The Salome Jug is located near Roosevelt Lake in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness. We hired a guide to teach us basic canyoneering skills along the way including repelling. (Don't try this hike without an experienced guide or someone that is prepared to help you repel approx. 20'. Many people think they can jump into the pool at the end but get to there and change their mind.) This hike is one of my all time favorite hikes! The slot canyon consists of polished pink granite which is sometimes slippery depending on how much algae is on it if under water. There are many pools, some quite deep and the only way to get through the canyon is to swim through them. There are at least 3 places to slide 10' down water slides in the rock. Swimming was quite refreshing since it was 98 degrees (May 19, 2013).
The total trip includes 2 miles of hiking to the canyon, approx. 2 miles through the canyon and 2 miles back to the parking area making a 6 mile loop. We spent approx. 5 - 6 hours with plenty of time to play in the pools and help others who didn't come prepared to repel down.
Broken Arrow is my favorite Pink Jeep tour. I decided to hike this trail knowing I would see lots of Pink Jeeps. The trail is 3 miles and easy to moderate with only a 300' gain. There are cairns marking the trail so it is easy to follow. The sandstone is perfect for walking on so that you don't slip. I hiked alone and went to Submarine Rock. As always the views are hard to beat!
The Samuel Loy family created the Loy Canyon Trail in the 1880's to move livestock to and from summer pastures on the rim. This 10 mile trek was NOT easy! The first 2 miles we walked through sand almost like on a beach. The second 2 miles, we walked through a cloud of gnats. The last mile had a 1,000' gain with bushwacking through cacti and sticker bushes. The views were incredible of vermillion cliffs and sandstone surrounded by manzanita trees, catclaw, cholla and prickly pear. Once we reached the top we ventured a short way to the Secret Wilderness.
There are two Sinagua cliff dwellings near this canyon. The Sinagua are thought to have lived here around AD 1100 to 1300 and are thought to be ancestors to the Hopi Indians. The cliff dwelling structures are easy to walk to and quite impressive. We visited the Hananki Ruins.
The Templeton Trail intersects with the Baldwin Loop near Cathedral Rock. Paul Pastore and I hiked this trail April 14, 2013. We hiked approx. 2 miles starting at the intersection of Baldwin loop to the trail head at Cathedral Rock. The trail parallels the creek for most of the way and has ups and downs but no real elevation gain. Being an easier trail, it is more populated than some of the others we have done.
The Baldwin Loop Trail, is a nice easy 2.5 mile loop with an elevation gain of only 100'. The trail starts near Red Rock Crossing, one of the most photographed places in Sedona. We parked at Red Rock Crossing and crossed the creek to start the trail. The highlight of this trail is the beautiful view of Cathedral Rock. 4/14/13
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The Twin Buttes trail up to the Twin Buttes saddle offers a seldom seen spectacular view of back of The Church of the Holy Cross. This approx. 3 mile RT trail is a little hard to find since it seems the Forest Service doesn't want people to find it any more and it isn't shown on any of the local hiking maps. We started at the Broken Arrow Trail head and then worked our way towards the direction of the saddle and found a distinct trail. There is also a Twin Buttes Loop trail that circles around Twin Buttes. The trail has a fair amount of steep climbing towards the end but well worth it for the incredible view. Portions of this trail are popular with mountain bikers..JPG)
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