This is out on a large concrete deck about thirty feel above the river. The other pool, which, Julie thought was about 103 degrees, is inside a rock room. It appears to have had a roof and a door at one time but is now open to the sky.
The art work that adorns the inside of the "room" is incredible! The art is quite elaborate and extensive. The campers mentioned there were many "hippies" that frequented the hot springs that took care of the pools, cleaning and decorating. At times it is obvious there may be a distinct lack of bathing attire also.
Alas, as the sun was going down we decided we better tear ourselves out of the hot pools and start our journey back over the 20 miles of bad road. The sunset was really nice but we had to get going. It would have been great to camp there and be able to stay at the springs into the dark of night and see the stars.
The drive out of the canyon in the Subaru was slow but easy. We came upon several people heading in to the springs as we were heading out. One couple was in a Saturn and were planning on staying overnight to go in the hot springs in the morning.
We did see two large black cows in the brush next to the road as we drove out. It is mostly all open range on the road so you have to pay attention.
As we came around one of the ridge turns the lights of Camp Verde came into view and we knew we were almost to the end of the bad road.
It was worth every second! This was a long, and varied day, but the journey was great. From high to low, cold water to hot, bad mountain road to Interstate Highway, many contrasts. We will be back!
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