Driving over to Sedona one morning from a roadside camp outside of Ash Fork, we were stunned by the green and white beauty of fresh snow on evergreens as we rolled through Flagstaff. Aaah, but what that dusting must look like in red and orange Sedona!
As luck would have it, Sedona was actually snow-free, though heavy, gray clouds threatened to dump rain upon us. So after a quick hike up The Cockscomb, me, DB and Harlan Stockman met up with my boy Walt Hutton and his friend Brad for an exploratory adventure up one of the fine unnamed peaks on the outskirts of town. We began the hike in as a gentle but soaking rain greeted us.
Eventually leaving the trail on our approach, Walt, who'd found a particularly nice set of Sinagua ruins up in the canyon below the peak before, led us off-trail to a rough route that worked cliffs and other obstacles to the first set. Pottery shards, a couple low walls, even a window!
Hesitant to leave the shelter of the ruin's alcove, we set back out into the rain and wandered up steeper terrain to what Walt promised us was an even better ruin. Wow! Indeed it was!
Situated in a rather large alcove above a huge drop-off, this ruin had several crumbling walls, a window or two, pottery shards everywhere you stepped, and dozens of corn cobs. And to make access more challenging, an exposed traverse on narrow ledges led into the alcove. Sweet!
Enjoying a lunch and quite a few pictures, we soon decided the rain was a bit much to be scrambling and climbing around on steep slabs in hopes of finding an uncertain way up the improbable peak above us. It was time to hike out. A beautiful hike to a very special place. 
Thanks for the lead on this one, Walt!
Ruins of the Sinagua
