A Cloudy New Year's Eve Hike in Sedona

We arrived in Sedona on New Year's Eve to a sky full of thick, gray clouds. The first thing we saw were three hot air balloons drifting silently over the dark red mountains, a quiet and unexpected start to the day. The air was cool, but felt just right for a hike.

The trail took us up above the town, with the views getting wider as we climbed. The landscape is a constant contrast between the deep red of the rock formations and the muted green of the junipers and desert scrub. Everything felt still under the overcast sky, which cast a soft, even light over the whole valley.

From the higher points on the trail, you could really see how the town is nestled right at the base of these massive cliffs. We stopped for a quick selfie and then just kept looking out at the layers of rock stretching into the distance. It’s a huge, impressive scale that’s hard to fully capture. We spent the day just walking and taking in the views before the year turned over.