A Love Letter to Sierra Vista’s Huachuca Mountains

I was going through my camera roll the other day and noticed a trend. I have elventy-billion photos of my dog Nilla. Eleventy-billion-and-two pics of my dog Latte. A hundred thousand of my cat, a zillion of my daughter, 1,275 of my husband, 67 of my husband and me together, and 14 of just me.

I love my pets, adore my daughter, and surprisingly, I have thousands of photos of my other love: the Huachuca Mountains.

Keeping dogs safe on July 4th in AZ

Get our free mobile app

Lady Huachuca Through the Seasons

I love taking photos of the mountains for a myriad of reasons. First, they look different depending on the season, the time of day, and how I frame the image through the camera lens.

The Huachuca Mountains, or Lady Huachuca, as I've come to think of her, never runs away when I want to take her photo. She never complains that her makeup isn't just right, and always looks beautiful no matter what she's wearing. Is it weird that I'm anthropomorphizing a mountain range? Yes. Will I continue to do it? Also, yes.

Photo by Val Davidson/TSM

These mountains are not only part of the amazing Sky Islands; she's a cinematic diva in her own right.

With her graceful, distinctive ridgeline that joins Carr Peak, it's easy to capture her beauty and style. Sunsets melting like fire and honey in the sky, the crescent moon hanging like a pendant between her peaks, a comet that seems to fall straight into the heart of her ridgeline—I will never tire of snapping images, and I will never apologize.

READ: Discover the Amazing Biodiversity of Arizona’s Sky Islands

Beauty, Even In Moments of Tragedy

It's not just the breathtaking sunsets. Lady Huachuca adorns herself in seasonal finery. The drama of monsoonal clouds adorning her peaks, the white, austere gown of a winter snow, or her beauty will never cease to draw me in.

Photo by Val Davidson/TSM

Even during her most tragic hour, she stood like a beacon of strength. We, mortal humans, stood at her base, staring up in fright and disbelief during the 2011 Monument Fire, fearing for her safety and praying for the safety of those who sought to save her: the firefighters and first responders who came from all over to help extinguish the flames.

In the end, the blaze made way for new growth and taught us all lessons about community and resilience.

READ: Why Arizona Homeowners Are Losing Coverage In Wildfire-prone Areas

Photo by Val Davidson/TSM

My Love for the Huachuca Mountains

Keep scrolling to see some of the many, many photos I've taken of Lady Huachuca over the years. This is by no means all of them, and I guarantee there will be many more to come. Here are some of my favorites.