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"BRIGHT LEAVES SINK NOISELESS IN THE HUSH OF WOODS, FOR WINTER WAITING"

From "October's Bright Blue Weather" by Helen Hunt Jackson

Canyons of Rim Country

THIS IS ARIZONA? Where's the desert? Where are the saguaros? Where's the red rock? Indeed, like Cinderella, Arizona maintains more than one distinct identity. Defining our state as a land of contrasts and surprises, the Mogollon Rim Country, with its massive sandstone and volcanic rock cliffs and turbulent monsoon thunderstorms, epitomizes a region that refuses to be tamed by civilization's modern contrivances. A two-hour drive from desert still panting in the 100-degree heat ofsummer's end carries us to its autumnal alter ego of fall color and cool breezes. And water. Creeks with names like Ellison, Tonto, Christopher, Canyon, Chevelon and Pine com-memorate the natural beauty and the rugged history of this forest-ed plateau, inviting campers and hikers to refresh their tired feet and throw in a line.

Did someone mention fishing? The Rim's string of seven recreational lakes stocked with locally hatched trout entice fisher-folk of all ages and abilities to cast bait and lures upon their pristine waters. And trees. Like Cinderella's rags before the ball, the scrub identified with the desert disappears from the land at higher elevations, giving place to the Rim's attire of pine, juniper, aspen, oak, and bigtooth maple trees. Fairy Godmother's most A fanciful gown can't compete with the palette displayed by Mogollon hillsides in October. Which persona is Arizona's true identity lowland desert or mountaintop forest? An October visit to Rim Country may help you decide for yourself. And I'll bet you won't remain in your car for long. The fresh, sweet air will lure you to go a-wandering in these multihued woods. Lying on a stony ledge or meandering footpath, an autumn leaf may startle you with its sudden bright crimson or gold appearance. Who is immune to the irresistible urge to pick up and examine this jewel of nature, miraculously transformed from plain green charwoman to Cinderella of the woods? You may sandwich it in wax paper and press it between the pages of your dictionary in a vain attempt to preserve the wonder of that moment of discovery. Weeks later, you'll unveil your treasure, only to find that you left most of the magic of that autumn moment high on a ledge along the Mogollon Rim. Pauly Heller

(PRECEDING PANEL, PAGE 26) Sunset's glow on the Mogollon Rim offers a warm counterpoint to the cool shade of ponderosa pines along Tonto Creek.

(PRECEDING PANEL, PAGE 27, INSET) Bigtooth maples on the Rim bend to the music of time and nature.

(PRECEDING PANEL, PAGES 28 AND 29) An autumnal palette of seasonal color plays across the tranquil surface of Christopher Creek.

(LEFT) A towering forest of fir and maple claims the rocky slope below Workman Creek Falls in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness.

(ABOVE RIGHT) Found near water or in the moist canyons of Mogollon Rim Country, bigtooth maples provide food for deer and other wildlife that forage their seeds and foliage.

(LEFT) Workman Creek tumbles over excised shelves of Precambrian sedimentary rock deep

in the Sierra Anchas. BYRON NESLEN

(ABOVE RIGHT) A bigtooth maple leaf floats downstream below Workman Creek Falls.

GEORGE STOCKING (RIGHT) An array of changing colors — green to purple, red and gold — marks the fall display in Crackerbox Canyon.

ROBERT G. MCDONALD