Ten of us had signed up for the Devil’s Bridge / Vultee Arch hike in Sedona. But somehow the cars got separated along the way to the trailhead. All attempts at communication by 2-way radio and by cell phone were unsuccessful.

A ranger told us the road to Vultee Arch Trailhead was washed out, so seven of us decided to drive the smooth, paved road to Boynton Canyon and hike there.

You couldn’t dream of a prettier day for a hike! We walked on the trail with cool sunshine and a mild breeze.

Spring flowers cheered us as we passed by the Enchantment Resort and started looking for the cliff dwellings that are marked on the topographic map. Last week’s rain had settled the dust and intensified the colors of the rock formations and desert varnish.

Soon we were climbing gradually on a shaded walk in the woods. Hikers with cameras kept looking for a gap in the vegetation so they could get a picture of the brightly colored cliffs.

It was lunch time and we had found a shaded picnic area with boulders to serve as park benches. Cyd, Wendy and Ralph climbed on up to the top while the rest of us enjoyed a relaxing lunch in the shade.

We re-convened and started walking back down the trail, looking for cliff dwellings and other memorable sights.

At least two cliff dwellings were spotted high above us on the canyon wall. There’s no water up there, so we wondered about climbing the steep rock surface while carrying jars of water from the creek. The climate may have been wetter then — was it a drought that drove the inhabitants away?

No one is in a hurry to get back to Phoenix. We stop for some food at a restaurant in west Sedona, then drive out on the road through Cottonwood.

Finally, while driving back on I-17, we make cell phone contact with the other hikers. It seems they hiked the Vultee Arch Trail, but the washed-out road made it awfully slow getting there.

Everyone enjoyed a pleasant and scenic hike.