High Dynamic Range Photography by Carl Roessler

Grand Falls Spring 2018

Grand Falls is an occasional phenomenon. A volcanic eruption spread a lava flow which blocked the Little Colorado River's normal channel.

The river made its way around the lava field, and during the snow melt season or after a rainstorm upriver, a huge volume of water will briefly cascade over these cliffs and into the original channel. It only occurs seven or eight times per year.

However--Arizona is a drought state, and while the second half of March is usually the best time to see it, I arrived on March 18 and there was no water at all.

To get to the falls site from Las Vegas, I drove for four hours, then groped my way through a snowstorm over Flagstaff – a complete whiteout for fifteen miles.

Twenty miles East of Flagstaff the sky cleared, but 40-knot winds came up. When I was on the cliffs above the falls, I had my car doors blown shut on my body twice! Hard!

I'll have to come back some time when the river is flowing!

Carl intends to return to Grand Falls when the water is flowing!!!