Monsoon in Sedona
As you can see from my blog, I’m 100 percent a mountain kind of person. Obviously, the ones I can snowboard on (the Rockies) are my favorite, but lately my appreciation and amazement extends to the huge red rocks of Sedona. I went twice this year and learned that 1. Road trips are fun! And 2. I freaking love Sedona.
I went once in May and again in July during their monsoon season. That’s right, Sedona has a monsoon season. It made me love it that much more.
Flash flooding?!
On my second trip to Sedona, we happened to catch the first torrential rain since 2014—at least according to a local. The skies were grey and overcast against huge, layered red rocks that bordered the beautiful town. For the first time in a while (damn you, global warming), I experienced pounding, torrential rain. The kind that is impossible to drive in, even though we were driving and got caught in the storm on our way back from a day trip to Flagstaff.
This was serious rain. The kind that causes flash flooding (Sedona had plenty of street signs warning drivers to stay off the roads and hiking trails) and closes your hotel pool area. I heard stories from locals having to abandon their cars on the side of the road to save themselves from being washed away.
OK, so we weren’t prepared for the weather, nor did we check the weather app ahead of time. Lesson learned, never do this, even if you expect it to be hot the entire time. We were also wrong about that.
Sedona is a lot cooler than Phoenix—even in July it was only 70s to 80s. Even though the rain put a damper on our plans to hang by the pool and relax, we were still able to go on a hike, surrounded by breathtaking views of the expansive red rocks.
Hikes in Sedona
We did a quick, 2-mile hike (Adobe Jack Trail) close to the Hyatt, where we stayed (highly recommended!). At 7am, we were the only ones there, and despite the rain the day before, the trail wasn’t muddy. It was a bit confusing at times, and some parts of the trail were closed due to potential flash floods.
The first time I was there, we did the famous Cathedral Rock Trail, which is less than 2 miles but can get pretty steep. I was glad to be wearing my grippy hiking shoes. It’s a heavily trafficked trail with tons of tourists and selfie-happy Millennials on the way, so watch out!
Also, the traffic in and around Sedona can get pretty hairy, which is why we planned activities early. The drive to Flagstaff was also incredible! Besides the hike, it was probably my favorite part of the trip.
Can’t wait to go back and stay for a while longer. Arizona Bowl is not too far, which is their local ski resort… maybe I’ll check that out come winter time! Maybe...