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Sedona's Long Canyon Trail
STORY BY BETTY MARVIN * PHOTOGRAPHY BY BERNADETTE HEATH
A pre-sunrise glow defines low storm clouds that hug the surrounding mountains as we park in the small pull-in at Long Canyon Trailhead near Sedona, Arizona.
"I hope the sun peeks through!" says photographer Bernadette Heath as she shrugs her 40-pound camera pack over her shoulders. Ahead, red rock rises in ripples, striating from terra-cotta to cream.
A half mile into the seven-mile round trip, Heath glances behind us. "Look at that mountain!" she whispers. "That light ... it's gorgeous!" Not yet shed of its morning mist, the southerly Capitol Butte Range ducks in and out of gauzy clouds. A broad shaft of golden light suddenly breaks through, lighting the mountains' crown as if on cue. Whip out the tripod, clap on the camera and snap, snap before it fades.
"It just gets better and better!" she says.
Even point-and-shoot photographers can feel like pros when hiking the red rock country around this rapidly developing town. There's hardly a bad picture to be framed, especially on a misty day with an occasional sunshine spotlight. Long Canyon is just one of dozens of spectacular hikes and car tours in the area. Consequently, as a town nestled among some of the world's most exquisite scenery, Sedona struggles to balance the need to accommodate the inevitable crush of visitors with the need to protect the environment that draws them. ...
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The March/April 2003 Issue is out. Find it at Las Vegas bookstores today.
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