A Grand Canyon motor rafting trip prepares to launch into the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. Photograph by Dawn Kish.
Preparing For Takeoff
The boats might be dories, jumbo motor rigs or modest rowing rafts, and the groups might be large or small. But one thing is constant when it comes to rafting trips through the Grand Canyon: After…
Dave Foster casts up and across the Colorado River at Long Bar. Photograph by Scott Baxter.
A River Runs Through Him
As the sun dips behind the sandstone walls of Marble Canyon, the temperature dips, too. It’s 4:15 p.m., and Dave Foster stands in waders in the middle of the Colorado River, water up to his waist. We…
Hanging foliage grows along a perennial spring that feeds East Clear Creek. Photograph by Joel Hazelton.
The Unexpected Nature of Arizona
Delicate wildflowers bloom among the leaves of corn lilies in the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeastern Arizona. As a “sky island” range, the Chiricahuas harbor many…
Evening light illuminates the rolling foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains along Gardner Canyon Road, an ideal route for exploring the range. Photograph by Norma Jean Gargasz.
The High Roads
Before You Go Each of these drives includes travel on unpaved roads that sometimes don’t see a lot of traffic, so make sure you have the right vehicle and are aware of weather and road conditions…
Diver in emerald-colored water inside a sea cave on the Colorado River. Photograph by Kerrick James.
Kerrick James: This Is My Story
In the mid-1990s, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation opened Black Canyon, on the Colorado River below Hoover Dam, to wider public recreation. Day trips became possible via the dam’s access road, and…
Melody Frazer in community kitchen with cooking ingredients. Photograph by John Burcham.
NoCo Community Kitchen
After losing everything they owned in the 2020 Creek Fire in Central California, Melody Frazer (pictured) and her husband traveled all over the West, looking for a place to land. “We took a whole…
Ben Christensen in the Western film LeGrand, courtesy of Ben Christensen
Q&A: Ben Christensen on Capturing the Spirit of the West
Ben Christensen is a man of many talents. In addition to working as a professional photographer and videographer, he recently produced and starred in the Western film LeGrand with John Wayne's son…
One of the Grand Canyon’s steep cliffs dwarfs a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) as it navigates the gorge. Photograph by John Sherman
Talon Search
Like playing right field, counting migrating raptors at the Grand Canyon is a test of patience and focus. With extended periods of absolutely nothing being interrupted by fast and furious action, it’…