Nature Archives - Dirt Roads Less Traveled

Springtime in Yellowstone Part 3

In the first two Springtime in Yellowstone blog posts, we covered Grizzly and Black Bear cubs, adorable Fox Kits, Badger cubs, a three-day-old Moose calf, Bison with their romping little Red Dogs, and much more.

For this final post, I believe I have saved the best for last.

This was the highlight of the trip for me. At our kickoff dinner, we were asked what we would like to see. My answer was anything in the Weasel family. These animals are few and the ones that are there are very shy and elusive. I knew the chance was slim but hey, dream big right?

Short-Tailed Weasel!

You can gauge this little girl’s size by the grasses and Juniper sprigs she’s standing in.

On our last full day, we stopped for lunch at the Sheepeater* Cliff picnic area. Looking up at the rockpile from the base of the cliff we spotted something extremely fast darting in and out of the boulders. Lunch was quickly forgotten as we all grabbed our cameras and sprang into action. While the rest of the group scrambled up the rock field, I worked my way up a trail, through some trees bordering the left side of the rockpile. Peering into the brush, I spotted her looking at me. She was very small, maybe 8 – 10 inches from nose to tail.

These little Weasels are twitchy-quick and fast which can make them extremely difficult to photograph but they also seem to be very curious. I spotted her multiple times as I worked my way up the trail. She’d stop and look back at me and if I was on it, it gave me just enough time to get a shot. The trail ended at the top of the rock pile, and we seemed to come out of the trees at the same time. She would rise out of one crevice in the rocks, look at me, then quickly disappear only to pop up in another spot a couple feet away. At one point she sprang up from a gap between my feet. She was so close my camera wouldn’t focus on her. I’m sure it was the exhilaration of the moment, but I could swear she was playing with me. It was so much fun to watch.

As you can see in some of the pictures, she was carrying something in her mouth. Weasels have a well-earned reputation for being ruthless little carnivores. The speculation around the picnic table was that she had raided a squirrel den. After zooming in on the photos, taking a close look at the baby and how she was holding it, I think she may have been moving her nest and this was one of her litter. It was springtime in Yellowstone after all…

When it was over, we went back to the picnic table to eat lunch and our guide mentioned that for all the time he spends in the park it had been five years since he had last spotted a Weasel.

I was extremely lucky and so very grateful for this wildlife encounter.

* The Sheepeater Indians were a band of the Shoshone Tribe that lived for thousands of years in the area that is now Yellowstone National Park.

American Pika

Any trip to Yellowstone should include a drive to the top of the Beartooth Highway. Drive through the Lamar Valley to the northeast entrance at Silver Gate MT and keep going through Cook City up US Route 212. It’s not that far and it is well worth it. The Beartooth Highway tops out at 10,947 feet and the views are breathtaking. Be forewarned, if you have issues driving up high mountain roads this will surely be a white-knuckle drive, but the road is good and the views are so worth it. Once you are up there pull over to marvel at the views, then wander through the rock fields, and look for Pikas. Pikas are adorable little cousins of the rabbit that live at high altitudes. Just remember, you’re at 11,000 feet and the air is thin.

Pikas winter in their high-altitude homes but they do not hibernate. In the fall they start stuffing their little burrows with enough grass to hold them through the winter. They remain active all winter traveling through tunnels under the rocks and many feet of snow.

FYI, the “Stop The Car Trading Post” in Silver Gate is a great place to stop for a cup of coffee in the morning or Ice cream on a hot afternoon.

Harlequin Ducks

Harlequin ducks are as interesting to watch as they are beautiful to look at. The ducks congregate on rocks in the river. Occasionally two or three would take off flying low and fast upriver for 100 yards or so before plunging into the white water. This was in early June, and the rivers were raging with the Spring runoff. Diving, swimming, and periodically rising to the surface the ducks would forage for grubs on the river bottom as they made their way back downstream to their rock where they would hop out and rest up before their next swim.

Great Horned Owls

Owls proved to be almost as elusive as the moose on this trip. We spent time wandering through some of the boreal forests of Yellowstone that were reported to be owl habitats without luck. We finally found this nest high in a pine tree, between two buildings at the park headquarters in Mammoth Hot Springs. The two fluffy chicks and their mom were in the nest while dad was in another tree keeping watch about 50 feet away. I didn’t get many pictures of these owls as the birds were settled into their nest, not moving around. It must have been their after-meal nap time. It was a thrill just to see them, but it would have been nice if they had hopped up on a branch and struck a pose 😊.

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Yellowstone National Park is a unique and wonderful place. It was hallowed ground to the Native Americans for thousands of years before Ulysses S. Grant established Yellowstone as our first National Park in 1872. While we should never forget those who came before us, or what this place means to them, this park was set aside and protected by the wisdom and foresight of our forefathers. It is a gift that belongs to us all and it’s spectacular.

Thank you for taking the time to read these photo essays of my Springtime wildlife adventures in Yellowstone. I didn’t write these so much to share my experiences but to inspire others to step out and find experiences of their own. If in some small way, you find yourself more inclined to unplug and head out, whether it be a local park for an afternoon or a National Park for a week my goal has been met….. Happy trails.

“Lose yourself in nature and find peace” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Springtime in Yellowstone Part 2

Welcome to part two of my Springtime in Yellowstone photo/blog post. In this installment, I have included Fox Kits, Badger Cubs, a beautiful little 3-day-old moose, and more.

In part one, I gushed about the immense beauty, incredible ecosystem, and diversity of wildlife found in Yellowstone. I won’t bore you with any more of that but I will say that Yellowstone is a natural wonder that one needs to experience and explore.

Thank you for your interest and please enjoy…

Foxes

Those who read my Fox Tail story know of my affinity for the Fox. It took three days to find a Fox in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. In Yellowstone, they are a much more frequent sighting.

click on the picture to view in a larger format.

We made a couple of trips and spent a fair amount of time waiting at this Fox den for the Kits to emerge. Wildlife photography takes patience with long waits (sometimes hours) followed by moments of exhilarated excitement that make it all worth it. When these Kits came out the wait was forgotten.

We ran into this beautiful Vixen on the way up the Beartooth Highway. She was sitting in the middle of the road with a gopher in her mouth. As we pulled over and stopped, she dropped her gopher and ran toward us. This could only be a learned behavior from being fed by people. As grateful as I was to get these pictures, I have a feeling things will not end well for this wonderful little Fox.

She’s not growling, it’s just her crooked smile 😉

Badgers

As with the foxes it took multiple trips and a lot of time to capture these Badger images. We would see the mother Badger emerge from her den, running into the woods to return a short time later with a ground squirrel or something in her jaws to feed her young. Just as we were ready to give up and leave the momma Badger appeared and with a little coaxing, brought her cub out into the light.

Moose

Moose sightings were proving to be elusive. Thanks to Max’s(*) many years of guiding in the park and the numerous contacts he has developed over that time we received a tip that a mother and newborn were sited outside the northeast corner of the park in the Cook City area. What an amazing experience this was. The calf was just a few days old and still very wobbly on her long legs. The calf would occasionally call to its mother with a sweet little cry that sounded like a weak little “bleeet”. It was a heart-melting, awe-inducing moment

* Max Waugh Photography. Our guide for this trip.

Motionless and scentless, calves hide in the bushes while mom’s away.

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For part 3, I believe I have saved the best for last.

Thanks again – br

Springtime in Yellowstone Part 1

This is the first of a multi-post story. As I began sorting pictures from my recent wildlife photography trip to Yellowstone I quickly realized that I had far too many to put in a single post so I’ve split it into three.

I’ve been fortunate to visit many of our beautiful National Parks over the past few years, but in my opinion, none can compare with Yellowstone. Our first National Park, Founded in 1872, is little changed and offers a glimpse of what the West may have been like back in the day. The concentration and diversity of wildlife found in the park can be found nowhere else in the Lower 48.

Yellowstone is immense at over 2.2 million acres. Its geological variety offers volcanic geysers, deep river valleys and waterfalls, the prairie grasslands of the Lamar Valley, and the rugged giant peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

Spring is the perfect time to visit Yellowstone National Park. While Spring mornings may be chilly the afternoons can be perfect shirt-sleeve temperatures**. The Summer heat and crowds can be oppressive. Fall is a beautiful season in the park but the thing that draws me to Springtime in Yellowstone are the newborns emerging from their dens. Spring is the time to witness the next generation of wildlife as it steps out into the world. I was there June 3^rd -9^th and the conditions were perfect.

** Anytime you go to Yellowstone prepare for all weather conditions. It snowed in the park a week or so after I left.

Before I go further with this report, I want to thank Max Waugh of Max Waugh Photography for all his hard work in making this such an amazing experience. I was extremely lucky to land one of four spots in Max’s Spring Yellowstone wildlife photography tour. After 20-plus years as a professional wildlife photographer, exploring the park and guiding wildlife photography trips it would be hard to find anyone with more knowledge of Yellowstone’s wildlife. Thanks, Max!

https://www.maxwaugh.com/

Grizzly Bears

It was a little before 6 am as we rounded the corner approaching the Obsidian Cliffs area of the park when Max called out “Bear”. Up on the grassy hillside to our left was a sow grizzly named Obsidian after the area in which she lived. It was still a little dark and a hazy mist hung in the chilly morning air making visibility a little tough. Eventually, we spotted her three adorable cubs as they followed their mom out onto the hillside. We had this scene all to ourselves for the first hour before anyone else arrived or traffic became too busy. That’s the reward for rising at 3:30 am to be on the road by 4:15 am. It was so worth it!

Remember, click on the pictures to see them in full format. These guys pegged the needle on the cute meter.

This all happened in the first two hours of a five-day wildlife photography trip. I must admit I thought there was no way we could top this…. I was wrong.

Black Bears

We found this mamma with her two adorable cubs just off Tower Road. When we arrived, the momma was in a grassy area below the road with her two cubs up a tree.

Eventually, the cubs came down and followed their mom across the road but not before the cubs became distracted by this traffic cone.

Even in Spring, the traffic can get crazy with “bear jams”. Don’t be a drive-by wildlife watcher. We saw more than one person stop in the middle of their lane causing long traffic jams. When you spot an animal, find a place to pull over and enjoy the experience.

Possible mating pair of Black Bears, one black one cinnamon

Bison

It’s an awe-inspiring sight to look out across the vast Lamar Valley and see many hundreds of Bison roaming the grasslands with their little “Red Dog” calves. The calves are full of energy running, playing, and chasing each other around. They are so cute and fun to watch.

It is hard to imagine a time when millions of Bison roamed the western plains and harder still to fathom how they were hunted to near extinction. In the mid-1880 a conservationist named William Hornaday began a campaign to save the Bison. In the early 1800’s there were an estimated 30 million Bison on the western plains. By the time Congress made It illegal to kill bison in 1894 there we fewer than 1000.

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Calliope Hummingbird. The smallest bird in North America.

The Yellowstone ecosystem is truly a wonder with its diverse landscapes and a wide array of wildlife. From the apex/keystone predators like Grizzly Bears and Wolves to the grassland grazers like the Bison, elk, and pronghorn Antelope to the Pocket Gophers and Ground Squirrels, all the animals in the park are part of the delicate balance of life that is the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It is truly something to be cherished.

For all we saw on this trip, there is so much more to see and I am eager to go back.

Part two of this series will include Fox Kits, Badger Cubs, an adorable newborn Moose calf, and baby Owls.

Bluebirds of Bickleton (Weekend Getaways)

“In like a Lion out like a Lamb…” – I always felt that the stormy weather that marked the beginning of Spring was Winter’s stubborn grip, hanging on as long as she could. Try as she might, around the Ides of March, she begins to lose her grasp and slip off to the Southern Hemisphere.

This year we are halfway through April and she’s still hanging on. It’s been a long cold winter but fear not, the days are getting longer and soon they’ll be warmer as well.

Nothing signals the beginning of Spring like the return of the birds, and of all the birds who come home in the Spring, there is none so grand as the Bluebird. Unfortunately, around our area, in Puget Sound, a Bluebird is a rare sighting. In Eastern Washington, or more specifically Southcentral Washington, in the little hamlet of Bickleton, the Bluebirds are abundant.

History is full of Bluebird mythology, legend, art, poetry, and music. Far too much to list here but suffice it to say that the Bluebird’s vibrant blue color and beautiful song have touched our hearts for all our know existence.

“If funny little Bluebirds fly, above the rainbow why oh why can’t I”, The Wizard of Oz, or maybe, “Don’t fly mister Bluebird I’m just walking down the road”, Allman Brothers, Blue Sky.

Although Bluebirds have been migrating between Mexico and the Columbia River Basin for a millennium or more, the Bickleton Bluebird story started about 50 years ago when Jess and Elva Brinkerhoff nailed a coffee can to a tree and a pair of Bluebirds moved in. Inspired, the Brinkerhoffs began building and installing hundreds of their blue and white birdhouses on fenceposts all around the Bickleton area. The community joined in and now it is estimated that there are as many as two thousand Bluebird houses in and around Klickitat County and the town and Bickleton is known as “The Bluebird Capital of the World”.

A wonderful long weekend getaway.

The area around Bickleton, Goldendale, and the Columbia River Gorge is beautiful with views of Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia River across the rolling farm and grasslands. We went in early June and the weather was perfect, with shirtsleeve warmth and blue skies. The wildflowers were in full bloom and the songbirds were everywhere.

I’ve traveled through the Goldendale area on Hwy 97 heading North or South on my way to somewhere many times, but I never pulled off the highway to explore. We went for the Bluebirds but there is so much more to see and do.

The town of Goldendale is the perfect base to explore the area. It is a quaint little town with good food and wineries. Centrally located, it’s 35 miles out the scenic Bickleton Hwy to the town of Bickleton or 17 miles south on Hwy 97 to the Columbia River Gorge.

Things to do.

On the evening we arrived we took the short drive up to the Goldendale Observatory which offers astonishing views to the South across the farm and grasslands to Mt Hood and beyond to Mt Washington and Mt Jefferson in Oregon. This is a very nice place to watch a sunset.

The Bickleton Pioneer Picnic and Rodeo. This year the Pioneer Picnic and Rodeo will be held June 9th, 10th and 11th. This would be the perfect time to combine Bluebirds with a small town rodeo and festival. Small town rodeo’s are always a good time.

The Bickleton Highway loop. From Goldendale head east on the Bickleton Hwy to the tiny town of Bickleton. Spend the morning exploring the miles of dirt roads around the town spotting Bluebirds, Goldfinches, and other songbirds. Be sure to have lunch at the Bluebird Inn, the oldest tavern in Washington. After lunch head south on County Rd E which winds down into the Gorge. Keep your eyes open for song birds and wildlife. The views of the Gorge, the Columbia River and the Palouse are beautiful. The road turns into the Roosevelt Grade Road just before it intersects with Hwy 14 at the Columbia River. Turn west on Hwy 14 then north on Hwy 97 which takes you back to Goldendale.

The Centerville Highway Loop. Go south on Hwy 97 for about 4 miles then turn right on the Centerville Highway. We loved this drive. It winds through wildflower-filled grasslands with stunning views of Mt Adams, Mt Hood, and the Columbia Gorge all along the way. In the town of Centerville, we turned south on the Dalles Mountain Road and drove for many beautiful miles before it connects to Hwy 14. Go east on Hwy 14 then north on Hwy 97 to complete the loop.

One of many options on this loop is to stay on the Centerville Highway as it winds through Pine forests and grasslands all the way to the town of Lyle on the Columbia River. We didn’t do this, but it was a tough decision. If you choose to go this way the town of Lyle would be a perfect place for lunch before heading back to Goldendale.

These are just two of the many options to explore in this part of Klickitat County.

Don’t forget your camera and binoculars!

We don’t need to travel far to see beautiful new places, we just need to step out our door and go.

Wildlife of the Point Reyes National Seashore

_{I had never heard of the Point Reyes National Seashore until I read an article written by wildlife photographer Daniel Dietrich about the peninsula and the abundance of wildlife that call it home. One year later I was lucky to find myself walking the grassy hills of Point Reyes with Daniel Dietrich photographing a wide variety of animals while learning about the park, its history, and its challenges.}

_{While the initial focus of this trip was wildlife photography I wasn’t prepared for the natural beauty of this park. Located just 40 miles north of the Bay Area, you feel you are miles from anywhere. The Cypress and Pine forests of Inverness Ridge give way to brushy rolling hills which turn into vibrant green grasslands all sloping down to the white sandy beaches and rocky headlands of the Pacific Ocean where the waves break with their rhythmic thunderclaps upon sand and rock…..It is breathtaking.}

_{That was my feeble attempt to describe the immense beauty of this place. It is huge at over 71 thousand acres with 80 miles of shoreline and 150 miles of trails to hike and explore. Set aside as a National Seashore in 1962 by John F Kennedy it has the feeling that it’s frozen in time. A calm beautiful respite from the hectic outside world.}

_Badgers

_{On the afternoon that I arrived I drove out to the lighthouse to explore the area. On my way back I noticed this Badger running beside the road. I drove a bit further, pulled over, and grabbed my camera. Walking to the back of my car I saw that this badger was still running towards me. Now this was both good and bad. Good for photographs but Badgers are considered, pound for pound, one of the toughest, orneriest, most ferocious creatures in North America. When cornered they’ve been known to fight off predators many times their size. When this guy got within 15 feet of me, I began to wonder if should climb up on top of my car. He suddenly stopped backing into his burrow which was no more than 10 feet behind where I had parked. Halfway into his burrow he stopped and gave me this death stare. We sat there in a stare-down for many minutes while I took some pictures. I tried to sweet talk him, but he wasn’t having it. The look on his face was screaming “One step closer and I’ll rip your leg off and beat you with it!” Wisely I let him be and as soon as I turned my back he was gone.}

_Bobcats

_{Bobcats were the animals I most wanted to capture on this trip and with Daniels’s help, we were on one quickly. We worked our way into a position behind him and walked parallel and slightly away from his track. Over the course of an hour, the Bobcat became comfortable with our presence, and we slowly closed the gap. In the end, we were sitting on the grass as the cat walked toward us. At no point did we alter the cat’s behavior. We watched him feed on Pocket Gophers. Pulling them from the ground he would turn around to show us his catch. This was a crazy wonderful experience. All in all, I photographed five different Bobcats during my three days in the park.}

_{(click on any image to view the picture in full format)}

_Coyotes

_{The Coyotes I saw at Point Reyes seemed different from the ones I see occasionally in my backyard game cam. It might have been my euphoric frame of mind, being in such a beautiful place, but they seemed bigger, more regal, and healthier somehow. Maybe it’s because they live in such a wild place, hunting for Gophers instead of neighborhood cats…yeah, probably just my euphoric frame of mind.}

_{Tule Elk}

_{Point Reyes is the only National Park where you will find this subspecies of Elk. To my eye, they seem slightly smaller and lighter in color than the Roosevelt Elk we are used to seeing.}

_{I was hiking out the Tamales Point trail to catch the sunset from a bluff high above the ocean. Rounding a bend, I came face to face with this small herd. I stopped there and we watched the sunset together.}

Feathered Creatures

_{I have this rule which so far, I have only broken for Yosemite NP. “Don’t eat your own dust” meaning once I’ve been to a place to explore and photograph, I need to seek out and find new places. I’m already planning my return to the Point Reyes National Seashore. It will take many trips to explore the whole of this huge, wonderful place.}

_{If you decide to visit Point Reyes, I highly recommend spending time exploring the park with Daniel Dietrich and Point Reyes Safaris.}_{https://www.pointreyessafaris.com/}

_{Thanks for reading – BR}

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A Fox Tale – October 2022

The fox has always been one of my favorite creatures. Known as clever little mischief makers, the cunning fox has thwarted man’s attempts to capture or cull for centuries.

“A fox is subtlety itself.” ~ Aristophanes, Greek Philosopher, 386 B.C.

Native Americans considered the fox as an irreverent trickster, a benevolent character, and associated them with intelligence and wisdom.

The people of Northern-Eastern China have been praying to Fox Spirits since ancient times. Almost every village in that region of China has a Spirit Shrine to worship the fox.

Then there was fox hunting in Great Britain, where the highbrow British society elites would don their red coats and silly riding helmets, jump on their horses and chase foxes around with large packs of barking hounds. They called this “sport”. They knew that without hounds, they had no chance to catch the elusive fox. Thankfully, the fox hunts were outlawed in 2005.

The early Americans had a different attitude towards the fox as their attempts to “keep the fox out of the hen house” failed time and again.

“The cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf.” ~ Thomas Paine

The theme of intelligence and cunning is the common thread in fox mythology down through time.

Thousands of years later the crafty little fox is still here creating his mischief and raiding hen houses, yet I had never seen one in the wild. Wildlife photography is a little outside of what I have typically done. Up until now, I’ve focused on landscape, sunset, or mountain photography, you know,… things that sit still. Wildlife photography presents a unique challenge: their senses are a magnitude greater than ours, and they move silently through their environment. Not only do you have to find them, but you also need to catch them in the right light to get a good picture before they disappear back into the forest.

So with the difficult task of finding and photographing a fox in the wild, I hit the road for the mountain town of McCall on the shores of Payette Lake in central Idaho.

Through research, I knew that foxes were occasionally seen in the area around McCall, but I thought my chances of spotting one of these elusive, beautiful creatures were slim. My schedule allowed for three days and on the afternoon of the 3^rd day, as I was slowly working my way through the game trails of the Payette National Forest, I spotted this gorgeous cross fox.

You must look closely. Unless you are looking for him, and sometimes even if you are, you would walk right by.

With a huge burst of excitement and a rush of adrenaline, I ducked down and took a moment to calm myself. I now understand what hunters mean by “buck fever”. When I looked again, he was still there and miraculously, had not seen or heard me. I dropped my pack and slowly started working my way up behind him as quietly as possible. I got to within 40 feet when he sat up and looked right at me. At that point, I thought the gig was up, but he didn’t run, he laid back down?!

Right after I took this picture my camera flashed the dreaded “Dead Battery” message. My spare batteries were back down the hill in my pack. Rookie mistake! #%*&$&#!. I quietly worked my way back down to my pack knowing that the fox had assuredly made a run for it but when I looked back up the hill, to my surprise, he was still there.

After changing my battery, I put my pack on and started working my way to the right around the base of his hill. The plan was to come up in front of him to get a good shot. When I approached the rock that I thought he was on he was nowhere in sight. I was so grateful I had seen one and I would have been happy if it had ended right then. I worked my way up the hill a little further and turned around to see the fox sleeping on another rock 20 feet from where I had previously been.

Again, I dropped my pack and worked my way down the hill. At one point he looked up and I froze.

The look on his face says “is this guy real or am I dreaming.”

I finally worked my way around to where I wanted to be with the sun on his face and the Fall colors at his back and took this picture.

This was the shot I was after. What a beautiful fox!

He was obviously a groggy, tired little fox. After posing for this picture, he tucked his nose back into his body and went back to sleep.

He knew that I was no threat.

Climbing back to the top of the hill I stopped to watch the little fox sleep. I probably took 15-20 pictures, but I stayed there for a long time. When you go to the effort to put yourself in this position and it works out, you don’t want the moment to end. Setting my camera down I just stayed there, in the presence of this fox, surrounded by the silence of the woods and the stunning fall colors, hanging onto this experience as long as I could.

Just as I was starting to pack up to leave, the fox started to stir and sat up with a yawn.

After a quick stretch, the fox stepped off his rock and something in the bushes immediately grabbed his attention.

When he struck the pose below, I realized he was going to do a “fox pounce”!

In a bit of a panic, I fumbled to increase my shutter speed to try to freeze the fox in midair but as you can see below, I was waving my camera all over in my excitement.

Checking the pictures soon afterward I knew I had blown the shot, but I couldn’t be angry or disappointed. Just to be in the position to see this was so wonderful. I almost wish I would have put my camera down and watched.

To paraphrase Sean Penn’s character, Sean O’Connell, in the movie Walter Mitty, “sometimes you don’t take the picture, sometimes you just want to stay right there, in the moment. “…. It was amazing.

With that, the little fox trotted off across a log and disappeared behind a tree to undoubtedly make some mischief or raid a hen house…

Godspeed little fox.

My High Sierra Pack trip into the John Muir Wilderness, July 2022

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”
― John Muir

This is a story of my need for wilderness solitude, The naturalist John Muir and a horse pack trip into the Sierra Mountains of California.

My Wilderness addiction began 50 years ago when my mother dropped my dog Chester and I off at a trailhead outside the town of Darrington, WA. Our adventure would lead us across the Cascade Mountains, through the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area to Lake Chelan. I was 14 years old and looking back on it now, I can say that this was one of the best things she’s ever done for me. That 5-day, 4-night, 40-mile walk through the wilderness altered my DNA and cemented a deep need to wander the Cascade Mountain high country.

A couple of years later I discovered the writings of John Muir. John Muir was a 19^th-century naturalist who campaigned for the preservation of wilderness to be savored by future generations. Muir’s efforts led to the creation of Yosemite National Park in 1890 as well as Sequoia, Grand Canyon, and Mount Rainier National Parks. He also co-founded the Sierra Club in 1892. Today the Sierra Club has more than 3.8 million members. Its goal is the continued protection of the wilderness for people and future generations to experience and enjoy. To summarize what I feel we all owe this man or to describe his accomplishments in a single paragraph is not possible. As this is not a story about John Muir, I’ll leave it to you, if interested, to seek out and learn more on your own.

Flash forward 50 years and I can no longer bare the weight of a pack so multi-day trips in the backcountry have not been possible. One morning while surfing the web I discovered a 5-day horse-pack, photography trip into the central Sierra Mountain high country. The idea of packing my load on a mule and riding a horse to once again get above the tree line and gaze upon and explore the same peaks that so inspired John Muir over 130 years before. Sign me up!

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
― John Muir

The sun was shining as we left Rock Creek Pack Station winding our way through the Pine, Juniper, and shimmering Aspen forests of the eastern Sierras. The trail grew increasingly rocky as we climbed up out of the valley. I was impressed with how Rock Creeks trail horses handled the rocky trails, well trained and experienced. As we climbed ever higher toward the 12,000 foot Mono Pass the views of the peaks and valleys that surrounded us became more and more magnificent. When the trees gave way to the thin air of elevation, fields of wildflowers like Lupin, Paintbrush, Larkspur, and many others laid out before us. Cresting Mono Pass, the Sierras opened up like a book looking north towards Yosemite, south towards Kings Canyon, and west across the entire range, out onto Western California far below.

It was a full day’s ride to get to our Base Camp in the Pioneer Basin at over 10,000 feet but it was so worth it. Pioneer Basin is a hanging high alpine valley with a chain of seven lakes surrounded by meadows. Mt Crocker to the north, Mt Huntington to the east, and Mt Hopkins to the west create a three-sided bowl forming the basin with an open view south across the Mono Creek Valley to Mono Rock and beyond.

This was our hub for seven photographers and three horse packers. For the next 3 days, we hiked, rode, explored, and photographed the area overwhelmed by the natural beauty that surrounded us. I found that when everywhere you turn is a breathtaking vista the photo opportunities are infinite and it becomes a bit overwhelming.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul”
― John Muir

To say our camp was luxurious would be an overstatement but compared to what I’ve grown accustomed to in my backcountry travels, this could be considered a high-country cruise. We each had our own tents with perfectly comfortable air mattresses and the view from the latrine was stunning. Allen, our camp cook was amazing. His menu was varied, full of surprises, and the food was delicious. The pack crew went above and beyond to make this a memorable trip for all, from the way they handled the stock, to their engaging friendliness with us pilgrims. 🙂

There was no freeze-dried food in Allen’s kitchen. Always fresh, always from scratch. It’s all about the food and Allen did not disappoint.

“The clearest way to the Universe is through a forest wilderness ”
― John Muir

I never sleep better than when I’m snuggled up in my warm sleeping bag, breathing the cool clean mountain air, looking up at the Milky Way and the billions of stars that make up the night sky. In the Pioneer Basin, the air is so clear, and the area is so dark that the night sky explodes in stars. Struggling to keep my eyes open trying to spot the next shooting star, I drift off into a deep restful much-needed sleep.

“The morning stars still sing together, and the world, though made, is still being made and becoming more beautiful every day.” – John Muir

The mornings come early as we rise in the dark and prepare to catch the morning light. Allen, always had the coffee ready to ease the morning chill. The smell of breakfast would lead us back to camp at the end of the morning shoot.

In the stillness of the morning air, the lakes become mirrors.

“To sit in solitude, to think in solitude with only the music of the stream and the cedar to break the flow of silence, there lies the value of wilderness.” – John Muir

There is a peaceful meditative feeling sitting by a mountain stream. It is the sounds of water flowing through the rocks, combined with the breeze through the trees, while the smells of the Pine trees, wildflowers, and grasses surround you. When I’m there, in that moment, and I close my eyes and relax, I can feel my mind calm and my blood pressure drop.

The morning of the 5^th day came far too quickly. The camaraderie and friendships developed over this trip will be remembered fondly.

(Photo courtesy of Randall Ball Photography)

I would like to thank Randy Ball and the people at Art of Seeing Photography as well as Allen and the Rock Creek Pack Station crew for making this trip so special for all of us.

If you are considering an immersive photography adventure to improve your skills, I highly recommend The Art of Seeing. Their trips provide so much more than photography.

https://artofseeing.com/

Rock Creek Pack Station offers many trips, from day rides to 8-day cross-country adventures. You don’t have to go on a photography trip but if you go on any of these rides, don’t forget your camera.

https://www.rockcreekpackstation.com/

Category: Nature

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