Shooting through Arizona

On Thursday we left Albuquerque for a 350 mile drive to Sedona, Arizona.  Along the way we stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park, just on the southern edge of the Painted Desert.  There was a 45 minute film about the formation of the park, but the ranger informed us of a huge storm coming our way and we skipped the movie.

It was still sunny, but the wind was starting to whip fiercely.  We couldn't make Sedona before dark so we figured we'd try for Flagstaff.  Flagstaff was right in the storm's path, and at 7000 feet it was sure to get snow.  We were in a race against the storm so we didn't linger long... driving the 28 miles through and making a couple of stops was all we could spare.

The first thing you see in the park is a view of the painted desert.  It's a bunch of eroded earth with gorgeous multicolored stripes.  Something about layers of the Chinle Formation from a zillion years ago that were exposed as the surrounding materials eroded... I dunno, I was rushed.

Eventually you start seeing broken hunks of what look like trees.  What the?!?  We're in the desert!!  Well, a looong time ago the northeast chunk of Arizona was somewhere down around the equator, and somewhere around that time there was a lake covering it.  Then the lake went away and it became a plain.  Or maybe the plain came first?... whatever - streams on the plain carried silt and downed trees and other stuff which eventually got buried in more silt.  Minerals in the soil fossilized the trees and as the silt eroded, these fossilized logs popped out.

The thing that amazed me was how the logs were all broken up into chunks and were near each other, but somewhat scattered.  I guess that kindof thing's gonna happen after a million years of tectonic plates moving around causing a ruckus.  It was incredible how you could still make out the rings and the bark, as if it were still actual wood.

Right about now we started getting antsy about all the daylight we were burning, so we may have exceeded the posted speed limit exiting the park.  By the time we got back up to the interstate, you could see the big clouds rolling in from the left.  And we still had quite a few miles to go.

Luckily we got to Flagstaff before the storm - but after dark.  They were going to be getting a dumpload of snow and we didn't want to get stuck up there, so we pressed on to Sedona.  That drive was a real treat.  It began to rain, then it began sleet... we were on a two lane road, in the dark, with mountain curves and 6-8% grades, surrounded by tractor trailers and all their noise and spray... and my washer pump was broken.  Slow and steady won the race.

We stayed in a part of Sedona known as Oak Valley, at the Bell Rock Inn.  In the morning we saw that it had snowed quite a bit in the mountains.  I hiked Bell Rock years ago but it was too cold and wet to do it now.

I don't know what this rock is called but it was right outside the hotel and I loved the snow on it.

Sedona's absolutely gorgeous - perhaps better in sunshine, and when it's a little warmer - but it's kindof a funny place.  There's a lot of magnetic activity in the area and there seem to be a great many folks trying to capitalize on it... like this shop owner.

Look out for the crystal vortexes!!  I had trouble sleeping one night so I blamed them, but it was probably all the beer.

We found some great places to eat and there are tons of amazing hikes, so we hope to get back here in more favorable weather - maybe next spring or early fall.  After we get out of here we're going to make one more stop at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, then we're shooting on home.