Pusch Ridge Wilderness - Romero Canyon Trail

Author's Comments

The hike in is not gentle. Two and a half miles of climbing through saguaro and oak before the canyon finally relents and the granite opens up into a series of pools that hold the sky. I prefer March for this trail. The desert is still cool in the early hours, the snowmelt above is feeding the pools, and the reflections are at their fullest before the heat of late spring begins drawing the water down. What I love about Romero is the way the canyon walls work against the water. The granite here is pale and warm, almost pink in early light, and it reads against the dark surface of the pools in a way that does not need much from the photographer. Arrive at the pools by seven and the cliffs are still in shadow while the upper ridge catches the first sun. That contrast is the photograph. The reflection holds for maybe an hour before the breeze picks up and the surface goes textured. I tend to work wide first, taking in the full bowl of the canyon, and then move closer for the details - the way the water meets stone, the small grasses at the edges, the polished channels where the pools drain into one another. Pusch Ridge looms above all of it, dramatic enough that a longer lens pointed up the canyon will earn its place in your bag. Bring more water than you think you need. The walk back down in full sun is longer than the walk up.

Gallery