We had our first snow of the season in Flagstaff, Arizona last week (although snow had occurred much earlier in the nearby mountains) and it was a chance to photograph fall colors against the new snow. First stop was a grove of gambel oaks I had been watching for the past several weeks.
I had hoped for a light dusting of snow so that the leaves would stand out against the snow. Instead, several inches of snow fell and all but covered the leaves.
Gambel oak and several inches of fresh snow near Flagstaff.
The next stop was in Oak Creek Canyon. Snow cover was quickly diminishing at these lower elevations with only a partial covering remaining as I arrived at around 5500′ elevation.
Clouds swirl around the cliffs of Oak Creek Canyon as a light dusting of snow covers the canyon floor.
Additional snow fell that afternoon and evening and I returned the next morning to Oak Creek Canyon. The snow was a bit deeper this time and more widespread. And the cold temperatures of the previous days had resulted in a little more color in the leaves.
Maple leaves show their fall colors as snow lies on a fallen tree in Oak Creek Canyon.Finally! Some red appears in the maples this year.
A few days ago I visited a small side canyon in Oak Creek Canyon to photograph the late stages of fall color in the canyon forest. The trees weren’t showing as much color as they had in previous years. Many of the maple leaves displayed small dark spots and this may be similar to the disease that is infecting the Quaking Aspen at the higher elevations. Other explanations include the abnormally wet spring we had this year. Because of the moisture, many plants leafed and blossomed early. The fall has been wet and warm as well. All of this has resulted in an extended season for hardwoods that could be a contributing factor.
Here are a few images taken in the same location but in different years. The bright red leaves were widespread in 2013 but rare in 2015. Instead, we had mainly yellow leaves that were pale in color.
Oak Creek Canyon (2013).Oak Creek Canyon (2013).Oak Creek Canyon (2015). Note the spots and blotches on the leaves.Oak Creek Canyon (2015).
So, after a few hours of wandering around and being generally underwhelmed, I retraced my steps down the dry wash and walked towards Oak Creek. I hoped things might be more interesting near the water. And things were more interesting but not in the way I expected.
A pair of raccoon youngters in Oak Creek Canyon.
As I neared the water, I heard some rustling in the nearby trees and thought there might be a few squirrels scampering around. But the sound wasn’t right. It sounded…um…larger. A few minutes later, a pair of raccoon youngsters emerged from the trees. They took a look at me and decided I was not a threat and continued to forage for food.
Raccoon flicking his pink tongue.Raccoon youngster taking a good look at the photographer.
Sitting down, I pulled the camera out of the pack and began a two-hour “portrait” session with these critters. They would forage for a few minutes, look at me, then move on to another location. Eventually, they felt comfortable enough to approach me. Not wanting to have a close encounter with a raccoon because they may carry rabies, I would gently shoo them off. They obliged each time and went back to foraging.
Raccoons in Oak Creek Canyon.Raccoons in Oak Creek Canyon.
I was able to shoot a large number of photographs with them foraging, staring at me, climbing on trees and rocks, staring at me, wading in the water, and more. It was a thrill to be able to watch these two youngsters up close without either of us feeling threatened by the other.
It’s been an interesting fall around here with regards to precipitation. The December statistics for Flagstaff are interesting. Up through 12/29/2014, there had been 2.75″ of water equivalent (both rain and melted snow). Normal for this period is 1.60″. Snowfall, on the other hand, has been mighty scarce. There had been a total of 4.9 inches this fall/winter; normal should be closer to 26 inches. What a difference!
But all that changed dramatically with the arrival of a strong and cold winter storm on New Year’s Eve day and continuing into the New Year’s Day. Snow levels fell to very low elevations with this storm and photographers were flocking to their favorite locations to capture amazing images of the desert with snow. Even Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, received some snow from this storm.
An interesting aspect of this event was the cold front that pushed southward across the Great Basin and brought frigid air to southern Utah and northern Arizona just before the storm arrived. Then, when the precipitation began it fell into very cold air—and did not melt—resulting in snow accumulations around the very low elevations of Lake Powell and Page. This location is well known for being highly photogenic and the addition of snow makes it even better.
Closer to home, significant snow fell in Flagstaff (16-20 inches), Oak Creek Canyon, and Sedona. In fact, folks suggest this may have been the most snow from a single storm in several decades with 8-10 inches decorating the famous Red Rock Country.
And it was an amazing sight when the sun finally broke through the clouds.
Pillows of snow covers the rocks in Oak Creek.Snow decorates the red rock in Sedona, Arizona.Coffeepot rock in Sedona, Arizona.Cathedral Rock and the reflecting pools.Cathedral Rock reflected in Oak Creek.Sunset colors splash across the tree tops, red rocks, and snow in Sedona, Arizona.The Kachina Peaks with a rising moon from Garland Prairie, Arizona.Moonrise behind the Kachina Peaks .Moonrise behind the Kachina Peaks along with Earth Shadow and Belt of Venus.
Continuing with the thread in the previous post we have more images of fall colors in the Oak Creek Canyon area. This time, we explored a small side canyon known as Harding Springs. Although there is a trail, we chose to walk up the dry wash since the best colors were on trees in and near the stream bed. And we actually found a small trickle of water in a single location.
Fall colors in Harding Springs.A thin trickle of water in Harding Springs.
Later that day we hiked to the top of a rock formation known as Napoleons Tomb in Sedona so that we could watch the (nearly) full moon rise in the gap of Cathedral Rock. To make the image even better, hikers fortuitously positioned themselves in front of the moon. I wish I could say that I orchestrated this but it was just chance!
We’ve had several days of snow across northern Arizona with about 20 inches measured in Flagstaff — and lesser amounts in the lower elevations. Snow levels were low enough that Sedona recorded snow but little or no accumulation. That means that a few inches or more fell and accumulated in Oak Creek Canyon. When there is snow on the red rock the scenery can be amazing and worth photographing. Even if it’s cold outside.
Morning light illuminates the red rock walls of Oak Creek Canyon above Slide Rock State Park. (HDR image)
All things considered, it wasn’t too bad. Temperatures were in the mid-teens when I left Flagstaff and were in the mid-20s near Slide Rock State Park. This is much warmer than last year when I shot photographs at Slide Rock State Park.
Snow clings to the steep walls of Oak Creek Canyon. (HDR image)
To add to the visual interest, there were clouds clinging to the upper walls of the canyon that caught the early morning sun.
Wispy clouds swirl around the cliff tops of Oak Creek Canyon.
Because of the extreme dynamic range of light with dark shadows and brightly-lit snow I took multiple exposures and then experimented with HDR (high dynamic range) to tone map the results. Definitely a lot of fun but like many HDR images some of the results look a bit cartoonish. Nonetheless, presented here for your amusement.
Reflected sky in the deep pools of Oak Creek.
So, I’m glad I got up early and braved the cold. The photos were worth it. After I finished shooting, I headed to Indian Gardens Oak Creek Market for coffee and a bagel.
