Sanctuary Cove Loop

Well, friends, this trek did not go as expected. By now you know that I do quite a bit of research before heading out on a hike. Most of the time I'm by myself so I want to have some kind of idea about what to expect. This one had plenty of reviews; easy, peaceful, I took my toddlers with no problems. Yeah, right, they took their toddler. Read on...

Heading from the parking lot, the trail is flat and pretty wide. When something is advertised as serene and peaceful, that's what I would expect; an easy stroll through inspirational quotes that lead you to the Prayer Circle where you can just really absorb the energy and reflect. Fortunately, I started out on the left side of the trail, so I came to the Prayer Circle pretty quickly. Since I was there alone, I took a few moments to walk through the spiral, leave a few things weighing on my heart, and absorb a little bit of higher energy. Then I went on toward the rest of the loop.

As I mentioned, the beginning of the trail was really easy. They had signs clearly marking the path and signs naming some of the cacti, which I appreciated because on my first hike I thought the palo verde was mesquite (even though 'verde' literally means 'green' and the branches and leaves were clearly a bright green). Anyway, the signs on this path straightened me out. One of the notes that I read was that there were spots with meditation prompts throughout the trail, this wasn't really accurate. I would call the quotes more inspirational. Regardless, they were a reason to stop and enjoy the view.

"Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling."

~ Margaret Lee Runbeck

Another reason to stop was because the path became really rocky. After seeing the "Rattle Snake Area" sign at the last trail, you can believe that I was looking around every rock and, in every bush, to make sure there were no snakes. At one point, while scanning ahead, I noticed that the trail had become much steeper and was completely rocks, no more sturdy sand. And this is where I thought to myself, "What parent brought their toddler here to climb up these rocks?" Here's where my "mom" brain went: any toddler would likely be using their hands because of how steep it was, and there are probably snakes and bugs and gross moss or something, and any sort of tumble would result in being stuck with some kind of sticker from a cactus. Also, I was huffing and puffing so there is no way a toddler could do this hike. We're just gonna believe that to be true and assume (yes, I used that word intentionally) that they kept their toddler on the flatter trails below.

Continuing on the path, I was astounded at how close I came to the boulders at the top of the mountain. Every time the path leveled out and I thought I had come to the top, there was another incline, and I got closer to those rocks. It was pretty awesome. So was the view. At the bottom, I could only see the mountain on the other side of the valley. But at the top, I could see it all. Cities in the desert are always so subtle. It's like they are hiding. You can never really tell how big the city is until you climb a mountain, or the sun goes down so you can see the lights.

"Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart."

~ Carl Jung

When I finally did get to the top, I was so thankful that I was gifted some hiking poles for Christmas. These old knees were thankful, too. Not only did they provide support, but I could test out the rocks below to make sure they didn't move, and they make noise so all the snakes would know I was coming and go away before I crossed their path. Again, let's just agree with my line of thinking and move on.

This side of the loop was much less steep than when I came up, which made the trek down somewhat easy. As I reached the bottom, I was greeted with packed dirt and a flat path that led to a little chapel. I peeked in to find a small room with two rows of brick benches and a little pulpit at the back. I chose to stay outside and sit on the bench in front of the building to take in the view one last time before heading out.

Even though it was challenging for me, I loved this trail. It provided everything; fresh air, beautiful views, increased heart rate, fear of whatever wild things might greet me, inspiration, a sense of accomplishment, and serenity. One of the suggestions from the reviews was to come during sunrise, and I bet that experience is nothing short of mesmerizing. I'll let you know if I come back for that show.