A Newcomer Ambles the Cockscomb/Ground Control Lollipop

December 06, 2024

I set my eyes on Sedona for the first time in 1980. I was a newlywed enjoying my father-in-law’s hospitality in Munds Park and driving around with Anna, my wife, in her red Volkswagen Karmann Ghia: a very close-to-the-ground vehicle that had no problem winding down the dusty Schnebly Hill Road. I remember my awe when discovering the Red Rock country. Anna and I came back a few times and the awe did not fade. We had this fantasy: what if we were to move to Sedona? Far-fetched, as we were living in France, not far from the native silver limestone ridges of the Vercors Prealps. Some 35 years later, retirement came, and the fantasy turned into a very real dream.

My wife and I live in West Sedona and hike almost daily from our doorstep to the trails around Chimney and Teapot. We’ve driven around – never very far, how lucky! – to discover different vistas and more challenging routes. We wonder why it took us six years to join the Sedona Westerners.

Joining was cheap and easy. The SedonaWesterners.org website was easy to navigate and, as an association volunteer buff, I really appreciated having easy access to everything including 60 years of history in writing, pictures and news articles, a photo guide to flowers, 22 articles of statutes and by-laws,10 years of meeting minutes, and 240+ articles written for the Sedona Red Rock News going back 15 years. Very impressive.

Our first hike with the Sedona Westerners was a megaflop: we forgot to check the website and arrived at the trailhead exactly one hour after we were supposed to. Our bad, lesson learned. For the second try, we read the website. It said: “Cockscomb/Ground Control Lollipop is considered a medium hike of approximately 3.6 miles with about 300 ft elevation change. Moderate Amblers hike with a great view toward the west. About half a mile of the hike is a gradual uphill, very narrow with drop-offs, followed by a very steep downhill. Poles strongly recommended. This hike will not go to the top of Cockscomb, but skirts around the base of the cliffs.” We liked it.

A couple of years back, we had tried this hike. Somehow, we got mixed up - me taking the wrong turn and ending at the top with Anna stopping soon on the west side - so we were happy to go for it again.

We arrived well in time at the meeting-up point. The old-timers welcomed us newbies as we signed in, introduced ourselves and listened to instructions. Then we carpooled to the Aerie trailhead crowded with balloonists celebrating their early morning flight. Two groups were formed, and more practical instructions were given. Linda Schermer was our trail lead and Lisa Critchlow followed the group as the tailgate.

On this mid-Autumn morning, the sky was spotless blue and the sun low on the horizon as we walked south towards the dark and narrow backlit silhouette of Cockscomb. The Cockscomb trail was an easy warm-up walk before we reached the first fork. We stayed on Cockscomb passing the intersection with Outer Limits. At the next fork, we took Ground Control. The trail started climbing slowly on the west side of the Cockscomb rock formation and the view to the West opened up. We saw fields with not so many trees in the forefront where cattle may have grazed; further out Anderson Butte, Windmill Mountain and hills with no name; then Cottonwood at the feet of the Mingus Mountain Range and Jerome on its side; and from north to south, the Casner, Black and Mingus Mountains and the Black Hills. We turned around facing north: Bear Mountain ridge fell down and the Secret Mountain Wilderness rose.

Still climbing, we were now just under the cliffs. We reached the south end of Cockscomb, the trail with a vista that now spread east, south and west. The perfect spot for snacking and shooting the breeze.

The climb down the south face was steeper but not scary. At the bottom, Ground Control ran into Outer Limits that took us away to the west and offered a panoramic view of the jagged crest that looked – yes! – like a cockscomb. The walking was easy as we went along the small range back to the Cockscomb trail and Aerie parking. We arrived there 3.5 hours after we left, as announced, Lisa’s GPS reading 2.5 hours of actually hiking.

There were many stops for gazing, taking pictures, and small talk. Linda read the landscape, pointed out to places of interest – a former tree nursery here, a settlement there, or what little was remaining of it – and commented on the somehow unpredictable ocotillo blooming. Mountain bikers were praised for opening and maintaining trails. Terri Petrescu, the Westerners Trail Boss, shared pictures of wild mushrooms picked up during an outing with the Arizona Mushroom Society (porcini, morels!) and an onion soup recipe (a traditional French treat that concludes – I told her – night-long parties).

Hiking with the Amblers was fun. Now I have to test the Rustlers!

To experience the Sedona Westerners yourself, go to SedonaWesterners.org. Membership for the whole season is only $30. The hiking schedule is simple and straight forward, and you can get details about our upcoming hikes. The next hike for the Rustlers will be this Saturday when they will hike a patchwork loop of trails near Cultural Park. The Amblers will hike around the base of Cathedral Rock and the Drovers will hike across the way at Courthouse Rock. The Dogies will explore Fay Canyon. The Mustangs will board Steamboat, a 7 miler and 1,000-foot elevation gain and the Rough Riders will take the Bear Sign/Narrow Canyon Loop which has an elevation gain of 1,200 feet.