📷 az adventure: stream, forest, and a danger noodle

A quiet spot along Lower Canyon Creek, Arizona This week, my wife and I (accompanied by Cubby) day tripped to the Mogollon Rim in Arizona. Lower Canyon Creek is my favorite place to spend time outdoors due to its rugged beauty, accessibility and solitude. I camp and fish this area with frequency and I am never disappointed. The creek itself is cold and clear, and supports a bountiful population of beautiful (and poorly named) Brown Trout. Although the area was burned in the 2002 Rodeo Chedeski fire, it is making a good recovery and large stands of Ponderosa Pine still provide plenty of cover. This was my wife's first time to visit the area. Since were were tromping around in shorts and sandals, my wife did ask about the potential for rattlesnakes. I let her know that (1) I had never seen a rattler at Canyon Creek--though I once heard one, and (2) with temperatures dropping into the 40's at night, it was too cool for snakes. Reassured of our safety, we enjoyed wading downstream,…