Cold Front Sunset © 2011 Bo Mackison

In the nine days since I’ve been in Arizona, the skies have seldom had any clouds. So when I saw clouds forming as a cold front approached, I headed for the nearest mountains. I’d spent the day south of Tucson exploring the Old Tubac Presidio and Tumacacori National Historic Park, and so I stopped at Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains.

I had a long wait. The sun was quite high in the sky when I pulled into the parking area for the trailhead to Elephant Head. But it was time well spent. The sky took on more and more color as I watched, and then the clouds turned a brilliant orange as they caught the sun’s reflection. Elephant Head is the highest peak towards the center of the photograph, and the Santa Cruz Valley is beyond the mountains.

Arizona sunsets. Wow!