No matter what corner of the Southwest you may find yourself in, usually the landscape puts on its best face when the storms roll in.
In this photo from January 2024, a winter storm the night before left a small dusting of snow atop the New River Mountains.
As sundown approached, I bushwhacked up a rugged hillside to this view of Lake Pleasant. Just the right amount of sunlight burst through the cloud banks to cast a pink glow on the turbulent ridges.
A cold wind blew from west, pushing ripples across the glassy lake’s surface, the power of mother nature in the air, like she held a paintbrush and palette, dabbing pastel pinks and purples and blues in just the right places.
But the light was fleeting, with just a few minutes of vividness before the clouds swallowed up the sun for good, and mother’s painting fading to gray.
It’s these moments that I most remember from my time out in the desert. Magic moments you can’t experience just sitting on your couch. Sure, sitting on the couch sure is way easier than bushwhacking up a rocky, cactus-strewn slope. But reaching the top and seeing the painting unfold is always worth it.
As always, I hope you’re finding some natural magic somewhere in your life.
Magically yours,
-Jake
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