Of all the States we visit on our trek across America,  Arizona is one of the most photogenic. Home to ancient peoples as well as such natural wonders as the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, Sedona and Monument Valley, every corner seems to have something to offer — ancient dwellings, snow-capped volcanoes, tripping mountain streams, twisted ponderosa pines — the list is endless, and it is hard to choose what to see now and what to save for a later visit. Three areas off the beaten track capture our imagination — Grand Falls, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Wupatki. We base ourselves in Flagstaff, Arizona, a pretty mountain town in the shadow of 12,000 foot high Humphrey’s Peak, where we have friends. The three locations we want to visit are only a short drive away.

For a few weeks of the year, as the snowmelt swells the rivers and streams, the Grand Falls on the Little Colorado River turn from a small trickle to a spectacular mass of churning chocolate-colored water, roaring over a lava bank. At 187 feet, Grand Falls is higher even than Niagara (167 feet). If the falls exist at all, it is because of intense volcanic activity in the area. Some 20,000 years ago, lava from one of the many volcanoes that dot the landscape, pushed its way across the desert and filled in the river canyon, creating a multi-leveled natural dam.

Finding the Falls is a bit of a challenge since they are inside the Navajo Tribal Lands, and there are no signs to guide you. As we leave the main road and head off on a dusty dirt track, we wonder whether next time we should carry a satellite phone with us since the phone signal here is non-existent and a flat tire or breakdown is a distinct possibility. Nevertheless, we find our way to the crossing point of the Little Colorado River before backtracking and finding a tiny track to a vista above the falls. There is only one other car near the Falls; otherwise, we are completely alone in a pristine wilderness where the only sound is the roar of the cascading water.  At the bottom of the falls, trees, branches and other debris picked up by the waters swirl around in a spiraling pool as they make their way from the White Mountains in the east to join the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.

As you drive through this area, one volcano after another punctuates the desert, the edges of the craters visible from the road. Perhaps the most striking is Sunset Crater Volcano. Smooth dark slopes of cinders rise to over 8,000 feet above the jagged, black remains of a lava flow. As you wander along Lava Flow Trail, twisted Ponderosa pines poke out of cracks, their gnarled, swirling trunks reflecting the patterns seen in many of the canyons of the Southwest USA. Many are silhouetted against the background of the San Francisco Mountains, visible across most of northern Arizona ( Spanish missionaries named them in honor of St. Francis of Assisi).  The volcano is particularly striking at sunset when yellow, orange, red and purple streak the edges of the crater rim. It was these colors that prompted John Wesley Powell, a 19th-century explorer, to give it its name.

Continuing past Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, 26 miles north of Flagstaff, we come to Wupatki National Monument. When you look at the harshness of the countryside, it is hard to imagine that for hundreds of years Native Americans lived here, cultivating the land and trading with surrounding peoples. (Evidence has been found of copper bells and shell beads from Mexico). The remains of 700-year old multi-level stone pueblos and other structure that dot the landscape for miles attest to their efforts in this volcanic wilderness. According to the rangers, the largest dwelling in the area had over 100 rooms, with entrances through the roof and double walls filled with rubble and rooms to store grain and other foods.

A short way down the trail is a ball court (the only one in the Southwest) as well as a blowhole.

This is a particularly fascinating sight. It is one of the many found in the region but no one really knows what they are. According to the Hopi, this is the home of Yaaponsta (The Wind Spirit) and,  it really does feel as if Mother Earth is inhaling and exhaling. Sometimes the air is sucked into the ground like a giant vacuum cleaner; other times it blasts out so fiercely that it will blow your hair straight up if you sit over it. Geologists believe that there is a vast system of fractures and caves beneath the blowhole, perhaps 50 miles long, that respond to barometric pressure. We like the Hopi explanation better!

Although it may seem abandoned and forlorn, according to the Hopi, Wupatki is one of the most important of their ancestral homes, and they believe that the people who lived here remain as spiritual guardians.

These are but three of the countless sites in Arizona where photography is a dream. Whether it is the ancient spirit of the land or the natural wonders, you will be enchanted by what you see.

PHOTOGRAPHIC TIP
The quality of the light in Arizona is superb. We had our best photographic success using 14-24mm, 70-200mm and 28-300 mm lenses on three separate camera bodies. This avoided the need to change lenses in a high dust environment but also gave us the flexibility to take a range of photos from the widest landscape to the tiniest of details. The vastness of the landscapes, the colors and the quality of the light lend themselves to panoramic shots but the wind can be very strong and could tip over your camera if the tripod is not well anchored.

IF YOU GO
Great Falls:
The Falls are located within Navajo Tribal Lands. They only flow for a few weeks in March-April. Although at the moment no permits are required to visit, if you want to leave the trail or hike, a permit must be obtained from the Navajo Parks and Recreation (in Window Rock, tel 602-871-4941; in Cameron, Tel 928-679-2303). To reach the Falls, take exit 211 off I-40 to Winona (0n old Rt 66); turn left on Navajo Road 15 and follow it for 13 miles towards Leupp. You will pass Navajo Road 70 on your left shortly after you enter the Tribal Land. About 7-8 miles past Road 70, also on the left, is Navajo Road 6910, marked by the second “Grand Falls Bible Church” sign that you will encounter after entering the Tribal Lands. Take 6910 until it intersects with 70. Turn right onto 70. About a mile further along is an unmarked dirt track on the left that leads to the Grand Falls Overlook. If you reach the Little Colorado river crossing, you have gone too far. If it has rained then a high clearance 4 x 4 vehicle is required.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument:
From I-40 east of Flagstaff, take exit 201 and follow US 89 for 13 miles; turn right at the Sunset Crater sign. The Visitor Center is open from 0900 to 1700 from November to April and 0800 to 1700 from May to October (Tel 928-526-4259; www.nps.gov/sucr). There is an entrance fee that covers both Sunset Crater and Wupatki Monument a few miles down the road, unless you already have a National Parks pass.
Wupatki National Monument:
From Sunset Crater, follow Loop Road for 21 miles to the Monument. Loop Road will eventually rejoin I-89. The Visitors Center at Wupatki is open year round except Dec. 25 (Tel. 928-679-2365; www.nps.gov/wupa)
Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time but stays on Mountain Standard Time year round.

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