Photos and text 

by Anne Groebner

If you missed seeing the changing colors of leaves this year, you probably think, “If you’ve seen them once, you’ve seen them all.” But it’s not true this year. The fiery oranges and golden yellows cast a beautiful and amazing golden hue that I hadn’t seen in years. Tunnels of color decked the sides of roads and trails, and the fallen leaves completed a perfect circular casing of color. Everywhere you looked, you saw the golden splendor of the trees. The orange-tipped aspens were especially amazing and the view from the top of the knolls was spectacular.

Originally, Rob Bettaso and I set off to find the Coyote fir tree that Tom Jernigan writes about in his book, “Silent Witness.” We searched the Green’s Peak area along Forest Road 117 and 117A, which is known for its geological background. The knolls you see were once active volcanoes. Green’s Peak is part of the Springerville volcanic field and is the best vantage point from which to view most of it. Green’s Peak and 400 other cinder cones and related features form the Springerville Volcanic Field. Eruptions began in the western part of the field about three million years ago and ended about 300,000 years ago. Green’s Peak, in the highest part of the Springerville Volcanic Field, was born of a series of violent eruptions that began 760,000 years ago (Guide to the Geology of the White Mountains and the Springerville Volcanic Field).

It was the first time I noticed they had fenced in the parcel of land surrounding St. Peter’s Dome. It’s a wildlife habitat area now, for elk, pronghorn, and mule deer, and is closed to all motorized vehicles. However, it is still open to non-motorized recreation such as hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, photography, hunting and fishing. Its purpose is to provide a quiet area for wildlife and to protect habitat, including vegetation, soil and water. Officials are serious about keeping motorized vehicles out of this area, and they will prosecute violators. St. Peter’s Dome Wildlife Habitat is possible through a partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish, the U.S. Forest Service, Tread Lightly and the Arizona State Parks and Trails. We hiked through some areas just to see some of the terrain and discovered some great places to cross-country ski this winter (if we are lucky enough to get some snow). 

We trucked along the boundary of St. Peter’s Dome on FR 117A and then turned onto County Road 1325 toward Carnero Lake. Carnero Lake is a high-elevation shallow lake built in 1979. The water levels were pretty low this year because of drought. A couple of years ago, we kayaked it, and it was beautiful. This time, we stood on the dried, cracked dirt that was once covered with water and aquatic plants.

We scoured a few sites along U.S. Route 60 on our way back to FR 117, but to no avail. Eventually, I found the tree, but I had to come back the following weekend after getting a map and directions. Fortunately, the leaves were still pretty spectacular. 

To find Green’s Peak: From Pinetop take Hwy. 260 south towards Springerville to Forest Service (FR) 117 (just past the Rail Road Grade Trail) and follow it for 2.7 miles until you reach FR 61 to the base of Green’s Peak.