When living as a road based nomad, it is always good to find a place to check out for a bit and hide. Even better if it’s known for gorgeous scenery and legendary trails. After a Subaru/ IMBA Trail Care Crew visit to Phoenix, we choose to make Sedona, Arizona as the place to make a getaway.
At the time we were still traveling with our sister Trail Care Crew Team Kelly and Collins Bishop. We rolled into town early enough to get a ride in, and met up with bike advocate and former Trail Care Crewer Scott Linnenburger, who was in town visiting family. It was great to catch up with Scott, and get a guided tour of one of the many great Sedona trails.
There is something about Sedona, once you get away from the hordes of the tourists in town and on the first few miles of trail, that brings out positive energy. Attributed to the naturally occurring phenomenon known as energy vortexes, its believed to be spiritual locations conducive to meditation, healing, and prayer. The vortexes are also a draw for many that come to the area seeking balance. We didn’t actually travel to a vortex site, but we did feel a lot of positive energy while in the area.
Our days in Sedona frequently started with trips to the Sedona Bike and Bean. It’s one of the several great little bike shops found in the area. We’re a bit biased since they hooked us up with coffee, they’re a fantastic resource in finding your way to the local trails.
During our stay in Sedona, we rode a number of classic trails including Broken Arrow, Llama, the Courthouse Butte Loop, and others. Most of the trails are easily accessible from town, but will require a Red Rock Parking Pass, which was fairly inexpensive at $5 a day or $15 for the week. The first mile or two of many of the trails are saturated with visitors, but once you’re a few miles out, you will have the trails mostly to yourself. Many of the trails are unsigned, so it is a good idea to pick up a map at one of the local shops.