Beautiful Vista
The weather has been perfect the past week. I woke up Tuesday and found myself headed back into the canyon in search of a little scenic beauty I couldn’t see from the seat of my car. I must admit I am pretty lucky to wake everyday to the amazing beauty that is Sedona.
I haven’t hiked in the Boynton Canyon area in a few years, so I decided to hike the Vista Trail which is located off the Boynton Canyon Trail. I only had an hour and a half put aside for hiking so this trail would be perfect. There were already several cars in the parking area when I arrived at 8am. What was a surprise was that the hike was decorated with so many wildflowers. I really don’t know the names of the flowers, but there were yellow, white, red, purple and pink flowers along the trail…all different types.
The hike starts out flat and a little sandy. There are a lot of twisty trees, with scraggly branches. I love the contrast of the dark wood and the blue sky. There is a sign that clearly marks the offshoot for the Vista trail. It is an easy incline opening to amazing views. It is called the Vista trail for a reason. The sky was so clear I could see chimney rock and courthouse butte in the distance. I could look back into Seven Canyons, it seemed to stretch forever. And when I got to the top, Boynton Canyon was spread out before me. It was really quite breathtaking.
I found a private spot to sit and take it in. I noticed that the red rocks had little crystals in them. A geode was actually in the rock face making a tiny crystal cave.
There are two spires at the end of this hike. The one that is famous is called Kachina Woman. There is a legend about her and she is said to be a sign of fertility. If you touch her you will be fruitful. I didn’t go near her…ha! But did admire her from a distance. At certain angles she looks like a woman in prayer.
This is a popular hike. I walked by a couple making out on the side of the trail; perhaps Kachina woman inspired them, lol…This is a very popular trail. I passed by many hikers on my way up and at the end there was a little crowd. I wouldn’t recommend this if you wanted to be by yourself or meditate.
This is a short hike. Maybe ¾ of a mile. Easy climb to amazing views between 2 spires. I should also mention this is known to be a Vortex site. Personally, I am not into the vortex thing, but a lot of people do believe in these energy sources. Perhaps it is what gives Kachina her magic? What I have noticed about the Vortex sites is they all have the most amazing views you can find in Sedona. Definitely, worth your time and a visit.
