“All of the Southwest is big sky country,” says travel journalist Kerrick James, who captured this snow-dusted view of Four Peaks, part of the Mazatzal mountain range in Tonto National Forest.

Fresh from a trip to upstate New York to witness the region’s famed fall foliage, James found himself reflecting on the differences between East and West.

“There was wonderful color back East, but so much of the land is privately owned that it’s difficult to access,” James says. “Here, we have vast expanses of public land—open spaces we sometimes take for granted. I was reminded of how special the Southwest is. That’s one of the reasons I stay.”