This weeks’ outdoor trip took our group back to Sedona where we camped at the Oak Creek Campground. We were joined by a former client Michael who was shadowing during this trip as a potential Guide. Our group was short a few members who were battling the flu but the rest of us headed out on the short drive to camp on Sunday morning.
Upon arrival, we set up our campsite and played hacky sack briefly before making our way to the trailhead of our first hike. The Bear Mountain trail measured approximately 2.5 miles during which we gained 2000 feet of elevation. The trail was combined of slick rock and stone path with steps which required endurance. At the top, we shared some laughs while taking in the view of Sedona before descending back to the trailhead. two of our clients and Aaron(staff) decided to take the downhill portion to the extreme and ran aggressively down to the bottom. The hike left us all ready to relax at camp and review the day over dinner of burgers and dogs around the campfire.
On Monday, we awoke to a new day of solid weather which was a welcome change from the past couple of weeks. We got our hiking boots laced up mid-morning to head up to a pass which led us through a forested trail. We pushed our way to the top in good time before continuing down into a valley. There was an arch overlooking the area that was dedicated to honor a couple of pilots who had downed their plane in the area. We ate lunch and journaled about principles that we are working to incorporate in our lives for our sharing is caring. Later that day, we made a trip to the Stupa, a Buddhist spiritual garden, to center our minds and spirits. The Stupa practice is to walk clockwise around the monument three times while reciting prayers for the well being of others. The idea is that all of the prayers join together to create a powerful and magical experience and well-being for all those that visit and participate. We went to an AA meeting in town later that evening where one of our clients collected his 6-month chip. It was meaningful to attend a meeting in a different community than Flagstaff and feel the fellowship present.
On Tuesday, we packed up relatively early in the morning and spent some time around a campfire sharing pop tarts and our journal entries with each other. It was another trip with memories and meaning that came to a successful end. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoyed hearing about the adventures we went on this week.
Take care!
