Twelve-mile long Schnebly Hill Road is the most impressive of all the roads into Sedona. Built in the beginning of the 20th century, it was a cattle trail before becoming a farm to market road.
We drove north to the Mogollon Rim on the northern edge of the Munds Mountain Wilderness to make the descent into Sedona.
We have been waiting much of the month for Schnebly Hill to reopen as it is closed in winter for snow. Hallelujah - it reopened before our departure!
The top of the Mogollon Rim and the first half of the drive is flat with beautiful ponderosa forest and open meadows. There are several side roads, forest service roads that interconnect, suitable only for higher clearance vehicles - just plain gnarly. They are woods wildlife viewing areas open only from April 1 to Dec 15. We took one of them, then went from one to another, spending nearly half our time looking for elk and loving these more remote views - and having it all to ourselves!
If not for the sign, tracks and scat we wouldn't believe that elk actually live here.
That center flat light gray area is Sedona Airport - our introduction to this area in 1986. At that time we knew nothing of the thermal activity that is experienced in the southwest and what an intro! The airport is built on a mesa, the runway starting at one end of the mesa and ending at the other - no margin for error. And the thermals had kicked up already by 11 that morning indicated by the 5 windsocks along the length of the runway. Each one was blowing full out and each in a different direction. On the fifth go-around, Vic landed without incident. What an experience and what good memories!
See the twisting line far below going most of the way from left to right in the photo? That's the final part of Schnebly Hill Road
going into Sedona. 
The alligator junipers are huge up here.
Schnebly Hill Road is never steep. Though it drops 2,000 feet in elevation, it does so by twisting and winding through dramatic country for 6 long, wonderful miles. The Pink Jeep directly below us here took minutes to arrive at this point from when we first spotted it. The Jeep touring companies do not come up here but stop at a vista point below us. How lucky we are!
Making the descent you become an integral part of the views you had from above.
The ubiquitous Pink Jeeps only go as far as the Schnebly Hill Vista Point. How lovely that using forest roads allows one to absorb all the beauty without having to share it with hoards of people. And we won't mention smugly our views were far superior :D
Almost everyone with a capable vehicle had to play on this slickrock - just because it was there.
This was hilarious. The driver of this car had to put his front wheels on the slickrock. The rear wheels wouldn't get a grab on the steep pitch. Then his friend laid down to take the photos. The car belongs to the driver's wife and he couldn't wait to show her what he had done with it.
Almost to Sedona now
And, finally, here is our entry into downtown Sedona. What a gorgeous way to get here!
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