Walking the Land: Thompson Trail Hike with Marty

Hi Everyone
Marty Reinstra, who is from Michigan, is a good friend of mine. Lucky for me, she and her husband are living from Jan-April of every year in Sedona. This is her first winter here in her new home and so we’re trying to set a date to hike on Saturdays when our lives agree.

Marty picks the hikes out of a book and this one is called the Thompson Trail, just right outside of northern Sedona. So, come along with us 🙂

Here is a photo of Marty. She is Dutch by bloodlines and is a Unity minister. Actually, she’s much more than that–she’s written feminist books on religion–which makes me like her even more! Marty has an amazing background in religion and has been a leader among women ministers in the world. And that dazzling smile of hers is genuine. We have a lot of fun going on our hikes.
As we started down Thompson trail from the trailhead area, I loved seeing snow here and there. When you live in the desert of Arizona no one outside the state ever thinks we get snow–but we do! We are at 4,500 feet on the trail and we had a snow storm about three days earlier. I thought this was a pretty shot.

This beautiful juniper tree is old and look at the marvelous swirls up the trunk–truly a piece of Nature art!

And here is Marty on the trail. Don’t you love her T-shirt with the Eagle on it?


I loved this old, dead tree–how dramatic it is against the red rocks.


Marty calls this the “Peruvian Grandmother” and I do too–with her children.

And a little farther to the west were these beautiful buttes


And here is snow on some buttes to the east of Sedona

Marty noticed this–do you see the round, white stone in the juniper? Does it look like a “smiley face” to you? A huge white boulder smiling? What do you think?

Last, but not least, a photo of the Grandmother and the children.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our last Saturday hike up Thompson trail! If Life gives me a breather, I’ll be back on another trail this coming Saturday with my camera!

In Spirit, Eileen