Winter
Winter in the desert is a special time. The mild temperatures allow for unhurried exploration without the persistent threat of heat exhaustion, and the diminished sunlight creates longer shadows and crisper vistas. It’s a time of relief for many plants and animals (and people, too), when winter rains rejuvenate parched and baked landscapes and the soil can hold onto this moisture longer than a day. Rare cold storms that bring snow to the low elevations create an almost mystical scene that, unfortunately, is all too brief. Capturing these moments often means being lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
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Snow covers saguaros and Mount Ord, vertical.
Winter snow and forest west of Flagstaff.
Snow in the Sonoran Desert, horizontal.
Low winter clouds and snow on the rugged north slope of Mount Ord.
Snow-capped prickly pear cactus near Slate Creek.
Crowns of snow atop saguaros in Tonto Basin.
Saguaro forest in winter near the Peralta Trailhead in the Superstition Mountains.
A chilly winter scene north of Mount Ord.
Layered metamorphic rocks emerge from a winter storm.
A snow-covered corral north of Mount Ord.
The snow-covered west face of the Superstition Mountains.
A lone volcanic mountain looms above a saguaro cactus forest near the Peralta Trailhead in the Superstition Mountains.
A quiet snow-covered meadow northwest of Flagstaff.
Sunrise greets the quiet icy slopes of Mount Ord.
Homes below the snow-covered southern face of the Superstition Mountains.
A four-wheel drive explores the Superstition Mountains after a winter storm.
Stately saguaros illuminated by rays of sunlight for just a moment in front of the snow-covered Superstition Mountains.
Pristine oak woodlands of the Santa Rita Mountains the day after a winter storm.
Saguaros cling to a snow-covered slope near Buzzards Roost.
A temporary stream in the desert after a winter storm south of the Superstition Mountains.
Melting snow caps a small cactus clinging to a cliff as snow blankets the Superstition Mountains.
The desert in winter on the northeast side of Four Peaks.
Ice crystals on pebbles near Slate Creek.
Shimmering rock, snow, and life form an interplay of light and texture.
Snow-covered landscape near Kohl's Ranch.
A natural cactus garden near the Superstition Mountains soaks in the winter storm.
Hedgehog cactus, textures and colors in the desert of winter.
Snow-capped Boulder Mountain in the southern Mazatzal Mountains framed by saguaros.
Spiny hedgehog cacti wear small crowns of snow.
Chain-fruit cholla cactus frames the snow-covered Superstition Mountains.
A starburst of winter pine and aspen.
Snowy winter scene west of Flagstaff.