Boynton Canyon Trail and Vista. And ALMOST Schnebly Hill Road.

So, I am attempting to deliver my sister M's xmas gifts to two of her Flagstaff friends. And as none of us reply to messages very quickly, it is an ongoing process.  But - I now have 50% success!  On Sunday, I met up with her friend K and we went on a hike. (And I gave her M's present.)

We decided to hike a local Sedona trail, the Boynton Canyon & Vista.  This hike is accessed by paved roads, which is helpful when driving a normal car.  And given that it is January, the trailhead parking area was not already completely full by the time we meandered over there after 10am. 

The trail itself was quite nice. The first part skirts a resort, complete with signs warning you not to trespass & that you're being videotaped. (It was hard to resist the urge to make faces.)  Further in, we think we saw some much older habitation sites, nestled up in the red-rock cliffs.  We had to turn back before the end of the trail and the canyon, because the trail had shifted over to the south side of the trail which meant that it is almost always in shade, and it was therefore a disastrously-icy mess of slick compacted snow.  BUT we'll have to go back again in summer, because we found cool seedpods growing in that area of the trail, which is more temporate & holds its moisture more (oak trees, etc.).

And then, we had B meet us up at Wildflower Cafe for lunch. Totally yummy!  Also: We now own a new (to us) 20-year-old Trooper with high clearance so we can go hiking in places that are off of forest roads. SO we tried to take its inaugural run on a needs-clearance-type road, Schnebly Hill Road, only to discover that it is closed for the winter season. We shall try again soon, though! (Not Schnebly, obviously, since it's closed. We'll try some other inaugural run.)

Expotitions! Field Trips! Joy!

cbpotts has a cunning plan, and I am in, too! 

Here's her description: 
"In this cunning plan I am going out of my house for something that gives me joy that is not grocery shopping or visiting my in-laws at least once a week.  Some trips I'll do alone and some trips I'll do with people, but this is NOT C-schleps-the-kids-around-for-their-illumination-and-edification - while I will still do that, as that is important (and also I have somehow promised the girls I will take them to see Rango) this is for me, me, me.

"(...) So each week, there will be a Field Trip. And there will be a Field Trip report. And there will be pictures. Look forward to the new feature - you're going to go traveling with me!"

Sounds like fun, no?
1. Do you want to do this, too? You totally can, you know, for you, you, you. Really.
1-corollary. And you can define Field Trips to be whatever you want it to be for you, that will bring you joy. Which could mean that we learn about the fuzziness of your fuzziest blanket, your latest book-find, your whatever-time-you-took-for-yourself-to-be-joyful.
2. Got any expotitions to suggest to me?
3. Feel free to ping me if it seems like I'm behind on Expotition Reports.
4. Joyfulness!