Mitten Ridge from Midgely Bridge

Just before Arizona's Oak Creek begins its southern descent into Sedona, Wilson Canyon converges with the creek. Looking across the canyon at Mitten Ridge: seen here is Mitten's Fin, Teapot Rock and Giant's Thumb late in the day. Clocks of oak, juniper and pine hem the walls of Mitten Ridge. A little local lore : Richard Wilson was killed by a grizzly bear in 1885, in the area now called Wilson Canyon. That's the story most locals hear. The rest of the story is, he also killed the bear. Fifty years later, grizzlies in Arizona became totally extinct. Perhaps that's why the rest of the story goes untold. People may not have memorialized Wilson had they known that the bear attacked when he was already full of lead. Today, the more bashful black bears are the only reminders of the dramatic events at Wilson Canyon. March 4, 2009