Arrival

This photograph was made shortly after arriving at the East Fork of the Black River at the end of July 2016, around 2:30 in the afternoon. I don't usually take too many shots at midday. The light is flat and casts few shadows. It's too harsh and not dramatic enough. But a beautiful place doesn't care. It just doesn't. It stays beautiful the entire day and into and through the night with little regard for our silly human concerns. A beautiful place doesn't even care if it's beautiful or not. It may not even care at all. It just is. And it is beautiful!

West Fork Flowers

Oxeye Daisies line the banks of the West Fork of the Black River.

Cut-leaved Coneflowers

These flowers along the East Fork of the Black River were in their peak in September.

East Fork of the Black River

This was the best panorama of the first of two consecutive Fall trips to the same area along the East Fork. It was the best conditions weather-wise with a lot of monsoon inspired rains.

Pine Sky

Morning light illuminates the clouds behind Ponderosa Pine trees on the East Fork of the Black River.

Hooker's Primrose

This beauty was hanging out behind my camp. Then the rain stopped long enough for me to break out my macro lens and get some shots.

Foggy Morning on the East Fork of the Black River

The previous, very-rainy day produced foggy conditions the next morning along this stretch of the river. I didn't have much time at this spot and was only able to make a few photographs before it started to rain and ended my photography for the morning. Nevertheless, it had been a very special morning.

Bee and Thistle on the Black

A bee makes himself busy on a thistle.

Black River Morning Fire

Standing on the old bridge at the Buffalo Crossing campground, a fiery sunrise lights up the sky over the East Fork of the Black River in the White Mountains of Arizona.

Daybreak

The sun breaks through the clouds on a perfect morning.

Rock and Sedge

Contrasts in texture and form.

Black Rain

It rained like crazy one afternoon while I was in camp near the Black River. The sun poked out and created this sun shower like I'd never seen before. I broke out my point-and-shoot camera while my big Nikon DSLRs were high and dry in my bag.

Black River Cinquefoil

A small patch of Potentilla Hippiana or woolly cinquefoil were blooming alongside cut-leaved coneflowers and bee-balm.

Green on Black

Sedges along the banks of the Black River were a beautiful complement to the silky flow of the water.

Morning on the Black

This was a quick walk from our camp along the river. There are several very nice, clean campgrounds found along this part of the river.

River Flag

A photographic flag of sorts along the East Fork of the Black River.

Sunlit Grass along the Black River

The sun poked out from behind some clouds in the early morning and lit up the grasses alongside the stream.

Wild Oregano

Monarda, also known as Bee Balm, was just outside my camp on the last day of the second trip. It was the best campsite of all I had sampled there. The largest by far, it also had been the site of recent bear activity. We saw no bear, thankfully. I had the dogs on their leashes the entire time.

Smooth as Silk

The greenest green sedges you've ever seen!

Black River Coneflowers

Wildflowers line the banks in late July.

West Fork Daisies

Daisies decorate the West Fork at the crossing on FS68.

West Fork Daisies

There were way more daisies here along the crossing of the West Fork of the Black River than anywhere else I saw.

Black River Morning Magic

A magical morning on the old bridge at the Buffalo Crossing campground.

Sedges along the Black River

Sedges still covered with rain water from a passing storm.