Office hours on the Rim: Woods Canyon Lake

August 28, 2026

A laptop open on a camp table under tall ponderosas, Woods Canyon Lake visible through the trees beyond

It’s summer in AZ and that means hot, hot, HOT in Phoenix. Like it does for a lot of people, the heat gets to me and I just need a break. Luckily, I can do a lot of my work wherever there is internet access — and I have a Starlink Mini. So I went up to the Rim to work for a day and brought my dogs.

The white dog sprawled on the shady sidewalk, the black-and-white one sniffing around behind her

The dogs handled the workday the way they handle most things — found a shady spot and supervised from a distance.

The Forester parked along the tree line with the tailgate up, camper drawers open, fly rod rigged and leaning on the bumper

This is exactly the kind of trip the camper build was for. Everything lives in the car already, so “should I work from the Rim tomorrow?” is a question with no real downside. The fly rod stayed rigged and ready on the side, but it wasn’t used much. It’s nice to have the option without a lot of friction.

Lunch Break, Rim Edition

The white dog on a red leash leading down a rocky path toward the edge, the forest dropping away below

At lunch we drove over to one of the overlooks along the Rim Road. The Mogollon Rim has this really cool feature: a sheer drop-off with amazing views. It really is just beautiful to look out across the endless landscape.

A monsoon rain shaft pouring out of a heavy cloud onto the rim in the distance, blue sky off to the left

August up here means monsoon season, and we got the payoff. Thunder was rolling across the Rim by early afternoon. The storm splashed some sprinkles and promised more to come.

Ponderosas framing the view off the edge of the Rim, rolling forested hills fading blue into the distance

Both dogs on red leashes sniffing along the rocky outcrop at the edge of the Rim

The dogs investigated every branch and weed like it was their job. It was getting warm by this point, so I decided to pack it up a little early. It’s a fairly easy day trip — a short break, then home ahead of the rain. I really like taking this little day trip semi-often in the summers.