Tag: Cathedral Rock

North American Monsoon—July 2026

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Distant storms produce large anvils with mammatus on the undersides.

We are once again in the North American Monsoon season. This year’s monsoon began slowly with a few false starts in early July but arrived in earnest by the middle of the month. And what a wet period the second half of the month was over parts of northern Arizona. Rainfall measured at the Flagstaff airport was 3.63″ compared to the 30-year (1991–2020) average of 2.61″ and the total period of record (1898–2026) of 2.74″.

07 July 2026

The summer monsoon hadn’t really started yet—but there was enough moisture available to get a few cumuliform clouds and a nice sunset. It was a good practice session for what was to follow.

Light from the setting sun illuminates the base of clouds over Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.
Light from the setting sun illuminates the base of clouds over Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.
A few clouds glow with the light of the setting sun while smoke from the Pocket Fire can be seen just above the horizon.
A few clouds glow with the light of the setting sun while smoke from the Pocket Fire can be seen just above the horizon.

18 July 2026

Monsoon moisture finally arrived and big storms were present. The sunset light on the clouds and rain was remarkable!

Several large thunderstorms over central Arizona.
Several large thunderstorms over central Arizona.
As the sun set it illuminated both clouds and rain creating this amazing red sunset sky.
As the sun set it illuminated both clouds and rain creating this amazing red sunset sky.
Add a bit of lightning and the sky becomes truly wild.
Add a bit of lightning and the sky becomes truly wild.
A few more lightning flashes light up the sky with the San Francisco Peaks visible in the distance.
A few more lightning flashes light up the sky with the San Francisco Peaks visible in the distance.
Cool, moist outflow from distant storms created this impressive shelf cloud.
Cool, moist outflow from distant storms created this impressive shelf cloud.

20 July 2026

Thunderstorms began in late morning and by noontime were producing lightning over the San Francisco Peaks. As the storms moved away from the Peaks there was a nice display of mammatus clouds.

A composite of five shots in a 4-minute period of lightning strikes on the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff.
A composite of five shots in a 4-minute period of lightning strikes on the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff.
The storms produced hail over the higher elevations of the peaks.
The storms produced hail over the higher elevations of the peaks.
A beautiful display of cumulonimbus mammatus clouds over Flagstaff.
A beautiful display of cumulonimbus mammatus clouds over Flagstaff.

26 July 2026

This was another day with early afternoon convection producing lighting strikes on the San Francisco Peaks.

Lightning strikes the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff.
Lightning strikes the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff.
Lightning strikes the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff.
Lightning strikes the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff.

27 July 2026

The storms on this day were truly dramatic. The original plan was to shoot the nearly full Moon as it rose behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona but storms and clouds required a Plan B. And it was a good Plan B.

Distant storms produce large anvils with mammatus on the undersides.
Distant storms produce large anvils with mammatus on the undersides.
Late afternoon sun illuminates distant storms and produces beautiful colors on the anvils.
Late afternoon sun illuminates distant storms and produces beautiful colors on the anvils.
The setting sun illuminates the anvil remains of earlier thunderstorms.
The setting sun illuminates the anvil remains of earlier thunderstorms.

29 July 2026

Fewer storms were present on this day as a drying trend began across Arizona. But there were still some great storms with lightning.

Distant storm over eastern Arizona.
Distant storm over eastern Arizona.
Thunderstorm with multi-branched cloud-to-ground lightning on the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.
Thunderstorm with multi-branched cloud-to-ground lightning on the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.

30 July 2026

The drying trend continued and even fewer storms were present but once again lightning and rainbows could be found.

Thunderstorm with lightning with a vast grassland in the foreground.
Thunderstorm with lightning with a vast grassland in the foreground.
Thunderstorm with lightning with a vast grassland in the foreground.
Thunderstorm with lightning with a vast grassland in the foreground.
Thunderstorms with lightning and a short rainbow segment.
Thunderstorms with lightning and a short rainbow segment.
Zoomed-in view of the rainbow.
Zoomed-in view of the rainbow.
Last light on a dissipating thunderstorm behind Mormon Mountain.
Last light on a dissipating thunderstorm behind Mormon Mountain.
Rainfall totals for July 2026 from the Flagstaff raingauge network.
Rainfall totals for July 2026 from the Flagstaff raingauge network.

The monsoon burst of mid-to-late July is over and we are now in a monsoon break period. Hopefully we will see another active period soon.

Trail Running–December 2025

It has been warm and dry this month and this has allowed us to continue doing trail runs in Flagstaff and Sedona. Here are a few photographs from these runs.

Long Canyon

A side trip while running Long Canyon in Sedona provides a great view of the red rocks.
A side trip while running Long Canyon in Sedona provides a great view of the red rocks.
This tinaja (pool) hidden away in Long Canyon makes a good destination.
This tinaja (pool) hidden away in Long Canyon makes a good destination.
End of the trail in Long Canyon--the sign says so.
End of the trail in Long Canyon–the sign says so.

Fort Tuthill

It was interesting that the snow had melted everywhere except the trail.

Snow on Soldiers Trail, Fort Tuthill.
Snow on Soldiers Trail, Fort Tuthill.
Footprints in the snow, Soldiers Trail at Fort Tuthill.
Footprints in the snow, Soldiers Trail at Fort Tuthill.

Wet Beaver Creek

This trail a favorite of our running group. The turnaround is at this deep pool.

A deep pool marks the turnaround point for our run along Wet Beaver Creek.
A deep pool marks the turnaround point for our run along Wet Beaver Creek.
A sandstone bench makes for an interesting section on the Bell Trail along Wet Beaver Creek.
A sandstone bench makes for an interesting section on the Bell Trail along Wet Beaver Creek.

Templeton Trail–Easy Breezy Trail

An early morning start was chilly but it warmed up quickly on this run.

Cathedral Rock looms in the distance along this section of Templeton Trail.
Cathedral Rock looms in the distance along this section of Templeton Trail.
Cathedral Rock and the intersection of Templeton -- Easy Breezy -- and Hardline Trails.
Cathedral Rock and the intersection of Templeton — Easy Breezy — and Hardline Trails.
The return on this loop was on Easy Breezy Trail.
The return on this loop was on Easy Breezy Trail.

Teacup Trail

We don’t do this often because parking is difficult much of the year. But we got lucky on this day.

Teacup Trail with Coffee Pot Rock in the background.
Teacup Trail with Coffee Pot Rock in the background.

Oldham–Down Under

We did this earlier this fall and wanted to do it again. Mud, snow and ice made it tricky.

Down Under Trail (formally known as Red Onion) where it crosses Elden Lookout Road.
Down Under Trail (formally known as Red Onion) where it crosses Elden Lookout Road.
Too much mud and snow here--so we turned around.
Too much mud and snow here–so we turned around.

Huckaby Trail

Another trail run with a cold start but a warm finish.

Two runners make the climb from the canyon floor to the ridge above on the Huckaby Trail.
Two runners make the climb from the canyon floor to the ridge above on the Huckaby Trail.
A view from the high point on Huckaby Trail looking back at Midgley Bridge--the turnaround point for this run.
A view from the high point on Huckaby Trail looking back at Midgley Bridge–the turnaround point for this run.

Schultz Creek Trail

The first two miles were fine with just a few muddy spots. After that we encountered patches of ice and snow — so we did the return on Schultz Pass Road.

Patches of ice on Schultz Creek Trail. Not a problem running up--but not something we wanted to do running down.
Patches of ice on Schultz Creek Trail. Not a problem running up–but not something we wanted to do running down.

Moonrise in Sedona–August 2025

The nearly-full Moonrise in August presented another chance to capture the rising Moon behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. The June and July events were thwarted by clouds in the east. This time, though, the clouds cleared in both the east (to see the Moon) and the west (to get sunlight on Cathedral Rock).

The nearly-full Moon rises behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
The nearly-full Moon rises behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
The Moon lies between the spires and buttress of Cathedral Rock.
The Moon lies between the spires and buttress of Cathedral Rock.
The sequence of photographs at 3-second intervals was combined to produce this track of the rising Moon.
The sequence of photographs at 3-second intervals was combined to produce this track of the rising Moon.

As always, I used The Photographers Ephemeris to find the location in which to shoot the rising Moon. For this event, it required that I do a small bit of hiking along Pyramid Trail to line the Moon up with the gaps in Cathedral Rock.

Time-lapse of the Moonrise behind Cathedral Rock.

I shot photographs at 3-second intervals. A couple of times I stopped the shooting to change the exposure as the Sun set and the Cathedral Rock got darker. However, I had to also be mindful not to overexpose the Moon.

It was a fun evening except it was also hot.

A Foggy Morning in Sedona

A sea of fog surrounds Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
A sea of fog surrounds Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.

It’s been a quiet winter with very few storms so when we finally got a storm  I wanted to try and get some morning sunrise fog shots. I awoke early to check radar and satellite data. I was both surprised and disappointed that my favorite locations appeared to be cloud and fog free. On the other hand, satellite data showed an extensive area of fog and low clouds near Sedona and into the Verde Valley. I quickly headed down Oak Creek Canyon to a location in Sedona that has a great view for these types of events.

A wide-angle shot with Cathedral Rock in the distance. A few minutes later the fog surged northward.
A wide-angle shot with Cathedral Rock in the distance. A few minutes later the fog surged northward.
Fog begins to wrap around red rock buttresses in Sedona.
Fog begins to wrap around red rock buttresses in Sedona.

At first the fog was fairly distant to the south and visibility was very good in all directions. I was able to see Cathedral Rock poking through the fog. But over the next few minutes the fog surged northward and soon I was in the thick of it with low visibility.

Fog and mist partially obscure the red rock buttresses in Sedona, Arizona.
Fog and mist partially obscure the red rock buttresses in Sedona, Arizona.
A zoomed-in shot of the fog obscuring the red rock in Sedona, Arizona.
A zoomed-in shot of the fog obscuring the red rock in Sedona, Arizona.

I headed to another viewpoint hoping there would be some sun shining through the fog. For a few minutes it did. And then the fog thickened again.

Overall I was pretty happy with the fog and photo session–especially since I haven’t had many chances this winter. And the weather forecast looks warm and dry. Boring.

Sedona Moonrise–June 2024

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It is the season for capturing the nearly-full Moon as it rises behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. The best time to capture this is a day (or two) before the actual full Moon so that late afternoon sunlight still illuminates Cathedral Rock. The Photographers Ephemeris (TPE) was used to determine the best location to shoot this as it became visible between the towers.

Unfortunately, there was a major dust storm the day and dust remained in the air partially obscuring the Moon at lower elevation angles. The Moon got brighter as it rose higher in the sky.

The nearly full Moon rises behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
The nearly full Moon rises behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.

And here is a time-lapse sequence of the Moon rising.

Time-lapse sequence of the Moon rising behind Cathedral Rock.

Bonus:

Here is additional Moon photograph taken at Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff in early June. I was going for the reflection.

Moonlight reflected in Upper Lake Mary from a crescent Moon.
Moonlight reflected in Upper Lake Mary from a crescent Moon.