Christopher Creek: fall colors & fresh snow

On November 6, 2011, my family and I went down to Christopher Creek campground below the Mogollon Rim. We got some early snows, with foggy conditions where the 260 dropped below the Rim (scary driving, but pretty scenery). On our way back to Heber we stopped at Willow Springs Lake just above the Rim to scan for waterfowl. Despite the frigid winds, snow, and fog drifting across the lake at times, we lucked out spotting a distant adult male White-winged Scoter (a diving duck species) across the lake. Too far away to photograph the duck though. Various photos of other stuff that day:

View of Promontory Butte on the Mogollon Rim from Christopher Creek campground:

Christopher Creek campground:

Bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum):

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii):

Gentian species (Swertia sp.) basal leaves??:

Christopher Creek has a lot of marine fossils, such as these ones (I think these are rudists or anemones, but I'm not sure):

Crinoid and/or bryozoan fossils:

My dad fossil hunting:

Eva supervising our activities and enjoying some of the first snow of the season:

Cool looking logs and gnarled wood:

Parry's agave (Agave parryi):

Abert's squirrel:

Ice on pine needles, perforated by droplets of melting snow from the trees above:

Heading up the Rim on the 260:

Willow Springs Lake:

And some late afternoon rays of light emerging through the clouds at Zeniff Rd. northeast of Heber on my drive back to Flagstaff: