Somewhere Where It’s Quiet

Posted on by kritterspaw

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Now if that doesn’t describe where we live, I don’t know what does!

We live in the most amazing place, with the most amazing people, and the most amazing animals.  It is truly somewhere where it’s quiet.  Somewhere between the Mogollon Rim and Moqui Draw, surrounded by Potato Lake, Knoll Lake, and Blue Ridge Reservoir, and littered with elk, deer, bobcat, mountain lions, fox, and coyote.  This is what we call our home.

After the devastating Tinder Fire (https://kritterspaw.com/2018/05/02/tinder-fire/)  which we still continue to clean up from that raged in our backyards, we are blessed to have friends and neighbors helping each other out.

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And this is what it looked like BEFORE the fire.  My photo of Moqui Draw, now scarred by the Tinder Fire.

“At sunset, fog shrouds a ponderosa pine forest at Moqui Draw, along East Clear Creek in the Coconino National Forest.  This spot is about a mile southeast of State Route 87 and northeast of Potato Lake.”  Photograph by Kathy Ritter, published in the June 2018 Arizona Highways Magazine, just after the Tinder Fire devastated this very same area.

Mud Eagles

Posted on by kritterspaw

On the way to Flagstaff, we caught 2 bald eagles and a golden eagle hanging out outside of Lake Mary.

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Eagles are always a thrill to see.  I’m still waiting for that special opportunity of an eagle swooping down picking up a fish… but alas, just haven’t caught that yet.

In the meantime I’ll take every opportunity to just enjoy these majestic birds.

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This guy looked like he had been digging around in the mud as his white head was covered in mud.

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One thing I have learned… is to take the camera wherever we go.  It’s when we don’t bring it that we see animals.  Fortunately, this time I had it on hand and was able to get a few shots to capture the moment.

 

Bartlett Lake

Posted on by kritterspaw

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You know, I live in Arizona, and it still astonishes me the delta in temperatures and climates in a mere 3 hours.  I do believe the delta is getting larger as time goes on.  It used to be 20F, now it borders on 30 – 40F difference between northern AZ and the Phx area.  When we left our home in the mountains it was snowing, 20F with 4 inches of snow on the ground.

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When we arrived at Bartlett Lake, outside of Carefree, AZ, just 3 hours south, it was 78F, and people were in shorts and t-shirts.  Crazy!

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We soaked up the sun before heading back to our cool climate.

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Turkeys

Posted on by kritterspaw

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We were just talking about how we would love to see some different animals.   It’s not that I don’t love our deer and elk, but it would be nice to expand my wildlife photos.  Fortunately these turkey were very accommodating.

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Turkey are generally very elusive.  I don’t know how many times we have spotted them and I trekked over the forest trying to chase them down, and never saw them again.  Now that I think about it, that sounds pretty silly.

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These turkey (we saw 2), were most likely males.  You can see what looks like a tuft of elk hair sticking out of their chest, called a beard, which means they were probably males.  Although, oddly, about 10% of females also have the beards.  They also had blue cheeks and a dark almost metallic chest which are other indicators of a male.

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Most turkey found in AZ are Merriam turkeys.  However, these were the largest turkey’s I have ever seen… most we see are much scrawnier.  A Gould turkey is more rare as they became mostly extinct and are only slowly making a comeback in AZ, NM, and Mexico.  The Gould turkey is slightly larger than the Merriam turkey, and has white tipped tail feathers, which these have.

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Whichever variety they were, I has thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph them.

 

Elklings

Posted on by kritterspaw

 

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First it was the deer, now the elk.  We love the return of the animals.  It has been so dry.  No rain in the past or foreseeable future.  The weather is unpredictably warm.  Our plants and animals are confused beyond measure.  Bees are swarming late… baby animals are appearing late… and wild birds, normally migrated, are looking for food.

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Winter must be near… but the weather gods aren’t cooperating.  Maybe next week.  In the meantime, the animals are trying to fill up on whatever food and water they can get their mouths on…. including having elk and deer in the same space.

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We’ll enjoy what we get… when we get it.

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Rim Trees

Posted on by kritterspaw

It seems like forever since we have been to the Rim, the Mogollon Rim, that is.  I used to post photos from the Rim all the time, but life has been busy and we just haven’t taken the time.

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But last night was a great exception, and reminded us that we have to go out more often.  Put the shovel down and just GO!

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We camped at an awesome spot off of Milk Ranch Road.  The overlook was absolutely surreal.  I even managed to get a few star pix.

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Toroweap Overlook

Posted on by kritterspaw

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Toroweap Overlook is a viewpoint within the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, United States.  It is located in a remote area on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, 55 miles west of the North Rim Headquarters.

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Grand Canyon National Parks own brochure says it best:  “At 3,000 vertical feet (880 m) above the Colorado River, the sheer drop from Toroweap Overlook offers a dramatic view.  The volcanic cinder cones and lava flows in this ancestral home of the Southern Paiute people make this area unique. A visit to Tuweep provides an opportunity for an uncrowded, rustic, and remote experience.  Access is challenging and demands skill at negotiating difficult roadways.  Services are non-existent: there is no water, gas, food, lodging, or phone service.”

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Backcountry Permits are required from the Grand Canyon National Park in order to camp at one of their only 8 spots.  We felt lucky to reserve our permit in advance.  It made for a fascinating and stunning overlook for a few days.

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Da Bear

Posted on by kritterspaw

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When we moved up north, I think we had seen a grand total of 2 bears in our entire life time in the wild… and those were pretty fleeting and far away (except that one in Alaska – OMG, but never mind that!).

Since we’ve moved here we have seen 5 bears on the rim alone, including that one we found getting into our bird feeder on our front deck as we looked out our dining room window while having dinner!  But this one, we saw yesterday on the rim, was the biggest and best yet.  He stood on a log and looked right at me, as the light lit up his side.

Awesome!

Grand Canyon – North Rim

Posted on by kritterspaw

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We just got back from several days in the Grand Canyon.  Not the popular and tourist heavy South Rim… but the more out of the way North Rim.  More over.. not actually in the National Park itself, technically outside of the park.  We camped in the forest outside the Grand Canyon – North Rim, finding amazing spots that overlooked the back side of the Grand Canyon.

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We didn’t have to fight the crowds, or make reservations at jammed lodges for a year in advance.  We camped on our own, brought and ate our own wonderful meals.  We went for hikes along amazing trails and took in views that took our breath away.

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As I sat one morning, all by myself, waiting for the sun to come up over the canyons, I took pause to feel thankful for this amazing state we live in.  How fortunate I feel to live in a place where we can see this amazing landscape, in the solitude of my own company, feeling quite safe and extremely comfortable.

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As the light shifted and changed over the canyon walls I thought how challenging Arizona photographers have it to photograph these vast ravines and sprawling cliffs.  The shadows and light changing like a curtain being raised slowly over a work of art, waiting to see what moods today will bring about… clouds, blue sky, storms, dust, or haze.

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We camped in several stunning spots, including Jump Up Point, Crazy Jug, and Rainbow’s End Trails.  Each had their own beauty, foreground, and atmosphere.  It was a great peaceful, relaxing trip…. one we’ll have to do again.

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Buzzard Point

Posted on by kritterspaw

I have lived in Arizona most of my adult life.  While I was born in Phoenix, I have moved around quite a bit… but settled into AZ when I went to college, and never left.  I now live outside the big city, away from the traffic and the crazies.  The biggest drama I have these days is the elk eating my tulips… or the deer pooping in my drive way… Or where to go for our outings.

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We just got back from exploring some of the back roads outside of Flagstaff in the Woody Mountain Road (FR 213) region.  This area has some amazing overlooks that just continue to amaze me with their stunning beauty.  As long as I have lived in Arizona, I never tire of it’s wonderful vistas, stunning ridges, and deep canyons.

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This particular trip took us to Forest Road (FR) 792 outside of Flagstaff, and in particular Buzzard Ridge Point.  The end of the road yields this stunning overlook that just takes your breath away…. simply amazing.

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