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THE ASPEN FOREST

There is something beckoning, inviting, even compelling about an aspen forest, and something a little mystical, or mysterious, as well. We want to venture in, but we're timid at first, a little wary. What lies beyond?

The poplar forest is home to wonders galore: dark, gloomy places where the heavy canopy blots out the sun; light, airy patches where the golden rays caress bouquets of wildflowers.

In the White Mountains a delicate fern hugs the Earth beneath sheltering aspens, their trunks sheathed in papery white bark and topped by a crown of fluttery leaves that dance on the breeze. Autumn reflections dapple a puddle in the San Francisco Peaks, a harbinger of Nature's inexorable transition.

The forest also embraces a galaxy of fascinating wildlife, from great bears and lions to birds and squirrels and the tiniest of tiny creatures.

Take a moment now and enjoy the color, texture, and wonder of a northern Arizona aspen forest in all its seasonal variety.

A caterpillar (BELOW) on its own mysterious journey enjoys a midsummer day near Hannagan Meadow in eastern Arizona. (RIGHT) Aspens dressed in fall colors ascend a hillside between Humphreys Peak and Mount Agassiz in the San Francisco Peaks. (FOLLOWING PANEL, PAGES 28 AND 29) Shadows play on an aspen-crowded billside during spring in the inner basin of the San Francisco range.The full flush of autumn produces a psychedelic palette on a forest floor (ABOVE) in the San Franciso range. (BELOW) Showy columbines flourish near Hannagan Meadow in summer. (RIGHT) The last snow of winter lingers well into May in the inner basin of the San Franciso Peaks.