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After a full day of touring and exploring, Gold Canyon was our final stop for the day. We had driven through this community on a previous occasion and noticed how beautiful the valley behind it was. Looking east, the southern side of Superstition Mountain was to our left and in the eastern distance were some charismatic mountains. Curious, I googled the location and discovered that there was a road into the valley and a trailhead (Peraltra Trail); I added it to our bucket list! We pulled into the community of Gold Canyon at days end and just in time for golden hour; our timing was perfect. The road east quickly turned to gravel, and it was dusty! Homes and the urban lights were still in view when I noted the many campers, tents, ATV’s, horse trailers and families enjoying the desert. Leaving them behind, we continued on until we came across a ravine that was laced with saguaro trees and with Superstition Mountain in distance, it completed the scene; it was in perfect. With our cameras in hand we walked carefully through the desert and eventually followed a meandering game trail. As the sun got closer to the horizon, the halos around the cacti were becoming bright and vivid. The vegetation was so lush and green (thanks to a recent rainfall) however because I shot this photograph directly into the sun the greenery was annihilated by the blasting sun. I love how the sun captures the horizontal lines of the saguaro trees, along with the higgledy-piggledy lines of the cholla. *Interestingly, saguaro trees don't grow their first side arm until they are 75–100 years of age, though some never grow any arms.
On Thanksgiving Day, 2017, we ventured out on our ATV’s for what was a truly adventurous and rewarding day. With my dear friends Ray and Karen we ventured out to Pettipeace Lake, a lake we had tried to get to a before but with each attempt we ran into obstacles; including knee deep snow, the disappearing daylight and a bridge washout. This time however we were prepared and set early with great anticipation of the day that lie before us! As we approached the bridge washout we were disappointed to see that, although it was still under repair, a huge mound of boulders blocked our way. So, what to do? With excited determination we pulled up our sleeves and went to work, moving the boulders one by one until finally, we made a path for the ATV's. “Yay!”, we were elated to be on our way, to the “elusive” Pettapeace Lake. As we gained altitude, we entered a fog bank and the dampness could be felt with every breath; it had grown bitterly cold. Soon, snow began to fall and stick to the road; "If the snow gets much deeper", we agreed, "we'll have to turn around". We pressed on and as we approached this lake, we were all in awe; I had never (ever) seen such a beautiful winter scene. "Wow!", we all commented, “unbelievable!” were the words that came out of our mouths. The spiritual serenity of this alpine view was majestic; truly Mother Nature at her best. We were so excited by the scenery and really wanted to continue on but we were losing daylight, and fast; it was time to turn around. As we descended, we raced the day's darkness, and we froze as we did! Our original plan was to return to my cabin, wash up, dress up and go to the local community’s Thanksgiving dinner however because we were running late, we chose to drive directly there. We arrived, wet, cold and dressed in our winter gear and we all had helmet hair; lol ..you can imagine the looks we got when we walked it.... Too funny !:-) That said however, being an off-grid community, everyone was more interested in our travels than our attire! Such fun! Such GREAT, great welcoming and embracing community! Our Thanksgiving dinner was the perfect ending to a perfect day! I'll never, ever forget this adventurous day we shared. Pettipiece Lake is a lake located just 19.7 north-east of Seymour Arm via logging/forestry roads; in the province of British Columbia, Canada.
In a previous fall photograph, I had made mentioned how difficult it was to find a fall woodland composition. Imagine then, my surprise when I happened upon this scene! “Wow”, I thought, “Thank you Mother Nature, you truly made this composition exceptional!" I absolutely love the vivid colors and how they are somewhat segregated (rather than in a mish-mash, as they usually are). Together, these elements create patterns and although there isn’t a particular subject, the red bushes in the middle certainly draw the viewer’s eye; ultimately the settling point. That said, I chose to crop out the sky because your eyes would have been drawn towards it (the brightness), and out of the photograph. This photo looks amazing on a wall. To view it on a wall, see the "SAMPLED Framed" section.
