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Sedona lodging?

2K views 44 replies 11 participants last post by  RideNShine 
#1 ·
I'm going to be visiting from MN for a conference in Nov. Hoping to do some day hiking (Grand Canyon one day), and mtn biking.

I've never been there. No idea how the place is layed out. Riding from the hotel would be great.

Conference is at Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa Is this in a good area to go riding/hiking? Any other suggestions? Wife will be there to go hiking with me.

Thanks.

J-No
 
#2 ·
J:

If you are an advanced rider ride Slim Shady to Highline to Baldwin to Templeton to Slim Shady. If you are an intermediate rider ride Slim Shady to Templeton to HT to Little Horse to Lama to Templeton to Hermit to Coconino to Slim Shady to the Hilton.

Hopefully the Skidmap.com database will be updated shortly with comprehensive Intel to give you all the trail information you will need to have a great trip.

If you are not an advanced rider and you want to check out Highline you could do an out and back hike with your wife. You could park at the Yavapai Parking Lot and take Yavapai Vista trail to Slim Shady to Highline.

You might also try Googling: Sedona Mountain Bike Trail Maps to see what you come up with. You might come up with a great Google Earth map of all the great Sedona mountain bike trails to ride.

If you have any other questions let me know. If you are an advanced rider and want to tag along with one of my rides that I might be doing 10 miles away from the Hilton let me know.

Are you really coming in November?

TD
 
#3 ·
J-no,

There ya have it! the only thing I can add is if you are a noob to MTB the big park area is closest to you and the mildest terrain there is to ride in the area. You will have a good time no matter your skill level. FYI the Grand Canyon will take you longer than you would anticipate to get to, most local tours depart Sedona around 6-7am.

Enjoy your stay in this great state, and if you hook up with TD, you will have a fantastic time for sure! Our trail "system" is sort of convoluted in some ways, that probably won't be resolved by your arrival, so I would suggest a TD tour, at the low low price of just sharing fellowship in sport!! TD can put together "something special" if you honestly share your skill level, where you have riden before and what you did and didn't like about it. He can plan a route in the trail system that is "tailor made" for you! He doesn't have a lot of time on his hands to do this for everyone, but from time to time when he does, he doesn't mind at all, in fact he's very passionate about it. Since your arrival is in Nov there is plenty of time to fit it in. You are in good hands with TD on this I promise and your expectations will exceeded easily!!

Great job Ambassador! :thumbsup:
 
#4 ·
If you're going to the Grand Canyon, you should go in the summer so you can perv out on all the hot European women on holiday.

Have you ever been there before? It only takes about two hours to get to the GC from Sedona. Bright Angel Trail is the main trail, but I didn't really like it that much. It's neat to see all the layers of rock as you go down, but it's pretty boxed in. The Kaibab Trail/Arizona Trail going in from Yaki Point is a lot more open with much better vistas. If you had to choose one, I'd do that.
 
#6 · (Edited)
If you're going to the Grand Canyon, you should go in the summer so you can perv out on all the hot European women on holiday.

Have you ever been there before? It only takes about two hours to get to the GC from Sedona. Bright Angel Trail is the main trail, but I didn't really like it that much. It's neat to see all the layers of rock as you go down, but it's pretty boxed in. The Kaibab Trail/Arizona Trail going in from Yaki Point is a lot more open with much better vistas. If you had to choose one, I'd do that.
EasyE, What up my nogger!!

You forgot to add on a windy day as well! :D:eek::thumbsup::cool:

Been there done that a lot! I was just saying if he wanted to do both, in November, then hit the canyon in the morning and the trails in the warmer afternoon is all my brotha! :thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the notes everyone. No choice but to go in Nov. The conference is at that hotel, so that is where I am thinking of staying. I am pretty new to MTBing. Never rode in the SW.

Sounds like the hotel is in a okay location? I was thinking about bringing my bike out--probably ship it to the hotel the week before.

Can I go down the Kaibab trail and back up the Bright Angel? I was hoping to do a rim to rim, but I do not think logistically it will work out. I was hoping to arrive a couple of days early and stay closer to the GC.
 
#9 ·
Can I go down the Kaibab trail and back up the Bright Angel? I was hoping to do a rim to rim, but I do not think logistically it will work out. I was hoping to arrive a couple of days early and stay closer to the GC.
Absolutely, you just have to get to Phantom Ranch on the Colorado first. Down the Kaibab and up Bright Angel would be about 16 or so miles round trip, with about 5000 feet of elevation change each way. Two day trip, minimum. People have died trying that in one day in the summer. Rim to rim would have to be rim to rim to rim since the North Rim is closed from October to May for snow. The road gets shut down past Jacob Lake. In the summer, you can shuttle back to the South Rim, but not in the winter. It's about 42 miles round trip to do R2R2R, again 5000 feet of change on each trip in or out.
 
#8 ·
Down the Kaibab and up Bright Angel is about 15 +/- miles and is doable if you're in good hiking condition. Weather in November is about as good as it gets for this round trip because of the warm temperatures at the bottom.

Kaibab Trail is dry while the Bright Angel has water.

-db-
 
#15 ·
M77,

I agree with you as far as EasyE's advice, without naming names or making something seem malicious, what part of the advice was poor. I am asking as I have never hiked down into the canyon (have visited about 4 times but never recreated) and would like to stay a weekend and hike down and back.

With respect to ya both! :thumbsup:
 
#22 ·
Grandview Trail to Horseshoe Mesa and back would be my recommendation. Backcountry trail and solitude. My two favorite things about mtn biking and the closest you'll get to it from S. Rim drive.

Kaibab and Bright Angel are sidewalks loaded with tourons. And as Ranger has warned, hiking to the river and back in a day is only for the extremely fit even in November.
 
#28 ·
I must say!!

I really like where this thread is going, you guys are F'n fantastic, you are making me want to revisit the canyon and I cannot thank everyone here discussing, enough because my next "user experience" at the canyon is going the best it can be!!!! I would give everyone of you rep but I have dished it to some of you already for other reasons!! Keep up the great work, and don't mind me hanging an ear here!

Respectfully R&S :thumbsup:
 
#36 ·
Got it! Makes one wonder, if she had a "good user experience".

BOT,
I'm listening to the discussion as to what is important for a first time hiking the GC period. I have a "rock crawling" level of agility, Nut much heavy load endurance past 1 hr break level, Good light load endurance, degenerative arthritis in both ankles, cardio is good once built back up from injury, so speed is slower than average now, but will be higher than normal when I'm ready to hike. Is a hike to the bottom, camp overnight (with req permit) and hike out the next day, something that needs to be conditioned for and not a good idea for a first time GC hike?
 
#39 ·
This info is all great. I think we will see how the summer goes and plan from there. Best case would be down and up in a day, but we will see how it goes.

I'm really looking forward to the trip.
J-no

Tell me about it! I'm even thinking of plans myself and want to do it when the best time of the year is for a down, camp, up, hiking experience.
 
#40 ·
J-No,

Are you planning to rent a car, probably, if so then you are not limited to staying at the resort unless it's covered if you do, then depending, your options are limitless and you need only prioritize your recreational activities with who you will be doing them with or by yourself when here and at the GC, everyone here is ready with valued opinion.

OT; J-No, If ya don't mind the intrusion what is the conference for and why was Sedona chosen as the locale?

Respectfully, R&S
 
#43 ·
The view of the canyon is very different from that perspective! I would have had no idea except for Lake Powell as to where that picture was taken at!! Now I really want to get down there! Excuse the ignorance there isn't any MTB allowed at/in the GC right?
 
#44 ·
Rainbow Rim at the Kaibab National Forest is. Just gotta go between May and October.:p Road is closed otherwise. The Arizona Trail goes up to both the North and South Rims. The guys who race it hump their bikes into and out of the canyon on their backs.:eek:

EDIT: Look at No. 8 on the "Under estimated rides" thread.
 
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