Day Nine

On our final full day of the 2011 workshop, I invited the students to go on an optional morning hike to the top of Snow King Mountain. To my surprise, many of them were eager to take on the challenge. The base of Snow King Mountain lies just a few blocks away from our cabins in the Cowboy Village Resort. We met at 8:00 AM and walked  together from the cabins to the start of the trail. The trail winds steeply up the mountain for over two miles and 1,571 vertical feet. After the first 200 yards or so, several of the students questioned weather or not to continue. With a little encouragement and support, they fell into a rhythm and paced themselves to the top. Climbing to the top of Snow King is no easy feat, especially for folks not used to the high altitude. Your body and mind is deprived of oxygen with each agonizing step. I was very impressed with the group of students that made it to the top.

Fortunately, the view from above is well worth the effort. The town of Jackson lies below you with the visible boundaries of the National Elk Refuge to the north and the snow capped peaks of Grand Teton National Park. We took the long chairlift ride back down to the base of the mountain, savoring the views as we descended. 

The rest of the day was spent in the Center for the Arts photo studio processing and editing final images. At 4:30 PM all the students had turned in their final images. We closed down the studio and headed to the Cowboy Village for our final evening together. At 6:00 PM we met in the Pavilion Room at the Cowboy Village for dinner and presentations. I ordered some delicious catered food from Bubba's Bar-BQ, and we all filled our plates. While we ate dinner, each student projected their top 20 images and discussed their ideas. The student presentations were really good. It was fun to see the various approaches to the places we visited and reflect on an action packed nine days.

After the presentations and dinner, we headed up to our favorite sunset spot out on the National Elk Refuge. The Curtis Canyon Overlook sits on a bald mountain above the valley affording excellent views of the Elk Refuge, Jackson Hole, and the jagged skyline of the Tetons beyond. 

Day Eight

On Friday morning, we headed to Teton Village to take the aerial tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain.  The village area is about 9 miles outside of the town of Jackson and home to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The resort is known around the world as one of the premier ski destinations. The aerial tram takes you up 4,139 vertical feet to the top of Rendezvous Mountain at close to 11,000 feet. At the summit you get 360 degree views of the Jackson Hole valley and surrounding mountain ranges. 

On the ride up the tram, students were amazed with the steep terrain of some of the slopes. The most famous of them, Corbet's Couloir, is an incredibly steep and narrow chute through two cliff walls. The thought of actually skiing down Corbet's brought gasps from the group. When we reached the top, we were impressed with the amount of snow still clinging to the mountain side. At the very peak, the unrelenting wind had swept most of the snow off and we lingered to take in the sights. I asked the students to jump on the count of three to see who could reach the highest altitude on the trip.

Some of the students felt the affect of the extreme altitude and returned to the base of the mountain to shop and dine in the village area. I took a courageous group of students with me on a hike along the ridge line at 10,000 plus feet to a rocky outcropping. We trudged through snow for close to a mile. In some places, our feet plunged 3 to 4 feet down making it difficult to get back out. Eventually, we made it to the rocky ridge and a couple of us scrambled up the mountain side a few more feet. Resting on the rocks, the landscape drops steeply below you on all sides. It's peaceful on the top, as all the worries and concerns of the world below seem so far away. 

After returning to Jackson, we spent the remainder of the afternoon working on our images in the Center for the Arts photo studio. The students' final images were due in less than 24 hours and they were beginning to feel the pressure. I ordered pizzas for everyone at 6:00 PM and we continued working until late in the evening. 

Day Seven

For our seventh full day of the workshop, we offered the students an option. John would take a group over the Teton Pass and into Idaho, while I would take a group south to Granite Hot Springs. We both departed at 9:00 AM. I had seven students with me and John had five. My group headed south along the Snake River until it intersects with the Hoback River, then turned left and followed the Hoback River through the Hoback Canyon. The steep rock walls of the canyon are a great place to spot bighorn sheep. We slowed down to gaze up at the cliff walls hoping to spot some movement, but the sheep eluded us.

Our biggest adventure of the day would be the 10 mile dirt road along Granite Creek to reach the hot springs. It had rained pretty hard the night before and the road was very soft and muddy. The first couple miles seemed fine. In fact, I was relieved that there wasn't as much dust being kicked up. However, at about the 4 mile marker the road entered a stand of trees. The shade had prevented the mud from drying and our back end started fishtailing. We eventually made it through, but the tires were caked in mud and we proceeded to struggle for the next mile or so. I almost turned around at the 6 mile marker after spinning and sliding at full throttle, but the students encouraged me to keep on. Fortunately, the road got better and we were able to make it the last 4 miles to the springs. Along the way, we spotted a mother elk and her baby crossing the fast-moving creek. The baby struggled a little in the strong current, but eventually made it to the concerned mother pacing the bank. We also spotted a mother moose and her calf crossing the road ahead of us. They stopped and looked at us for a few seconds then quickly disappeared into a thick stand of pines.

We were the only vehicle in the hot springs parking lot and had the whole place to ourselves. The eight of us soaked for over an hour letting the warm therapeutic water relax our aching muscles. The temperamental weather kept shifting from sunny skies to threatening clouds. Fortunately, it never did rain. On the way out, the road had dried out some and we were able to cruise a little easier.

John's group headed over the Teton Pass and into Idaho. They stopped at the small town of Driggs and wandered the streets. They also visited a couple of less-touristy towns like Ashton and Tetonia. The landscape on the west side of the Tetons is much more rural and subtle. It's a nice contrast to the dramatic landscape of the Jackson Hole area. The group discovered a long band of sand dunes north of the town of Rexburg and came back with some stunning images. We were also told of some secretive caves carved by lava flows just north of the dunes. Both places offer excellent challenges and opportunities and will definitely be on future workshop agendas.

We all reconvened at the Center for the Arts at 4:30 PM for presentations by two invited artists. Darren Clark and Scott Wheeler are both professors of photography in the Art Department at BYU-Idaho. Collectively, their work deals with issues of landscape and culture. Darren has been photographing the rural Idaho landscape close to his home, while Scott's recent work explores landscapes after dark lit by surreal artificial light. They each gave 30-40 minute slideshows on their recent work and then shared a collection of prints. The students had lots of questions about their photographic techniques and varied approaches to the medium.

After the lectures, we took a break for dinner and then met up at the van for a group sunset shoot with the visiting artists. Photographing with the visiting artists is a great opportunity for students to witness how other professional photographers work in the field. We packed into two vehicles and headed up to Schwabacher's Landing in Grand Teton National Park. A popular place for sunrise, Schwabacher's is also a great place to watch the sunset. The sky was partially covered with wispy clouds that gathered color as the sun dropped behind the Tetons. 

Day Six

After two full days in the field we all had full memory cards and lots of film to process. We opened the studio at the Center for the Arts at 10:00 AM and I led a digital demo on working with high dynamic range images and using masks in Photoshop. Afterwards, John helped students process their first rolls of black and white film. We spent several hours working in the studio trying to catch up on editing, scanning, and processing all of our images.

The weather was really nice and we needed to get out of the studio. At 3:00 PM we decide to take a trip to the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, which is a separate property located within Grand Teton National Park. The Preserve is a reflection of Rockefeller's lifetime commitment to setting aside natural areas accessible to the public. On the property is a state-of-the-art visitors center, which is the first ever platinum LEED certified national park structure. The exhibits inside the center are meant to make visitors more aware and appreciative of the natural environment surrounding them. There is a series of sensory experiences, including an installation with high definition videos, a large-scale photo montage, and a soundscape room with recordings from the preserve. The visitors center was successful in settling our minds and peeking our senses. The 3 to 4 mile round trip trail to Phelps Lake and back was peaceful, uncrowded, and full of inspiring aural and visual stimuli. 

Later that evening we attended the Jackson Hole Rodeo. A community event, the rodeo offers a glimpse into the culture and history of the area. It's also a great opportunity for students to work in portraiture and action photography. Some of the students actually got permission to go behind the shoots where the cowboys mount the bulls and broncs, getting up close and personal with the rodeo lifestyle. During the rodeo, a huge thunderstorm consumed the sky, threatening to rain us out. Fortunately, it just produced a light rain and most of the stuck around to soak up this unique cultural event.

Day Five

Sunrise on the Lamar Valley is a must do, especially when it's in your backyard. We awoke at 4:30 AM and quickly put warmer clothes on. The fire in our wood burning stove had gone out at some point in the evening and the cabin was as cold as the air outside. With hats, gloves and lots of layers, we loaded up the van and rolled out of the Roosevelt Lodge in the early morning light. We stopped at a spot I had scouted the night before that had several pools of still water and boulders to explore. As we were shooting, the howl of a wolf pierced the morning stillness. Another wolf responded from afar. The howling carried on for a few minutes as we all stood in silence scanning the mountains around us for movement. We never did spot the wolves, but the howls were enough to remind us we were not alone.

After the sunrise shoot, a group of us had a delicious breakfast at the Roosevelt Lodge, and then packed up for another long day of exploring Yellowstone. On our way out of the Lodge, we were treated with our second bear sighting. This time it was a small black bear crossing the road just ahead of us. We continued along the road from Tower Junction to Mammoth in the Northwest corner of the park, stopping once to take in the amazing view above the Yellowstone and Hellroaring Rivers. Once in Mammoth, we took some time to explore the Lower Terrace Trail, which is famous for its unique thermal features. Some of us also visited the Albright Visitors Center. On the first floor is a great exhibit of William Henry Jackson's photographs from his visit to the park in 1871.

After Mammoth, we cruised South. Shortly after passing the Madison Junction we took a short detour on a one-way road through Firehole Canyon. The Firehole River roars through the canyon, with white water and falls reverberating on the rock walls. Our next stop was the Midway Geyser Basin. The highlight of this thermal area is the Grand Prismatic Spring, which is the second largest hot spring in the world. At one point, the springs in the area boil over and flow directly into the Firehole River. The wind was kicking up as we hiked along the boardwalk sending steam from the massive hot springs directly at us. We stood in the same location for awhile enjoying the combination of cool breezes and warm steam rushing over us. 

Our final stop of the day was Old Faithful in the Lower Geyser Basin. This year we went directly to a parking lot below the Old Faithful Inn and dodged most of the tourist traffic. The Inn is a personal favorite of mine. The style of the lodge has been labeled "parkitechture" for its use of local timber and unique design that blends with the natural surroundings. Inside the lodge you feel like you're stepping back in time. The dim lighting resembles a candle lit past, while the five story vaulted log ceiling and giant stone fireplace accentuate the dramatic design.

Old Faithful was right on time, as usual, and we enjoyed the show from various locations. Afterwards, we loaded the van and headed south, passing over The Continental Divide and Craig's Pass before making a complete loop. We finished our epic two-day odyssey driving along the Tetons as the sun faded in the evening sky.

Day Four

On Monday morning, we headed out early for the first of an epic two-day tour of Yellowstone National Park. On our way north, we visited some famous spots in Grand Teton National Park, including Snake River Overlook, Oxbow Bend, and Jackson Lake. We saw our first bear, a cinnamon colored black bear, just a little north of Grand Teton National Park. Shortly after entering Yellowstone, we were struck with the amount of snow banking the road. As I mentioned in a previous post, the area received a record snowfall this year of over 700 inches and this Spring has been unseasonably cold and rainy. 

Our first stop in Yellowstone was the West Thumb Geyser Basin, a collection of thermal features bordering Yellowstone Lake. We hiked the mile or so boardwalk taking in the unusual sights, including active geysers and hot springs just visible below the surface of the lake. This particular portion of Yellowstone Lake is the deepest, exceeding 390 feet in places, which is a result of a large volcano eruption thousands of years ago. As we continued driving along the edge of Yellowstone Lake we were treated with expansive views of the lake and snow-capped Absaroka Mountains in the distance. Yellowstone Lake is the largest high altitude lake in North America and is truly impressive in its size. 

At the Fishing Bridge Junction, we turned north and drove along the beautiful Yellowstone River. After a few miles, we entered the Hayden Valley, which is a favorite of mine for its scenic overlooks of the meandering Yellowstone River and herds of grazing bison. We spotted a few bison off in the distance but nothing quite as impressive as we would experience later in the day. 

Our next significant stop was at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. This is one of the most impressive features in the park. The canyon is over a mile deep in places and 3 to 4 miles wide. We parked at Artist Point, which is famous for the view of Lower Yellowstone Falls first painted by Thomas Moran in 1871. The view is impressive, but it is typically crowded with tourists. We visited the site briefly and then hiked along the South Rim Trail. Away from most of the crowds and without barriers, the view of the canyon and falls took on new meaning. After a mile or so of hiking we made it to Uncle Tom's Trail, which takes you down over 350 metal steps along the canyon wall to the brink of Lower Yellowstone Falls. The hike down was incredible and well worth the extra effort to get back up.

After leaving the Canyon area we headed north towards Tower Junction. On the way we crossed over Dunraven Pass, which takes you up to about 9,000 feet. The views were incredible along the way and the snow level was mind boggling. The snow pack on the road sides was at least 10 to 15 feet in places! We descended from the pass and made our way down to Tower Junction and the Roosevelt Lodge, where we would be staying for the evening in the Roughrider Cabins. Established in 1903 as a commemoration to Theodore Roosevelt's camping trip to the area, the Roosevelt Lodge has a very different feel than other destinations in the park. The mood is laid back and there's less tourist traffic. The food is also really good and reasonably priced. We had a delicious group dinner, including elk burgers and bison chili, and then checked into our cabins. 

The other nice thing about the Roosevelt Lodge area is that it's conveniently located to one of my favorite places in the world, the Lamar Valley. Also known as the "Serengeti of the East", the Lamar Valley is a great place to spot wildlife. Just a few miles into the valley and we were surrounded by bison. They were all over the road, on both sides of us, and everywhere we looked. There were thousands of them. We inched along in the van, slowly making our way through the valley at bison speed.

Day Three

In the morning of day three we headed into town to tour the galleries in downtown Jackson. First stop was the David Brookover Gallery. David and his dog Cocoa greeted us at the gallery just as we arrived. David shoots primarily with a large format 8 x 10 in. camera, which enables him to produce large, high-quality prints in both black and white and color. He also has been experimenting more with alternative processes, including platinum and bromoil prints, some of which can take up to two months to create. His work is widely varied in both process and subject matter and he spoke to the students about avoiding a "follow the herd mentality" with their own creative work. We went on to visit a few more galleries in town, including Tom Mangelsen's Images of Nature Gallery, and a more contemporary art gallery. In the afternoon, we had a long studio session at the Center for the Arts. I did another digital demonstration/tutorial and the  students continued processing their images.

After dinner, John Holmgren, who is my assistant on the workshop and is currently a professor of photography at Franklin and Marshall College, gave a great presentation on his work. He also brought along a bunch of prints from his recent projects on the Dempster Highway in Northern Canada and Dams across the U.S. The students really seemed to enjoy seeing the actual work.

It had been rainy and cloudy most of the day, but the sun seemed to be breaking out as it got later in the evening. We decided to head up into the park and give some night shooting another try. Our destination was a cluster of old homesteads called Mormon Row. The area, which was originally settled back in the early 1900's, is now on the National Register of Historic Places. After shooting for awhile in the late day light, we grouped together and began experimenting with long exposures and painting with light. We warmed up in the cool evening air by running around with flashlights, cell phones, and flashes while the camera recorded our antics.