Pontatoc Canyon Sunset Hike

Sunsets in Arizona are some of the best I have seen anywhere. The combination of consistently great weather, open views, and some interesting topography means that they rarely disappoint. As we wrapped up the first couple days of work from “home” at our Airbnb, I decided to go for an evening hike to enjoy one of those sunsets. I started up the Pontatoc Canyon Trail about an hour before the sun set with the goal of climbing up far enough to see the sun set in the valley behind me. As soon as I started there were great views up the sides of the canyon, as well as out across the foothills towards Tucson.

Looking up towards the top of Pusch Ridge
Looking down the trail to the west

As I continued up I started to get further and further into the canyon I got more and more worried that I was going to end up without a good view of the sunset. I kept picking up the pace, hoping to get to where the trail climbed up out of the bottom of the canyon. It turns out my planning was correct though, and I soon started heading up the left side of the canyon and into the setting sun. Once I found a nice spot it was time to get out the camera and enjoy the view.

Looking up at the Pontatoc Cliffs

As I sat enjoying the view the sun lowered down into the valley, lighting up everything around me in an orange glow. The Pontatoc Cliffs just across the canyon were particularly bright and impressive. The colors were so intense that some of the phots just looked fake.

Shortly before the sun fully set I started back down the trail. I didn’t really want to hike out in the dark, so I rapidly worked my way back down the trail. As I did the color deepened, and the sun sank below the horizon. I snapped a couple quick photos before continuing down the trail.

A saguaro silhouetted in the setting sun

I made it back to the trailhead just as it was getting too dark to see clearly. The last bits of light were still lighting up the ridge, but the stars had started to come out. Another great hike in the desert.

I could just barely see the stars from this view to the east as I finished the hike

Taken 2/18/21

A Change of Pace at Catalina State Park

Early this spring we finally found the opportunity to travel out to Arizona to see my parents. As you might expect, travel in a pandemic is extra stressful so we were very happy to get outside and enjoy the excellent desert weather as soon as we arrived. We headed out to Catalina State Park for a tour of some of the burn scars from the Bighorn Fire that swept through here last summer.

The landscape was noticeably more brown than normal, but only on the left side of this hill
A badly burned saguaro

As the trail made it’s way up the hillside we quickly encountered signs of the fire. Many areas were thinned out, and some were completely barren. The fire was clearly very erratic though, as some areas appeared to be untouched. The shells of doomed saguaros were a sad sight along the trail. Somehow they continued to stand strong, but many will clearly not make it. However, there were also signs of life among the damage. Some cacti seemed like they might be able to survive, and new growth was already starting at the base of the bushes and trees.

Not sure how this young saguaro will fare, but we wished it well
The bush may be charred, but still it comes back

The way back down the loop took us through some areas which were entire unscathed in the fire. The contrast was remarkable, with far more underbrush and grass. It was a very interesting combination of sights, and I’m sure we will be back to watch it all come back.

The setting sun lighting up the mountains above us
The sun setting over the state park road

In true Arizona style, we were treated to a marvelous sunset as we approached the trail head. It was a great way to kick off our desert trip.

Taken 2/16/21

2/6/21 Ashland State Park

Here are a few quick photos from a recent trip around Ashland State Park’s lake with some friends. It was a great day, with beautiful weather and some relatively fresh snow. Given that I had been here just a few weeks earlier I mostly just enjoyed the walk and the company, but I’ll share a few photos anyways. Enjoy!

1/31/21 Mt. Liberty at Sunrise

You know what is both a great and terrible idea? Climbing a 4459′ mountain to watch the sun rise. On the one hand, you are guaranteed to get an unobstructed view of the horizon. On the other hand, you need to get up at 3:30 AM to leave enough time to get to the trail head and climb to the summit before the sun is up. Despite the early wake up though, I enjoyed it the whole time. It started off bitterly cold (-3 degrees Fahrenheit) from the trail head. It didn’t take long though for the trail to start heading up hill and I quickly warmed up a bit. The trail was pretty much straight up the hill, so it was just steady climbing for 3 hours to get to the ridge and my first glimpse of the pre-dawn sky.

My first hint of the color to come

From there is was just a short walk up to the summit itself. I quickly discovered that I had gotten extremely lucky, because even though it was only about 5 or 10 degrees out, there was no wind. As a result I was able to get set up right on the summit rock and take my time capturing the early light as it started to spill over the ridges around me.

The first view I took in was looking up the ridge to Mt. Lafayette. It hung over me as I climbed the last half mile to the summit, and was the closest peak around. It was neat to watch it change color, gain new shadows, and start to really glow in the morning light as the sun came up.

Mt. Lafayette just before I reached the summit. Not much color yet here
The summit in full light just before I headed back down
The not quite risen sun projects a ribbon of pink above the summit
The first hint of light

The second area to catch my attention was the view out to the west. Given how steep the descent back into Franconia Notch is, the mountains on the other side look so close, but also so separate from Mt. Liberty. The view was divided into two groups, with Mt. Moosilauke on the left, and the Kinsman and Cannon range on the right.

Both ranges with a purple band of color above them
The summit of Moosilauke touched by the sun, with the valley in the early morning blue glow
Mt. Cannon just before the sun hits the ridge
Mt. Moosilauke as I headed back towards the valley

The most spectacular views though had to be to the east, where the rising sun created an incredible contrast between the dark and shadowed valleys, with the warm sun climbing into the sky. There were no clouds to light up, but seeing the ridges, snow, and rocks glowing with the first light was enough for me.

The moment of sunrise and the first light on the summit
The valley starts to brighten up as the sun gets higher

After spending a half an hour running around the summit with my camera, I took some time to appreciate the solitude and quiet of this place. The combination of the still air, piercing sun, and snow all around really made it feel like I had the entire mountain to myself. It made the early start completely worth it. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end at some point though, and I soon started back down the mountain. It was a quick and relatively easy descent with a mix of fast hiking and a bit of glissading. I started to pass more and more people the lower I got on the mountain, end even got a few puzzled looks as they thought about the timing of my descent.

Frost crystals on a frozen puddle
Don’t these look like mini ice ferns?

Once I arrived at the trail head again it was back to our cabin for the morning to catch up on my sleep and relax for the day. We went out again in the afternoon for another hike and also went into town for a nice dinner again. Always a glutton for punishment though, I decided to head back out for a couple of photos of the stars at the Old Man of the Mountain historical site. Let’s just say I didn’t get up very early the next morning.