Hunting for Caves and the Milky Way in Sedona
Another weekend and another adventure, this time hunting for Sedona caves. So far, I’ve hit the Birthing Cave, Soldiers Pass Cave, Keyhole Cave, and Boyton Canyon. There’s undoubtedly more, but each is incredibly amazing.
I’d been wanting to shoot the Milky Way from Sedona for quite some time. Additionally, there were two caves in Sedona I’ve wanted to check out, so this was the perfect weekend to cross all of them off the Arizona bucket list.
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Exploring Caves and Views Around Sedona
Milky Way in Sedona
I arrived at my shooting spot around 12:15 am and, as always, had my mind blown by how beautiful the Milky Way looked. It just never gets old. It’s striking, overwhelming, and simply mesmerizing.
Plus, I was out in the beauty of nature, unadulterated by yelling or other trail nonsense.
Birthing Cave Sedona
I’ve been wanting to find this Sedona cave for a while now, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I drove from Cathedral Rock to the Long Canyon Trailhead, about a 20-minute drive in the dead of night.
My plan was to hike to the cave, get some Milky Way/star shots, sleep in my car, and then return for sunrise photos. Instead, the hike to the cave was a little longer than I expected, and by the time I was done shooting night photos, it was already past 2:30 am. Soooo, I decided to curl up on the lovely rock floor of the cave and take a quick snooze.
Yep, classic Alec.
Everyone that I’ve told has been worried about some animal coming and attacking me. Personally, I was more worried a human would come up, find me, be startled, and shoot me. This is Arizona after all.
Luckily, the worst that happened was I was pretty cold around 3:45 am and my legs weren’t that comfortable. I did also learn that by age 27, sleeping on the cold, hard ground doesn’t do wonders for the body. Imagine that!
I was bummed that a few of my photos from inside turned out blurry, but the rest of them were really lovely.
Initially, I set my alarm for 4:40, about 30 minutes before sunrise. Instead, I was up a little after 4, cold and tired, but ready for some nice blue hour shots. The birthing cave ended up being really incredible, though it’s really only worth it if you have wide enough angle lenses to get it all in in one shot.
Once I was done at the Birthing Cave, around 6 am, I headed to Soldiers Pass for the next cave adventure.
Soldiers Pass Cave
I’ve seen this on social media lately, so figured I’d check it out! I’ve done this hike a couple of times (it takes you right by Seven Sacred Pools), so I was familiar with most of it… just not the exact route to the cave.
Unfortunately, I made too quick a left-hand turn towards the cave, which meant I bushwacked considerably more than I needed to. And, as all bushwacking experts know, you end up with quite a few scrapes and cuts. I did make it to the Soldiers Pass cave and enjoyed its peacefulness before a family of 7 wandered in. And that’s my cue to leave…
After I wrapped up this quick hike, I went to the hammock and ate.
I’m not really sure what meal it was, as it was only about 10:30, but it was also my second meal of the day. I think the hobbits would call it second breakfast, and I’m not disagreeing with anyone who knows Gandalf on a first-name basis.
Anyways, I got in a quick snooze before packing up in Sedona and heading down into the hot valley below.
I may have only been in Sedona for 12 hours, but I made every minute count.
Quick adventures like this remind me to always be grateful for what I’m able to do and the moments I can enjoy. A mere three months ago I had just wrapped up my fifth chemo treatment and had little idea what was going to happen to future-Alec. But now, as I’ve probably said before, we’re back to the regularly scheduled programming of adventuring as much as possible.
Other Sedona Caves to Know About
Keyhole Cave Sedona
Be careful climbing into the Keyhole Cave, as it can be a bit slippery going up and down.
Boyton Canyon
Requiring some bushwhacking, please remember the Leave No Trace principles when seeking this carve-out.
Enjoy the hunt for Sedona caves, ya’ll!
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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