The Four Peaks are a series of mountain peaks within the Buckhorn Mountain Research Area, and are the third most prominent mountains within Gila County Arizona. Residents of the Valley of the Sun around Phoenix will instantly recognize their silhouette as they loom large outside the Phoenix metro, and are often considered one of if not the most protuberant topographical landmarks in the area.

I have long believed that Arizona desert sunsets are unmatched in their depth of red, orange, and pink hues- from the middle of “winter” to the height of summer. Every one of these desert sunset has a short period of red wash where every mountain, saguaro, and mesa is soaked in fire. I captured this example of such a sunset in December of 2023 on a short camping trip in the Tonto National Forest, where we discovered this open mesa overlooking Roosevelt Lake, the Salt River, Four Peaks, and deep red cliffs. To this day I may consider this the best view of a sunset I have ever witnessed.