Attention Arizona Photographers!

I got tired of the serious lack of Fall Color info that does/doesn't float around every year. To that end, I've decided to do a little experiment using Google Groups.

Arizona is sort of the 'forgotten state' when it comes to color. We all know better. I can name 15 places off the top of my head that have world class displays every single year. I'm sure most of you can as well.

The idea is that everyone can post up any color reports they've got, anything they've seen, what's peak, what's past, etc etc. It's all centralized in one place, easy to search, and best of all: up to date!

So, if this sounds appealing, head on over to the google groups page and join up. If you like it, please invite others. The more people that participate, the better it will be. And seeing as I've missed nearly everyone with the initial round of invites..

I'm brand new to Google Groups, so it might take a little while to iron out any kinks in the system. Questions? Comments?

THank you!

Great idea, Kurt! I'll head on over and sign up.

Perhaps next time we can just do a thread here. I'd love to keep up with the color conditions down there.

Wait, you've got the Grand Canyon, the outstanding desert, Superstition Mtns., and everything else down there, and now you're telling me you have aspen? Not fair!

More aspen, maple, and oak than you can possibly shake a million sticks at, Morris ;)

Thanks. Wondering if there will be any color left during final week of October.

Bill Brennan

Erik: the group is open to public viewing, you're more than welcome to look/join/post/whatever. I figured it would be easier to use that than to keep a thread going here for 6-8 weeks. Fall is nearly neverending in Az. It moves from 11k to Sea Level, and we have 11k near Utah AND near Mexico, so the season just goes and goes.

Sure Bill, tons of it! Won't be aspen, but every mid-elevation canyon in the state will be going crazy with color that week.

Hey Kurt. Thanks for spearheading this. My daughter lives in Phoenix and I travel to AZ regularly so it will be good to have a reference. In fact, I'm planning a trip from Oct 29 to Nov 1 to Sedona in an attempt to catch some fall colors in Oak Creek Canyon.

"..but every mid-elevation canyon in the state will be going crazy with color that week."

Including Canyon de Chelly.

Kurt, this looks like a great idea! You're going to have me trying to justify trips to Arizona for the next month. Any interest in expanding your scope to include New Mexico as well? We're another place that has a lot of unknown color, especially down south. Though honestly, I might be a little surprised if you hear form anyone besides me.

I'm sure we could pop some NM links in to the Pages on there, Jackson. But I think you may be right about any "on-the-ground" current conditions updates - not many here from NM. I've seen on USFS that there's a lot of peak color there already. Some of the best color in the state is right over the border from you guys, you may want to consider heading over. It'll be peak in something like a week I'd think. Feel free to come on in and update us on the color there.

Also: where are all of you guys?! I know there's tons of AZ people around here. Join up!

Kurt, maybe put a post in the Nature Photography discussion forum? I know that some Arizona NPN folks (Joel Hazelton comes to mind) don't really hang out with us much on the RMNP page.

I was giving a lot of thought to visiting Escudilla this year, but I'm not sure I quite see it happening. But I'm definitely hoping to find some color in the Gila in a couple weeks. Do you know anything about possibilities in the Blue Range Primitive Area (thinking more of maples down in the canyons than aspens up high)?

That's a good idea Jackson. I'll head over and do that. I actually emailed Joel about it before I started it, but haven't heard back. He's a pretty busy guy, I imagine he'll show up eventually. I got a few others that aren't in here often has well, but haven't really heard back from anyone.

Escudilla is still far off peak, as far as I know. According to the USFS the only color is high up on the NW side. The weather as of today is taking a huge turn for the "worse", so it should accelerate very quickly. Flagstaff, as of 2 days ago, had near zero color anywhere - but it did just snow on the peaks, so we'll see.

I can't say that I know much about the Blue Range, though I've always wanted to go. I've had a few friends that have run in to wolves out there. The whole area is sooo high up. I know that Todd Martin has some great write-ups dealing with the canyons there. Check out toddshikingguide.com.

Numerous weather updates and color predictions are up.

When I returned to Flagstaff yesterday afternoon from CO, it appeared that the north side of the SF Peaks was about 25% yellow. The south side is still all green. Too bad that the trail to Lockett Meadow and inner basin is still closed due to the Schulz fire.

From looking at photodates on Derek VB's website, it appears that West Fork peaks normally around Oct 15-19, and that the trees near Cathedral Rock on Oak Creek the first week of November.

Thanks for the update Doug, I've added it to the group. I used to run in to Derek almost constantly when I lived up there. ;)

This was in Tuesday's AZ Daily Sun (Flagstaff Paper)

Fall color update

-- Upper Hart Prairie Road from Highway 180 to FR418 had some fully-turned stands of young aspen high up on the hillsides that sprouted a decade ago in the wake of the Hochderffer fire. The massive, mature grove off FR418 at the Arizona Trail had not turned, however.

-- Forest Road 794 had some fully-turned stands at its eastern end, as seen with binoculars from Snowbowl.

-- The massive grove of young aspen along Highway 180 at the sharp curve about halfway between Wing Mountain and the Nordic Center had fully returned, but half of the stand has died, the victim of a fungus.

-- Up Snowbowl Road, the aspens at Aspen Corner had not yet turned, nor the aspens along the Kachina Trail. A grove of mature aspens directly across the Hart Prairie ski trail from the lower Snowbowl parking lot had partially turned.

Bottom line: Most of the aspen on the south and west-facing slopes of the Peaks are still at least a week away from fully turning.

I took a drive this evening to SnowBowl. The smaller trees were yellow, but the taller mature aspens were still green. the large grove across the hart prairie ski run was still green. Looks like a hike to Doyle Saddle from the south maybe 50%
Hart Prairie Road was better/more yellow and the further north, the more towards peak. The nothwest slpoe of the peaks was getting real close to peak. Any heavy rains/winds with the incoming storm this Sun-thursday may knock off some leaves
On Hwy 180, it seemed peak north of the Nordic Center. There were a few places where the tornados got some trees along the