WINTER

WINTER IS BEST MET ON A MOUNTAINSIDE, when the snow is heavy on the branches of the pine and spruce, and the sunlight turns the snow crust into a layer of sparkling diamonds, an emperor's hoard of precious jewels. In the winter-bound forest there is the silence of the cathedral, broken only by the cracking of a tree branch heavy with snow. The noisy life of the forest, the forest song of summer made up of the drone of insects, the chatter of birds, the caperings and hurryings of small creatures on their ways of business and merriment all is stilled under the mantle of winter. There is life in the for-est, but it is muted. The pattern of tracks the animals leave in the snow marks the activity there, but one knows the forest dwellers are wise to the ways of the world and the weather. They stay indoors, snug and warm in their secret places, as much as possible. Their peregrinations are for the grim business of sustaining life; never for the frivolities of spring and summer.

The breath of winter on the mountainside is crisp and fresh, as if the snow that came so quietly the night before served as a purifier. Unlike winter in a city, there is a laundered cleanliness to the colder season on the mountainside that proclaims that the world is clean and good. The season in the city is a drab affair, at best. The smoke of a million fires turns the snow into a gray-black dreariness that is ugly and depressing. The soul of man rails against the bleak monotony. Relief is sought indoors near the crackling fire.

As an abundance of sunshine is responsible for summer, so the lack of sunshine is responsible for winter. The explanation is simple: Merely a few notes in the astronomer's book. The earth pursues its merry way in a circular orbit around the sun, taking one year to complete the journey.

ADAM SCHALLAU Considered for Grand Canyon: Earth and Sky, January 2021 On New Year's Day, fresh snow blankets the South Rim of the Grand Canyon between Mather and Yavapai points. The South Rim averages about 5 feet of snow per year, while the North Rim, which is 1,000 feet higher, typically receives about 12 feet annually.

A winter storm begins to clear from the Grand Canyon, allowing sunlight to bathe Isis Temple in warm light. While heavy winter snow is common at the Canyon's higher elevations, it's much rarer in the depths of the gorge. Phantom Ranch, for example, sees less than 1 inch of snow annually.

Considered for The Journal, January 2021 The swirling water of Oak Creek rushes past fresh banks of snow in Oak Creek Canyon, just north of the Sedona area. State Route 89A, which traverses the canyon via a series of switchbacks, is a popular year-round destination for sightseers but can be icy during winter.

JACK DYKINGA

Considered for It's Time You Get to Know Jack, September 2021 Aspen trunks cast long shadows on newly fallen snow and dried stalks of mullein (genus Verbascum) in Northern Arizona's Coconino National Forest. While aspens and snow are native to this part of the state, mullein is not native to North America and is considered an invasive species.

JACK DYKINGA

Considered for It's Time You Get to Know Jack, September 2021 Fog, fresh snow and the rising sun combine to form a wintry desert scene among saguaro cactuses at the Tucson area's Saguaro National Park. While saguaros tolerate occasional snowfall, they aren't fans of freezing temperatures, which is why they typically grow on sunny, southfacing slopes.

Considered for Winter Wonderland. December 2021 A gnarled tree juts from Yaki Point, on the Grand Canyon's South Rim, as a snowstorm obscures the view into the Canyon. More than 1,700 vascular plant species, along with 167 types of fungus and 64 species of moss, are found within the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park.

KATHY RITTER

Considered for Back Cover, January 2021 A mule deer considers its situation amid fresh and falling snow in a Northern Arizona forest of ponderosa pines. Mule deer are the most numerous and widespread of Arizona's big-game animals: In 2021, an estimated 105,000 mule deer resided in the state, and their range includes all of Arizona except the extreme southwest corner.

Considered for The Other Side of the Rainbow, August 2021 A winter storm clears from the Rainbow Bridge area, leaving patches of snow on the bridge and heavier snowfall on distant Navajo Mountain. Rainbow Bridge, just across the Arizona state line in Utah, is typically visited via boat from Lake Powell, but some hikers access it via trails on the Navajo Nation.

TOM BEAN

Considered for Back Cover. January 2021 A bobcat (Lynx rufus) hunts its next meal in a snowy meadow off Lake Mary Road in the Flagstaff area. Found throughout Arizona (and in most of the United States), bobcats can often be spotted in backyards, and while they aren't typically dangerous to humans, they sometimes prey on small pets.

JOSEF MUENCH

Snow covers the Grand Canyon in a view from the South Rim. Photographer Josef Muench, a prolific Arizona Highways contributor for several decades, made more than 200 trips to the Canyon during his career.

PAUL GILL

Considered for Your Wildest Dreams! November 2021 The frigid water of Workman Creek flows past snow-laden ponderosa pines in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness of Central Arizona. Known for its numerous archaeological sites and relative inaccessibility, this 20,000-acre wilderness area is a popular destination for photographers and backpackers.

GERRY GROEBER

Considered for Contents, April 2021 The last full moon of 2020 rises amid low clouds at the Grand Canyon, as seen from Mather Point on the South Rim. “I normally don’t get emotional out in the field, but this moonrise was one of those times,” photographer Gerry Groeber says. “I was photographing the latest snow that had fallen on the Canyon. The sun was setting, the clouds had begun to glow, and the temperature had dropped below freezing. I hadn’t planned on shooting the moonrise, but as I was framing an image, I glanced across the Canyon and saw the full moon begin to make its way over the edge. It was a perfect ending to a not-so-perfect year.”

20 | ARIZONA HIGHWAYS