When is it Going to Rain?

 

Lupine in the ferns, Mogollon Rim Country, Arizona

Fire season.  We in the southwest are waiting impatiently for the monsoon rains.  In Yarnell we’re edgy about fire in general.

My husband and I had planned a trip to the North Kaibab Forest, Gypsy the dog’s first real time out in the camper.  The day before we left, that area shut down because of the Mangum fire.  We pivoted, choosing another high – altitude area (it’s June after all), the Mogollon Rim.

The Rim forms the southern end of the vast Colorado Plateau.  It is named for Don Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollón, a Spanish Governor of New Mexico in the 18th century.

I love to start camping trips on a Sunday, watching the weekend exodus and enjoying solitude in the forest.

 

First Light on fire-damaged tree, Mogollon Rim Country Arizona

For our first stop, we sacrificed photogenicity for dog play, camping at the head of a trail which took us to a creek with deep pools.  We knew she was a water lover, but what fun to watch her work up the courage to swim in water over her head.

 

Cradled Oak, Mogollon Rim Country Arizona

Random exploration payed off again, as we found a deserted area tucked into pristine ponderosa pines and Gambel oaks, lupines and fern.  My husband is naturally restless, but even he liked this spot enough to spend two nights.  Layover days are conducive to naps and hammock time, between hikes.

 

Forest Abstract, Mogollon Rim Country Arizona

I had time, too, for experimenting with “intentional camera movement” and the image above is two of those images combined in photoshop.  It’s an abstract which retains an almost subliminal feel of the forest.

 

Smoke-enhanced Rim Sunrise Arizona

On our last night we took in one of my favorite spots, a quiet cove on the Rim’s edge.  We’d smelled smoke from the Bush Fire (50-60 miles away) through the whole trip, and from this spot, the rising sun filtered through the smoke plume. 

 

Lichen on the sandstone

As we sat on the edge, we thought for the hundredth time, “When is it going to rain?”

More is on the new Mogollon Rim Country Gallery on the website.