It was a dry summer (driest on record in Flagstaff) and autumn hasn’t been too wet, either. And, yet, the autumn colors have been good. Very good, even, with leaves staying on the trees well into mid- and late October.

In early October, the aspen were changing colors on the north side of the San Francisco Peaks.

A week later, the leaves had already peaked along Waterline Road and were falling from the trees and covering the road.

As a bonus, we stopped to view the tree carvings, known as arborglyphs or dendroglyphs, made by Basque sheepherders.

The forecast calls for several breezy days and this may finally knock the rest of the leaves from the trees and onto the ground.

Bonus: Zion National Park along the swithbacks overlooking Pine Creek.