Day 64: The red sandstone scenery around Sedona fully lived up to our expectations. A short but steep hike up to the saddle of Cathedral Rock rewarded us with good views of the surrounding cliffs, mesas, and canyons.
In the late afternoon we went on a three-hour guided tour by jeep and hiking trail to the Honanki ruin located against the base of a cliff. This particular ruin is the original structure (not reconstructed). Damage from looters and souvenir seekers has been reduced by limiting public access mainly to authorized tours led by trained professionals.
The people living in this arid region in the late 1100s through early 1200s were called the Sinagua by the Spanish (“without water”). They cultivated corn, beans, squash, and cotton by carefully managing what little water they had. Our guide “Diggy” pointed out several pictographs (drawings) and petroglyphs (carvings) on the vertical rock face above the ruins, and explained their symbolism.
We cooled off with prickly pear gelato before leaving Sedona to head back to our campground.
