ARIZONA GOLD ... AND RED, AND ORANGE

Autumn and Snow, Hart Prairie, Flagstaff

When most people think of Arizona, they think of desert and saguaros and the Grand Canyon. What they do not typically think of is vibrant fall colors, and that is ashame. While most leaf peepers are burning a trail east to favorite locations like Colorado, Upper Michigan and the New England states, those who choose to stay behind and explore the possibilities in Arizona will find themselves pleasantly surprised.

Autumn is represented in spades in Arizona and can be found throughout the state, even in the desert. Due to the state's many different environments and extreme variations in elevation, the fall season can be stretched from it's typical duration of a few weeks in most other areas of the country to a few months here. Contrary to popular belief, the leaves aren't just limited to the golden hues generally associated with autum in the west. Though yellow is certainly a dominant color, there are plenty of oranges and even vibrant reds to be found if one just knows where to look.

The fall season begins around the end of September in the high country regions of Flagstaff, the White Mountains, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is when the aspens turn to brilliant shades of gold. It is not uncommon for an early snow storm to roll in during the peak of color, dusting the yellow leaves in white and creating a magical scene. By mid to late October and into early November, the color has left the highest elevations of the mountains and moved down into areas such as Prescott, Sedona, Payson, and areas south of Tucson like the Chiricahua Mountains. These areas are ripe with maples, cottonwoods and sycamores and in turn are ablaze with colores ranging from bright yellow to crimson red. There is also plenty of water flowing through these regions, providing wonderful opportunities for reflections and close-ups of fallen leaves. By December fall is gone from all but the lowest elevations, but still lingers in the desert areas around Phoenix and Tucson. There are many riparion zones throughout the desert lined with cottonwoods and sycamores. These trees produce rich hues of gold and amber that stand out in vivid fashion against the otherwise monochromatic green hues of the surrounding desert. Giant saguaro cacti take their place amid these large colorful trees and act as a unique element to include within a photographic composition.

We have spent the past several months chasing autumn throughout our beautiful state to illustrate the possibilities. The following is a sampling of what we were able to capture. The photos were taken in Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona, Payson, Verde Valley and Phoenix. So, next year when the evenings begin to cool and the leaves begin to put on their annual show, consider packing up your camera and heading to Arizona to capture the brilliance of fall foliage at it's peak!