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Summer Sanders, founder and chef at Local Juicery in Sedona
What is your favorite hike and why?
I love Seven Sacred Pools. It’s sentimental to me because we used to take our dog Shamus out there all the time. He passed on this year. The space is so lovely and easy to reach, yet the name is fitting. It is sacred.
How often do you hike?
Not as much as I would like! I often run up Sugarloaf Summit as a quick workout, but long hikes happen about once a month.
How long have you lived in Sedona?
I grew up in Sedona, surrounded by hiking and loveliness… Then I went to California for about 10 years. I’ve been back for 2 1/2 years now.
When did you first hike here and do you remember the trail?
I was just a little girl – we moved here when I was 3 years old. I remember West Fork with my mom as my first hike.
Where else have you hiked?
My favorite hike was in Lake Como, Italy. The mountains there are so enchanting. I also love hiking in Telluride, Colorado. I can’t say I’ve ever gone on a hike I didn’t love.
Who do you hike with?
I hike with my husband Mike and my little boy Henry.
Finish this sentence: When I go hiking, I don’t leave home without…
Water, sunscreen and green juice!
Seven Sacred Pools (Soldier Pass)
The Soldier Pass area is filled with not-so-secret gems such as the Soldier Pass Arches, a 50-foot-deep sinkhole called Devil’s Kitchen and the Seven Sacred Pools. The pools are filled with water year round, and during monsoon or after a winter storm, they turn into a raging river. Start your hike at the trailhead on Rim Shadows Drive. You’ll quickly come upon the aforementioned Devil’s Kitchen. Hike a half a mile, and you’ll reach Summer’s spot, Seven Sacred Pools. The pools are important watering holes for area wildlife. We’ve seen coyotes drinking out of them in the early morning hours. The surrounding area is lovely and perfect for sitting a spell. From Seven Sacred Pools, you can return the way you came for a one-mile hike or you can continue along Soldier Pass Trail, which ends 2.25 miles from the trailhead, to see the majestic Soldier Pass Arches and unique views of the back of Coffee Pot Rock. If you hike the entire trail, your hike will come in at 4.5 miles roundtrip.
MORE SEDONA HIKES: Sedona Monthly‘s 10 favorite hikes, Sedona day hikes, Hike of the Month
Download Sedona Monthly Hikes the Red Rocks: 30 of Our Most Memorable Treks at Amazon.com.
