Oak Creek - Sedona/Flagstaff Lava Tube 10-4-14

[huck]

Oak Creek opened back up on the 1st after being closed since the end of May and I've been waiting for it. I was origninally planning on going up there with a friend, but the wife expressed some interest in getting up there too, so we made it a family trip instead, which was way more fun.

I dropped the family off at the parking lot at the West Fork which has one of our favorite spots to swim and slide where Oak Creek and the West Fork converge. Not to mention some cool history with Mehews Lodge of which you have to pass the remaining facade on your way to the creek. Kisses all around to the family, then I drove a little further north, parked and climed down to the creek hoping that the fish hadn't seen a fly in a few months.

I tied on a #14 Purple Haze, pulled some line out and with the bush behind me made a roll cast into a small pool below a small waterfall. I didn't see a splash, but my fly dissapeared so I pulled up and sure enough there was a fish on the end. A rainbow, not what I was expecting in this part of the creek but still a fish.



I remember reeling it in thinking, crap! The first cast curse.... sure enough, that's the only fish I'd see the rest of the afternoon. So here's more photos of the other spots I desperately tried to find fish on.







I ended it here, this pool was long enough for me not to bother trying to find a way around it and with the curse in full effect I decided to call it a day.



Water was cold, at 58.8 maybe I should have gone further South instead of North, but I had such great luck the last time I was here I had high hopes.



I picked up the family and we drove up to Flagstaff for the night. After breakfast we headed up to the Lava Tubes which is about 30 minutes from town and another 10 miles down forest roads. It was our first time here, and it was really cool! Both figuratively and literally. The temps inside the cave are a steady 35-45 degrees all year round. As you climb down into the opening you feel the cold air coming up, and it was really refreshing.



Here's the kids at the entrance to the cave



Wife and daughter inside the cave, one of the few pictures where the flash on my phone actually had enough to reflect off of to get a picture.



We headed over to Williams after that for a quick zipline ride, coffee and a 15 minute historically educating horse drawn carriage ride. We headed back to Sedona for dinner on our way home to Oaxaca which is one of our regular spots. It was a really fun weekend, and as a San Diego native, I'm surprised at how much I love living in Arizona sometimes.

I've still got browns on the brain, I'll be getting back up to Sedona again in the next few weeks for revenge!

[Latimeria]

Awesome pics Tim!  Wow, that water is cold and the air temps in the cave are nuts.

Bummer on the no "Browns".  I'm sure you'll get them, but those creeks just look like you would spook anything if a pebble fell in the water.

By the way, Did you see any UFO's? 

[huck]

LOL no UFO's. I try to stay away from the "vortex" areas, my positive energy comes from being on the creek.

I can't wait to get up there again.

[sasquatch]

That is beautiful country, Tim.

I'd be down to see a UFO.

[WheresMyBeer]

Cool report Tim. Hope you're doing well friend!