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  • Outdoors
  • Flagstaff
  • Travel
    • Travel
    • India (Yoga Teacher Training)
    • Peace Corps Ukraine
  • Lifestyle
    • Forestry + wildfire (my day job)
    • Yoga (my night job)
    • Our huskies
    • Recipes (cooking + baking)
    • Sustainability
    • Books + movies + music
    • Skincare + haircare + physical self-care
    • DIY + decor
    • Chicago (I used to live here)
    • Odds and Ends
  • Stuff I like
  • About
    • About Randi
    • Contact
    • Professional ish (AKA: portfolio)
    • Disclosure and privacy policy

A (moody) fall weekend in northern Arizona’s aspen groves

October 17, 2022 March 24, 2024 Randi1375 views

It’s a fire season of a different kind here in northern Arizona.

Instead of lighting up with amber flames, the sides of the San Francisco peaks are blazing gold with the colors of autumn aspen leaves.

It’s truly gorgeous.

I spent yesterday hiking around Aspen Corner with my pup Yukon, and human friends Jim and Lauren.

It was a damp, rainy day, but that didn’t really dull the beautiful fall colors at all.

The trails were sparsely populated, and we found parking. Yay, rain!

Here are a few of the photos my friends and I took throughout our excursion.

I mentioned it in my last post about the Women in Wildfire training on the Apache-Sitgreaves…

…but I recently upgraded my camera! I bought a new Canon 6D DSLR, and popped my nifty fifty (EF 50mm f/1:1.8) onto it for these photos.

What a majestic bub!
Lauren, Yukon and I. Photo by Jim!
A moody, foggy, rainy, dreary and beautiful fall day.

One of the perks of my job? I get to share some of the moments I experience with forest visitors.

Here are some of the pics I relinquished creative control of, meaning they’re now property of the Coconino National Forest.

The moodiest view on the Aspen Corner trail. Photo: USDA Forest Service / Randi Shaffer
Does anyone know this random couple? If you do, please let me know so I can get this photo to them! Photo: USDA Forest Service / Randi Shaffer
Aspens on aspens… Photo: USDA Forest Service / Randi Shaffer
…on aspens. Photo: USDA Forest Service / Randi Shaffer

iPhone photos are always still a thing as well.

So photogenic.
A surprise swing!
Swing, swing, swing!
Lauren, Jim, Yukon and I.

I almost didn’t make it out to see the aspens this year due to the rain, but I’m glad I sucked it up. Fall colors are always so fleeting, but that just makes me savor the views that much more.

My views are mine alone and don’t represent those of my employer, agency or the United States government. All photos were taken by me and/or credited photographer unless otherwise noted. You can read more on my disclosure and privacy policy page.

Related:

RandiOctober 17, 2022
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Women in Wildfire on the Apache-Sitgreaves!

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An awful Las Vegas weekend that broke me down so badly, in the worst way (worst way) – aka WhenWeWereRobbed/ WindWeWereYoung

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Randi with an i

Randi M. Shaffer

Hi! I'm Randi. I spend my days working in forestry and wildfire, my nights instructing yoga and my weekends exploring northern Arizona (and beyond). I'm a former journalist, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and a Midwest native. Welcome!

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