Exploring Wet Beaver Creek Trail

After moving back to Arizona from the year-round temperate climate of Southern California, it was a shock to my system to say the least, when I re-experienced the hot, broiling Arizona summer heat. I essentially locked myself indoors and like a bear, fed and hibernated all summer plus a month or two. With the temperatures finally starting to slightly dip from unbearable to “must go outside and get sunshine,” I finally woke from my long summer’s nap to head into the great outdoors, get some exercise and get off the weight put on during hiberation. So off to the Wet Beaver Creek Trail I went.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a huge nature and hiking enthusiast. Of course, if you follow my blog you would know that I am an avid outdoor photographer and that environmental preservation is one of my passions, among other things.

So, with the summer equinox and fall finally upon us, I was invited on a hike with friends to a beautiful location just outside of Sedona, AZ in to a place called the “Wet Beaver Creek Trail”, not to be confused with the “Dry Beaver Creek Trail.” Upon being promised it was a relatively easy 8-mile round-trip hike, I donned camera and headed out with our group. To the rest, the weather was mild and beautiful at around 80-85 degrees, but to me, sweltering with little shade along the route. Thank God for visors and sunscreen!

The hike was not as easy as anticipated, but made for a superb workout and great stories afterwards, including: a few slips into the creek, lost beloved Ray Ban sunglasses, the mandatory jump from 25-40 foot cliffs and so on. The way out was quite confusing as we stumbled along trying to follow the lower Bell Trail, only to come to a dead-end along the creek and forced up a deer trail through prickly, bramble bushes back to the more difficult upper trail. All-in-all it was a great day filled with fun and adventure. My favorite parts of the day were finding the joyful smiling rock with his little rock buddy and the beautiful dragonfly who blessed us with her presence as we headed home. It’s easy to overlook these pieces of macro nature, but to me, nature is alive and living and a part of us and she speaks to me through pictures.