Trains are so much a part of a railroad town they tend to blend in with the background. But author Scott Thybony became curious about those who drive them so he sat down with one of the first female railroad engineers in the U.S. to listen to her stories of the home road.

Five decades ago, a young Hopi underwent a grueling journey as part of a traditional initiation ceremony near the winter solstice. He recently recalled the experience to author Scott Thybony, and talked about how the test of his endurance and commitment to the Hopi way taught him humility.

In this month’s Canyon Commentary, author Scott Thybony reflects on past assignments and his appreciation for all the people he’s met along the way. They’ve ranged from a firefighter overtaken by a wall of flame to a Mescalero woman gathering water from a sacred spring.

Along Highway 89 north of Flagstaff, three ghostly faces painted onto wooden posts stare out on the windswept high-desert expanse. The site has become a tourist attraction and even something of a shrine. In his latest Canyon Commentary, author Scott Thybony reveals the little-known origins of what’s known as the Wupatki Spirit Totem.

In this month's Canyon Commentary, author Scott Thybony sets out to find a spring, which is also the location of Arizona's oldest known Spanish inscription along an ancient trail from Hopi to Zuni.

In northern Arizona a dry spell can last for weeks, even months, before the monsoon arrives. During a severe drought a Navajo medicine man invited commentator Scott Thybony to join a rain-bringing ceremony below the San Francisco Peaks.

Scott Thybony heads into the Painted Desert for a much-needed reality check. After spending time among the wind-carved cliffs and hoodoos, he renews his appreciation for the real world with all its strangeness and wild beauty.

In a land where everything seems to sting, bite or prickle one creature stands out for its almost friendly demeanor. In his latest Canyon Commentary, author Scott Thybony reveals the secrets of the remarkable horned lizard, a reptile found throughout the West.

Scott Thybony recently found himself caught up in the crowds at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and overheard a visitor say, “It’s a circus!” He recalls how some people over the years have done their best to turn the canyon into a spectacle.

In the newest installment of his Canyon Commentary, author Scott Thybony recalls a visit to White Mountain Apache country where he heard a story about a boy and his dog and the mountain spirits.