On the Edge

Over the years, I discovered that many of the landscapes most interesting to me are places where elements of neighboring but distinctly different ecological zones meet. One of my favorites is Parker Creek, where water flows out of the Sierra Anchas and drains into Tonto Basin toward Roosevelt Lake.

Here elements of the low desert mingle with those of the chaparral and coniferous highlands. Prickly pear and staghorn cholla mix with manzanita and piñon pine on the edges of steep lichen-covered canyons. Parry's agaves dominate the hillsides, growing alongside junipers and an occasional ponderosa pine. Mule deer and bighorn sheep graze undisturbed on the high grassy bluffs, and swallows chase insects between the walls of the chasm below.

THE SECRET WORLDS OF THE s i e r r a anchas A PORTFOLIO BY GEORGE STOCKING

But the scene is prone to rapid change. A storm out of the southern Sierra Anchas seems drawn to the bluffs. Lightning strikes are commonplace as evidenced by the charred remains of trees and bushes. Not to be outdone by the lightning display, hard rain and gusty winds follow, lashing the hillsides with fury and then leaving a trail of tranquil rainbows. Receding clouds ride on the settling air currents and revolve in front of the declining sun, refreshing the landscape every few minutes with warm kaleidoscopic light.

There is no better place to feel the fury and absorb the view. Here, on the lip of the fabulous canyons where the desert meets the mountains, I am compelled to photograph the drama from my vantage point on the cusp.

THE SECRET WORLDS OF THE sierra anchas

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(PRECEDING PANEL, PAGES 28 AND 29) Lake Roosevelt sits below cliffs illuminated by the late day sun. (BELOW) Bighorn sheep graze placidly on a bluff. (RIGHT) A storm clears above a patch of flowering century plants.