The storm that I could feel approaching in my bones while camping in Colossal Cave came the day after I left. It covered most of Arizona in a blanket of snow, and if you have never seen Saguaro’s under a blanket of white, I highly recommend it.
Snow never lasts long though here in the desert, but I was hoping that when the weekend rolled around, I could head up North to experience it myself. Back up to Sedona I go, with a goal of hiking Long Canyon and trying to find the Birthing Cave.
There is still plenty of snow remaining as I find the trailhead in the early morning. I hear an Indian’s flute playing off in the distance as I get started, slowly making my way across the icy path, being careful not to slip and fall. I’m feeling optimistic here in the Vortex, as I also just had my first Covid 19 vaccine shot earlier this week. Perhaps the end of the pandemic is truly in sight.
Long Canyon is a relatively flat trail, a six mile round trip into the Red Rock Secret Wilderness. I am only going off my memory of the stories of others as I try to find the Birthing Cave. The snow gets much deeper the further along the trail I go, almost making me wish I had snowshoes.
I trudge along, enjoying the beauty of pristine snow against the red rocks, when suddenly the trail just ends. The snow is just too deep for people to go any further. No birthing cave to be found either, but I figure that I just need to do more research once I can get back online. I turn around.
Back at the trailhead, I see a sign pointing in the opposite direction from whence I came, showing the way to Boynton Canyon. Being more exposed to the sun with little shade, the snow has mostly receded from this trail.
I go a few hundred yards and find a path that will let me climb to a rocky outpost, giving one an amazing view of Boynton canyon itself. I sit and take it all in for awhile, planning a future trip to go deeper into this canyon as well.
I take off my shoes and socks, and rub my feet against the bare rock. My parents have become fans of the power of Grounding energy techniques, in fact they gave me a grounding bed sheet for Christmas. I’ve always felt the healing power of Nature, and so grounding energy just made sense to me.
The Indian’s flute is still playing, and I can almost see the musical notes dancing in the clouds. Warm pulses run up my legs as I stand barefoot on the Red Rocks.
Perhaps I can find the Birthing Cave in the morning.
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