We come to the White Mountains of Arizona to find fall on October 1.  It’s all about elevation…1000 feet can make a difference in the color change, and what trees we see.

We stay at Walthers RV Park in Show Low for a week. (Weekly rate comes out to $25 a day.)

Elevation here is 6347 feet, but just a pleasant drive south onto the Fort Apache Indian Reservation brings us into the over 7000 feet range where the Aspen are quietly donning their fall finery.

When I mention the White Mountains of Arizona I often get blank stares.  Show Low ( the name of this town was derived from a card game, in case you were wondering) is northeast of Phoenix, about 50 miles south of Holbrook and I-40.

This is off subject but just north of Show Low is the town of Snowflake.  You’d think they must get  a lot of snow, right?  They do get some, but the town got its name because of the two guys who founded it…. that would be Erastus Snow and William Jordan Flake.  I kid you not.  In 1993 the movie Fire In The Sky was about Travis Walton, who lived in Snowflake and was abducted by aliens.

Ok, back to falling leaves….😊🍁🍂

Aspen leaves on the ground.

The white tree bark sets off the gold and green and blue so nicely.

That’s called A-1 Lake.

A little fisherman at Hawley Lake.

We found a meadow area next to Hawley Lake where Joy and Shiloh could run free.

And a beautiful stream where Joy could soak her belly.

All the above pictures except for the campsite were taken on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

There is a great trail system (White Mountain Trail System) in the Show Low area.  We walked on the Rim Trail for a bit.  That would be the Mogollon Rim (named for Mr Mogollon of course, and pronounced ‘muggy-on’.)  This is a geographical feature that runs across Arizona for about 200 miles, forming the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau.  (Monument Valley is part of the Colorado Plateau).  If it were in California it would probably be commonly referred to as a ‘fault line’,  but I don’t hear that much around here.

Walking on the nicely paved Rim Trail.

Joy overlooks the Mogollon Rim.

Today we plan to move on to Eagar, AZ, about 50 miles  east of where we are now,  still in the White Mountain area.

Still seaking autumn….