On Aztec Peak, above the falls and near the gentle headwaters of Workman Creek, on forest road 487 of the Tonto National Forest, I stopped to admire some of the first maples I find while making my way down the mountain. Up here the water is a bit more scarce and higher in elevation, so while these highest maples are already near the end of their decay, ones found lower and along the creek itself will in prime color. These Maples, while half-bare and nearly depleted of their Autumn candy, caught my eye as the rising sun behind them started to shine through this cluster.