COLD PURSUIT

A PORTFOLIO EDITED BY JEFF KIDA AND KEITH WHITNEY

PRECEDING PANEL: Heavy snow lines a forest road north of the Flagstaff area's Lake Mary Road. On average, Flagstaff receives nearly 10 feet of annual snowfall, a product of the city's 7,000-foot elevation.

LEFT: A placid pond at Lockett Meadow, in the San Francisco Peaks, mirrors snow-covered evergreens and a few lingering hints of fall color. At press time, the road to Lockett Meadow remained closed to vehicles in the aftermath of the 2022 Pipeline Fire, but the area is accessible via hiking trails.

BELOW: An Arizona sycamore clings to its autumn-hued leaves amid wintry weather in Portal, a small town in Southeastern Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains. The Portal area's natural beauty and remoteness have made it a destination for birders, hikers and stargazers.

THERESA ROSE DITSON

NIKON D810, 1/800 SEC, F/13, ISO 160, 29 MM LENS

The frigid water of Oak Creek cascades over sandstone shelves at Slide Rock State Park, near Sedona. The park, named for a natural waterslide in the creek, is most popular during the summer months, but its dramatic scenery draws visitors throughout the year. VALERIE MILLETT

LEFT: Fresh snowfall dusts ponderosa pines near Greer, a small community in the White Mountains. Arizona is home to the largest continuous stand of ponderosa pines in North America, one that stretches from the Grand Canyon's South Rim to the New Mexico state line.

BELOW: State Route 260 offers a view of snowflocked evergreens below the Mogollon Rim. This vantage point is not far from the Rim Road (Forest Road 300), which is an excellent way to experience Rim Country during the warmer months of the year.

Heavy snow on the South Rim anchors a sunset view of storm clouds clearing from the Grand Canyon. This view is from Yavapai Point, just northwest of the South Rim's visitors center. CLAIRE CURRAN

The light of sunset illuminates the San Francisco Peaks in a view from the Kachina Wetlands Preserve, south of Flagstaff. The Peaks, the eroded remains of a stratovolcano that erupted some 500,000 years ago, are Arizona's highest mountain range and are topped by 12,633-foot Humphreys Peak, the highest point in the state.

Red sandstone hues in the Sedona area's Boynton Canyon contrast with a dusting of snow at sunrise. The Boynton Canyon Trail, which leads into the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness, offers an easy hike through the canyon's renowned scenery. LARRY LINDAHL