Honanki and Loy Canyon

This is the Trip of the Ancient Peoples. And to that end we are trying to visit as many pictograph and petroglyphs (yes, there is a difference. You can look it up yourself. Sort of like the difference between tremolo and vibrato.) So for our first hike outside of Sedona (since the Forest Service has closed V Bar V (thanks Nate Bechle)) we visited Honanki. 

 We had to drive 10 miles on dirt roads (thank goodness for rental cars) and it was very bumpy. 

But we got to see things like this:


and this:
and this:
and this:
Sadly, there was a "Pink Jeep Tour" there at the same time, and the tour guides were saying things like "Well, nobody has any idea what these mean, but we think it has to do with the vortex" or something equally silly. But, being the big tent guy I am, I let it all slide.

But after that (which was great, pink off road vehicles notwithstanding) we went an hiked the Loy Canyon Wilderness Area (No motorized equipment allowed!) and it was great.

We went about 4.5 miles or so, starting here:


Doreen spotted an unmarked Sinaguan ruin in the cliffs. I think we were the first people to every see it in 1,000 years.

You see, it was a secret.

The views here are just spectacular.

Hard to see here, but there are a ton of little juniper berries on the ground.

We had spotted coyote scat all along the trail (oddly enough, on top of rocks, usually) but it was always filled with juniper berries.

Then we ambled back to our place. 

A good day, overall.

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