Shelley Shows her mettle

Doe Mountain is a funny name for a mesa - and totally flat on top it is, but getting up there is a 400 vertical foot climb zig zagging across a very steep slope.  For the most part the trail is quite narrow often with a good drop off to one side and plants with sharp spines on the other.   It's only about half a mile to the top but it comes with huff and puff. And the need to be sure footed.

 Steep slope

 The top - Flat as a table

View from the top

 A bit easier going down

To add to it all some of the rocks are loose, and others are angled and coated with a fine sand which does not help traction.  And because it is on the list of 10 top hikes in Sedona it's more crowded than many - which means there are young whippersnappers coming up from behind,

 

 Whippersnappers descending after passing us going up.


old coots like us unwilling to tempt gravity and dance down the loose scree, and more slowed things some. 

On the way up it gives a chance to catch breath, on the way down it adds to the chances of something soft to land on if things go wrong.

 A view on the way down.

 Narrow trail

 Rocky and steeply up

Not all of it was steep which was a relief.