Fall (or autumn, if you prefer) is over in northern Arizona. Peak fall colors started high on the peaks back in September and have been working their way down to lower elevations. The peak moved through Oak Creek Canyon in mid November.
The North Wilson Trail climbs out of Oak Creek Canyon and goes through a stand of maple trees. Leaves on trees and on the ground make this a favorite for fall photographs.
A few years ago and saw this little guy sitting at the base of the tree on the North Wilson Trail. He was still there on this year’s hike but was starting to lean over a bit so we set him upright. Never know what you’ll find on a hike.
Not really about fall colors but we spotted this little gnome statuette off to the side of the trail. Never know what you will find on a hike!Water cascades over boulders before entering a large and deep pool at Grasshopper Point in Oak Creek Canyon.A shady stretch of Oak Creek with fall colors.Trees and grasses with reflections at Grasshopper Point in Oak Creek Canyon.sshopper Point in Oak Creek Canyon.A small cascade at the lower end of Grasshopper Point in Oak Creek Canyon.Brightly colored trees at Indian Gardens in Oak Creek Canyon.Late afternoon colors are reflected in the waters of Oak Creek.Late afternoon colors are reflected in the waters of Oak Creek.
A few days ago we did a trail run down Kelly Pocket to the confluence with Pumphouse Wash. This is about 6 miles round trip. We started from the upper end and ran downhill to the confluence then turned around and ran back up to our starting point. It was interesting that my running times were about 1 minute per mile faster on the uphill.
Water flows through erorded channels in the sandstone in Kelly Canyon.Trees and sky are reflected in the narrow and shallow pool.A shallow pool in Kelly Canyon.Several larger pools can be found at the confluence of Kelly Canyon and Pumphouse Wash
We stopped to take some photos (maybe that was why the downhill was slower) of the canyon. It was nice to see that there remained some water in several pools and these were very pretty in the morning light.
The trail in Kelly Canyon.This used to be a fun ramp for mountain bikes up and over the downed tree. But time has taken its toll and both the ramp and tree .
In just a few more weeks the leaves will be changing color and this small canyon will be worth another visit.
Storms in August were more plentiful than in July although there were still some extended breaks in the monsoon. Rainbows remained elusive for me. I was able to photograph a few that displayed short segments but I never captured a full rainbow. Lightning, on the other hand, was plentiful and I did well in that genre.
Here is a partial summary of August monsoon photography.
04 August 2024
Mormon Lake Overlook is a short drive from Flagstaff and affords an amazing 360° view. This was one of the many days with only a partial rainbow but the juxtaposition of the rainbow and the tree in the grasslands of Anderson Mesa was a pleasing composition. A few minutes later the Sun beautifully illuminated some light rain falling from a dissipating thunderstorm. The color was intense and only lasted a few minutes.
A short segment of a rainbow above the grasslands of Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.A curtain of light rain from a dissipating thunderstorm is brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun.
The upside to the epic Winter we recently experienced is the tremendous amount of snow melt that filled many of the lakes across northern Arizona. Over the past several weeks we have visited several of these by car, mountain bike, running, and hiking.
Upper and Lower Lake Mary (27 April 2023).
This is one of my favorites. It shows Upper Lake Mary, a portion of the spillway, and Lower Lake Mary. It’s also nice that there is a nice mirror reflection of the trees in the water. This shot is only possible when both lakes are full.
Earlier we had visitied Marshall Lake. It’s not as full as it was a few years ago but considerably better than the past several years.
Marshall Lake, Coconino National Forest (20 April 2023).
We did a trail run along the Arizona Trail on top of Anderson Mesa and visited Prime Lake and Vail Lake, both with lots of water.
Prime Lake, Coconino National Forest (24 April 2023).Descriptive sign at Prime Lake.Vail Lake on Anderson Mesa, Coconino National Forest (24 April 2023).
Here are some additional images of Lake Mary taken on various days in April.
Upper Lake Mary.The outlet on Upper Lake Mary and inlet on Lower Lake Mary.
We rode our mountain bikes up Schultz Pass Road to Schultz Tank. It has been a small puddle the past two seasons but is once again full.
Schultz Tank is full (01 May 2023).
Finally, we did a short hike through the upper portions of Pumphouse Wash to this set of cascades.
Cascades along the upper portions of Pumphouse Wash, Coconino National Forest (03 May 2023).Pumphouse Wash.Series of cascades that terminates in a large and deep pool on Pumphouse Wash.
The snow melt is done and we are now in our dry season. Lake levels and stream flows will diminish until the summer rainy season starts in July.
