Sunny, Red Sedona, and El Morro National Monument

Monday and Tuesday, October 13 and 14, 2014

Monday morning found us driving the 20 or so miles north to Sedona and a rendezvous with a Whole Foods market. We were surprised to find one in such a small city, but where money resides, so does Whole Foods! As I have mentioned before, if we can get organics, we will. Besides, having heard so much about Sedona over the years, I wanted to see it. With lots of money and restrictions, the only boondocking I could find was way out of town, and the hiking trailheads weren't going to be friendly to parking a rig. So, we needed to restock food and head on.


Once we got close we could see why this is such a mecca. The surrounding red rock formations are spectacular! Driving through the downtown commercial strip, and seeing the large houses on the surrounding hillsides make it evident that money resides here. The businesses are one story, adobe type structures. There are no Golden Arches here, only a camouflaged McDonald's, with a low adobe sign along the road with turquoise arches! There are psychics on every block. The Whole Foods was in the midst of this. After shopping, we spent a few minutes reading the notice board outside. Yep, we were in Sedona, the New Age Capital of the United States.

Descending into Sedona

Sandstone buttes and mesas surround the town

Spiritual flyers at the Whole Foods

Okay, here's the deal. I don't know the history of Sedona, but in recent decades the story has spread among the New Age community that there are vortexes here that channel spiritual power. So, besides the beauty that already drew the wealthy, pilgrims of the New Age sort arrive here to find enlightenment. And, following on their heels came those that wanted to make money helping people find their enlightenment. I know I sound cynical, but after seeing the message board and spying all the businesses offering their services to the people coming here as seekers, I see a place set up to separate people from their money.


I am all for enlightenment. As a retired Christian minister I want to see everyone find their way to “God” and have that anchoring and healing in their lives. But, I believe that ultimately it is a solitary journey. Someone may help point the way, but you have to do the seeking yourself. Spending big bucks for someone to show you how to be enlightened, I believe is going to put money in their pockets and not a lot of enlightenment in yours. God is always seeking you, you just need to seek God.


Quick example from the board at Whole Foods- For $225 you can have a five hour mini-retreat hike to one vortex, with lunch and CD. During that hike you will experience, “yoga, meditation, chakra clearing, aromatherapy, sharing, and life-coaching, plus lunch. AND- you will learn about Sedona's plants and legends, access uplifting vortex energy, and set intentions”. I'm sorry, how do you do all that in five hours and not be frazzled? My advice? Take a five hour hike on your own, spend time quietly soaking in God's beauty and your relation to it, and save $225.


Okay, obviously Sedona was not our cup of tea, so we drove on. We took off west into the wilderness and headed for the wilds of New Mexico. Nightfall found us outside of Show Low, Arizona and after three tries, we found a forest service campground that charged us $6 for the night, instead of the $30 the state park wanted. All we wanted was a place to park for the night and possibly a shower. That wasn't going to be worth the extra $24! The next morning we found a good breakfast spot, and Greg got to have his favorite restaurant meal. He chose a big chorizo, green chili, and jalapeno omelet. (When in Rome!)


Tuesday morning we were determined to make New Mexico, and arrived at El Morro National Monument in time for a hike. What an interesting place! El Morro is a tiny little monument with a very large feature. It contains what in recent history has been known as Inscription Rock, graffiti from the early Zuni inhabitants, through the Spanish explorers, and through the early western explorers and travelers. In 1906 it was made a national monument and any graffiti carved after that was erased.

El Morro

The rock itself rises about 200 feet vertically from the high desert plains, but the reason travelers stopped here was the year round pool at its base, a reliable supply of water in an arid landscape. While they rested there in the shade of the rock, they left their marks, carving their names into the soft sandstone.

Several pouroffs feed the pool at the base of El Morro

The pool is dammed to about twice the historical size.

E. Penn Long of Baltimore

Ancestral native petroglyphs

Spanish inscription from early 1600's

The Zuni's ancestors established a pueblo on top of the mesa about 700 years ago, and left petroglyphs in the cliff face. Later the Spanish came up from Mexico in search of gold, and native converts. The earliest inscription from them is dated 1609. As their interest in the southwest waned, it wasn't until 1858 that explorers came west looking for routes for future settlers to follow. They documented the previous carvings, and left their own. Settlers traveled west and left their marks. As the railroads forged west, an alternate route was chosen, north of El Morro, and it was eventually named a national monument in order to preserve the history contained there.


We spent the next few late afternoon hours first touring the trail along the base. The pool looked refreshing and tranquil and just past it we began to see the names carved in the rock. The first one was by a gentleman from Baltimore, carved in a beautiful script! Nearby we found the script from Thomas O'Sullivan, a man whom we had just learned about from a ranger's lecture. He was an apprentice of the famous Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, and photographed for the duration of the war. Many of his photos appeared in the Ken Burn's series. He came west with a survey expedition in search of a wagon route and left his name when he stopped here.


After exploring the graffiti, we took the trail upwards to the top of the cliff and worked our way along the flat top until we reached the ruins of the pueblo. A small portion of the area which once housed people around 1200 AD is being preserved. During the Depression the Civilian Conservation Corps created a trail along the top, so our hike over to the pueblo took us along borders and steps cut into the rocks.

Hiking up to the top of El Morro

Tank or rainwater collection basin

Pueblo Ruins excavated and stabilized by archaeologists

The kiva used for sacred ceremonies

The steps back down the other side

After we descended on the other side we drove over to the small, nine site, free campground on the National Monument and settled in for a quiet night contemplating all the travelers who passed this way over the centuries seeking water, and leaving their mark. It was humbling to feel that we were a part of the parade of travelers who sought shelter here.

El Morro camp