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- 09 Dec, 2025 *
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir
Yesterday, my daughter (who will graduate from college next week..yay!!!) and I drove in the direction of the Mogollon Rim to cut the family Christmas tree. We purchased a permit from Tonto National Forest and made the day trip to an area just north of Payson, Arizona.
We drove deep into the woods on a narrow …
home blog daily photo now rss feed
- 09 Dec, 2025 *
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir
Yesterday, my daughter (who will graduate from college next week..yay!!!) and I drove in the direction of the Mogollon Rim to cut the family Christmas tree. We purchased a permit from Tonto National Forest and made the day trip to an area just north of Payson, Arizona.
We drove deep into the woods on a narrow four wheel drive trail, where we tromped around the forest, surveying scraggly pine and juniper trees. We were hoping for an angelic moment where a beam of sunlight lands on the perfect tree (think National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation). This did not happen. Instead, after about an hour of searching we decided to return to the main road and head closer to the Rim (to gain elevation) in hopes of finding a fir tree.
We found a great spot along the banks of the East Verde River (think small stream) where there was a dense population of Douglas and White (or Concolor) fir. Rejuvenated, with renewed hope, we made our way through a thick stand of trees. One reason the forest service sells permits are that many of the juvenile trees are growing too close together and need to be thinned. This means, one half of the tree may look great, while the half shared with a neighboring tree is nearly devoid of limbs. Once again, we wandered about, assessing trees. Too tall. Too short. No discernible shape. Wait, how is that thing growing in that direction? After about an hour, we narrowed our choice to one of two passable trees and were ready to settle. And then, we saw THE tree. It was perfect – or at least a few hours of search made it appear so. Choice made. High fives abounded and my daughter (who can be picky) indicated her pride in the selection.
It was a wonderful experience for the two of us to share. In addition to spending time with my daughter; we were outdoors, in the forest and cool weather, and enjoying the natural beauty of Arizona. It always amazes me that in less than two hours, we can travel from our home in the Sonoran Desert, near Phoenix, and be in a pristine forest with running water, pines and fir trees. The ecological diversity is amazing.
Hooray for beautiful days!
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