Postcard from St. Mary’s College

Mommy

You brushed my hair and tucked me in,
Made me laugh for hours on end.
You kissed my boo-boos when I fooled around.
Mommy, you never let me down.
You held my hand as I got my shots
Then took me for ice cream that hit the spot.
You bought me Polly-Pockets and Barbies too.
Mommy, there's no one quite like you
You held my hand as I walked through the door,
Then you met my teacher as I stared at the floor.
You told me it'd be fun, and I'd make friends too,
And for that reason, Mommy, I love you.
You listened to me talk about the drama and boys
Then taught me how to handle it with class and poise.
You spoke with wisdom and of things you know.
You love to hear me say, "Mommy, you told me so."
You love the Lord with all you heart,
And you're kind and gentle and pretty and smart
If I could be anyone, I'd pick you
'Cause, Mommy, the world would be better with two of you.
You've taught me so much, with more in store
And with each day that passes, I love you more.

Poem by Madisyn B

Photo by JR Corkrum

Postcard from San Francisco

What a joy it was to visit one of my favorite cities in the world and find there was an exhibition of the works of my most favorite painter. JMW Turner was a British painter (1775-1851) whose works changed the course of painting. The title of this exhibit at the DeYoung Museum was appropriately titled “Painting Set Free.” I was first made aware of Turner while in my early 20’s when I was given a print of one of his works. I immediately fell in love and have enjoyed a life-long love affair with his beautiful and daring paintings.

When Turner died, he bequeathed all his unsold works to the people of Britain. Much of his work is on exhibit in the Tate Gallery in London. I have been fortunate enough to visit that gallery a few times to see his original works in their full glory. It was the Tate Gallery that arranged this first-of-its kind exhibition of his later works. To my mind, his later works from 1835 until his death in 1851 are the best of all his paintings. He did set painting free. He may be considered the father of modern paintings, especially those of the Impressionists who came 40 years later. Those painters considered him a genius and forward thinker that laid the ground work that eventually allowed their works to become mainstream.

The painting shown here is called “Snow Storm” and shows a steamboat off the mouth of a harbor. It depicts the technological achievement of steam power pitted against the raw forces of nature. Turner claimed he was on this boat during a storm and had himself lashed to the mast to see it for himself. Whether or not that story is true remains a mystery. My photo of this work does not even come close to the power of the original painting.

Most of the oil paintings and watercolors at the exhibit show the raw explosiveness of light and boldness of nature. He chose subjects such as the sea, landscapes, cities, and even scenes from mythology…unlike the Impressionists who mostly chose scenes from everyday life. If you are intrigued by the above painting, I encourage you to find books on his works or explore them on the Internet. I think you will find yourself captivated and want to see more.

Most of his work in the latter stages of his life were assaulted unmercifully by art critics of the time. Today, most art experts believe Turner was working principally for his own satisfaction, heedless of the demands of patrons or the criticism of art critics. To me and others, Turner was a visionary, aware as no other painter before of what landscape painting might be. The title of the exhibit says it all…”Painting Set Free.”

Postcard from Tucson

If you want to get your outdoor exercise here in Tucson in the summer, you better get out early…and I mean real early. Even then you may run into 80-85 degree weather with higher than normal humidity. You see, summers here include temperatures in the low 100’s and severe monsoon rainstorms coming in from the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve seen days where our temps and humidity are higher than Miami on the same day! So the old expression about Arizona…”yea its hot but it’s a dry heat” isn’t exactly true.  

Enough complaining. This photo was taken just a few days ago around 6:00 AM. I took it with my iPhone camera as that is all I had with me on my walk. I was on a large piece of desert land owned by Pima Community College, right across the street from my new place. It is crisscrossed with trails that offer a great walking experience as well as elevated views of Tucson. On this morning, the view offered a view of two localized light monsoon rainstorms. These are quite common this time of year.

My home was hit the previous evening with another storm that brought heavy, heavy rain and a spectacular thunder and lightning storm right overhead. The storm you see here, especially the one on the left, was very near my home, but petered out before it got to me.

One would think that walking on the ground after a heavy rainstorm, one would be sinking in mud. Not here…this land was bone dry. Rain, even monsoon rain, goes right through it so mud is a rare commodity. The Sonoran Desert is very different from most. Its these rains than allow the cactus and other desert flora to thrive. The large Saguaro Cactus store the water in their rather large arms.

The large mountains you see in the distance are the Santa Catalina Mountains. To the right of the photo, you would see Downtown Tucson and the large campus of the University of Arizona. PS: If you ever come here this time of year, stay out of the gullies and dips in the road. They flood in 5-10 minutes. Flash floods are no joke and we have received several flash flood warnings this year. Still, I do like living here even with these inconveniences.

For the last couple of years, I have managed to escape in August to the San Francisco Bay Area for a length of time and come back home when the temps start to drop. Next week, I will again be winging my way north to see friends and attend the last Indy Car race of the year in Sonoma. I look forward to that. You may recall I went to that very race last year which took place after a large earthquake. Hopefully we can see the race without an earthquake this year.

Of course, this means I won’t be writing this blog for a couple of weeks, but I promise I will be back with new photos from my time up north. So take care and I will return.

Postcard from Tucson

 

The Old Door

There's an old door in my garden,
Was put there long ago.
Rather then leave it for the trash,
I planted it so it might grow.

Dug deep I did that it might root,
And one morning I might see.
The hand of the Lord at work,
Of an old door birthed from a tree

.
' Knock and it shall be open',
These words written so long ago.
So much lay beyond for you and me,
More then you'll ever know.

This door once hung on someones house,
Held by hinges made of brass.
Painted white, chipped and faded now,
With panes crystal clear, now just broken glass.

How many times did one knock,
Yet never enter in?
Held to all their selfish needs and pride,
And not forgiven of their sins.

Every year I will replant,
With hopes that with sun and rain.
It will bring forth little seedlings,
From the wood, the brass, the panes.

Then I shall place God's harvest,
Along the roadside, for you to take on your way home.
Then maybe you'll plant one of your own,
From the old door God had grown.

Poem by Linda Mitchell

Photo by J.R. Corkrum – “Doors of Old Tucson #1”

Postcard from My Computer

Sometimes the emphasis of this blog is about one of my photographs and sometimes its about the place in the photo. Mostly, its about me sharing my photos with you and weaving an interesting tale worth reading. I think I am a pretty good photographer and artist…and writer. I certainly have been to many places in the world and have interesting stories to share. I probably have more stories to share that don’t have corresponding photos. That is because all of my photos prior to 1992 are gone. All my European photos prior to that date are gone. My journey around the islands of the South Pacific and the Caribbean are gone. It’s a sad story not worth telling. 

But back to today’s photo. I love to experiment with photos I’ve taken along the journey of life. Way back in the 90’s, I got tired of ordinary photos, no matter how good they were. That is when I first started digitally painting and sketching photos. My work became good enough that it sold at art shows, hung in prestigious galleries and in homes around the world. I am humbled by my experiences and the fact that people would pay good money for my work.

If you follow this blog regularly or see my work on Flickr, you have seen some of the results of my experiments. This photo is another experiment in digital photo manipulation using a new software I recently picked up. It is amazing the number of software products one can find today for this kind of work. That was not true when I first started creating digital paintings and sketches from my original photos. I had to experiment long and hard to come up with interesting images. I think I was a pioneer in this field. That makes me feel good.

This photo, originally taken at sunrise from my campsite in the Arches National Park is quite lovely without any enhancements. But, like so much of my work, I experimented with the photo and came up with this beauty. I liked it immediately. You would be surprised at the number of images I experiment with that you never see because they are not up to my standards.

What makes this work is the array of sunrise colors behind the leafless tree that are woven into a new image using the existing forms. For me, my art will always be about beauty, even in abstract form. I hope you find it interesting.

(To see a larger version of this image, just click on it)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page

Postcard from North Central Washington

Iris, Most Beautiful Flower

Iris, most beautiful flower,
Symbol of life, love, and light;
Found by the brook, and the meadow,
Or lofty, on arable height.
You come in such glorious colors,
In hues, the rainbow surpass;
The chart of color portrays you,
In petal, or veins, of your class.
You bloom with the first in Winter,
With the last, in the Fall, you still show;
You steal the full beauty of Springtime,
With your fragrance and sharp color glow.
Your form and beauty of flower,
An artist's desire of full worth;
So Iris, we love you and crown you,
MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER ON EARTH!

Edith Buckner Edwards

Digital Painting by J.R. Corkrum

Postcard from Island in the Sky…Canyonlands National Park

If you are a long-time reader of this blog,  you may remember I published this photo back in 2010…only it looked a whole lot different then. With new and improved digital photography tools, one can go back and redo old photos and come out with a new and better image. Such is the case here. This is the the Green River Overlook in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. It’s a series of 3 photographs taken at the same time using 3 different exposures, then combined into a single image. Here is how it all came about: 

Back in 2010, my friend and fellow photographer Dave Forster and I were up in Moab, UT shooting the beautiful landscapes that are all around this southeastern Utah city. Late one afternoon, we were high up in the Arches National Park scanning the sky trying decide where we wanted to be at sunset.  It did not look promising.

The places we had on our list for sunset shots all needed direct sunset light, but the clouds in the west were becoming thicker and thicker. Our prospects looked bleak. Then, Dave came up with the brilliant idea of going to the Green River Overlook in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. This is the same park where we shot Mesa Arch two mornings prior. With all the clouds in the sky, we might get lucky and have a fiery red sky at sunset…and this overlook is one of the most scenic in the park.

We drove about 40 miles to get there and arrived well before sunset. We scouted for the best view, then set up our cameras on tripods and just waited…and waited and waited.

The problem with shooting this scene was the canyon itself was already in deep, deep shadows before the sun even set. And if the sky lit up liked we hoped, the values between light and dark would be huge, far more than the camera could capture.  We both set up a split neutral density filter…a glass plate that is very dark on top and clear on the bottom.  This allows less bright light into the camera helping with the exposure with no loss of colors. I also decided to shoot multiple exposures of each shot with a range of +1 to –1.  As it turned out, even these settings and filters were not enough.

After a long wait, the sun finally set, but the light still wasn’t right.  We had to wait even more to see if the sky would light up… what we call “second sunset.” Our patience was rewarded with a beautiful red and yellow sky that looked like the entire sky was on fire. Both Dave and I shot, and shot, and shot until the fire died away after about 10 minutes. It was well worth the trip and a beautiful site to see.

After the return to to Tucson, I started working on the multiple exposures to try and create one High Dynamic Range image. It turns out my exposure corrections were not quite enough.  Through the magic of Photoshop, I had to create a 4th and 5th exposure and combine them into one. It still was not enough to create the perfect picture, at least in my view. The canyons below were still too dark…which of course, gives them a bluish cast. But, I worked and worked the image trying for the best shot I could. The result was the photo I published back in 2010…one that I was not crazy about.

Then, a couple of months ago, Adobe released their latest version of Lightroom. In it was a new HDR image creator that combined multiple images and yield a high dynamic range image. So I experimented with it and was pleased with the results. When done, the newly created image is not ready for prime time, so additional creative measures are required in both Photoshop and Lightroom. But I think this photo turned out more realistic than the first one…and it certainly has a better dynamic range. 

And by the way, this is one of the best overlooks in the park. Don’t miss it if you happen to be in the area…sunrise, sunset, or any time in between.

Postcard from Yosemite

I had a shock today. I looked at a webcam in Yosemite to see how bad the water shortage in California affects the valley waterfalls. Click this link to see what shocked me. It is the beginning of July and the falls are almost gone. Yosemite Falls does dry up. I saw it dry in late September once, but not this early. It will be gone completely in a couple of weeks.

Obviously the above photo was not taken recently. I shot it in mid May of 2006 when the snowfall was about 30% above normal. This is Tamarack Creek Falls, located above the valley on the Big Oak Flat Road. If you take that road up from the valley, it is located to the right of the entrance of the first tunnel (or to the left of the third tunnel heading down). As we were heading down, it was my first indication that we were going to see a lot of amazing waterfalls on this trip…and we did! There were so many waterfalls in action, some of which are only seen for a few weeks in the Spring…some of which don’t even have names!

If you are wondering how I got the flowing water to look so silky, here is the secret. First, you need to set your shutter speed to 1/3 or 1/2 second. That slow, of course, required the camera to be absolutely still…which means you need a tripod. As it was a bright day, it was difficult to get a shutter speed that slow. Here is what I did…I set the camera’s ISO to the lowest possible setting (in this case 100). Then closed the shutter down to its smallest opening (in this case f22). It still was not quite enough as it was a very sunny day. So I put a neutral density filter in front of the lens to lower the light levels even more…its like putting a pair of dark sunglasses on the camera. I was finally able to get the shutter speed I wanted and took the shot.

I found the original color image to be somewhat boring…the colors being a distraction…so I converted it to black and white in Photoshop and made some additional adjustments to get the image right where I wanted it. Without the color to distract you, the flow of the water becomes the star of the show, which is what I wanted. Many times, black and white is a better solution than color. And black and white seems so appropriate when shooting in Yosemite. After all, it was where Ansel Adams took some his most amazing images. 

If you are familiar with Ansel Adams, you probably think that he did all his images in black and white. And for the most part, you would be right. However, he was hired as an advisor to Kodak’s color film division and did many slide photos in color, using both Ektachrome and Kodachrome slide film. There is a book featuring those photos edited by John P. Schaefer, former President of the University of Arizona here in Tucson. It was he and Ansel Adams who helped create the Center for Creative Photography on the campus. Ansel’s work is stored here, along with many other great photographers. 

As a young boy who visited Yosemite almost every summer, I spent a lot of time at Ansel Adams’ Gallery, which is still open today. It was the beginning of a life-long love of photography. If you are ever in the valley, be sure and pay it a visit.

(To see a larger version of this image, just click on it)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page

Postcard from Tucson

 

The Fortunes of Flowers

Thou flourish in beauty
Thus vast in prettiness like paradise
Colourful as rainbow brilliant like sun's face.
Thus an illusion to doubt facts of your fortune
I visit you often, last visitation was keen amazement to my satisfaction, hand cut ye attribute and derieved fun in fair act to a friend.
Calm and captivating your fregrance comforting with pleasure, nice to sense.
In anxiety your awareness came dearest solace to me
I can make joy as soon at your sight.
My desire i travel to your world
A garden with so a golden value thus your abode
Irresistible that butterflies source you an abode
But remember to make joy time-wise to hearts of all who are facinate by your beauty.
Oh! Flower satisfy my optic desire with in.sight
Oh! Flower sing!
Oh! Flower dance!
Oh! Flower decorate my domestic
Oh! Flower be my love one's admirable gift
Oh! Flower establish your self a home to smile evergreen
Thenceforth i can walk in and out and wave a goodbye at day down.

Poem by Barnabas Michael Barde

(To see a larger version of this image, just click on it)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page

Postcard from The Arches

The Journey Continues

The end of my journey around the Western United States was fast approaching. It was very late November…the weather is getting colder and snow was in the immediate forecast. It was about to the time I would have to head south to southern Arizona, and, more importantly, find a place to live and put down roots. And, Thanksgiving was just ahead. But, I wanted another day or two in The Arches before I left.

The Arches National Park is right up there among my favorite National Parks. I spent days wandering around from place to place and hiking on its many trails. There are over 2,000 arches inside the park, and although I couldn’t get to them all, I photographed many of them. In a few years, I would come back here and do more photography. But that was in the future.

For now, my goal was to enjoy my final days on the road and keep my shutter clicking away. Of course, every photographer knows that the best light of the day is almost always sunrise and sunset. So I would park myself in certain places at those times and hope I would get lucky with the light and the sky. Being at a great spot at sunset doesn’t always mean one will get a great shot.

However, on this one late afternoon, I got very luck with the light and the sky and got a great picture of Balanced Rock, as you can see from above. I had been at this very spot a couple of other evenings and got less-than-spectacular results. But this night offered an incredible sunset.  

On my final night, I got a hotel room in Moab to clean up and get a good nights rest before leaving for Yuma to spend Thanksgiving with my son. It was going to snow in Moab on Thanksgiving, so it was a fortuitist time to go. This year, Thanksgiving was late, on the 28th. I almost hated to leave, but it was time to find a new place to live and put down some roots. I have always had a place to call home, at least up until these months on the road. And I was feeling the need to get going on a new part of my life.

When I first started this trip, I had Tucson as my final destination. I visited the city very early in the year and liked what I saw. It felt good to me. But, I was always wide open for any other place I might find along the way. I never found one. I really liked St. George, Utah and thought about it. But I decided I would not feel comfortable in Utah. So, in the end, I stuck with my original choice.

It was a bittersweet journey from Moab to Yuma…a long drive, to say the least. I had a great time living out of my van and seeing all these new places. I had a lot of time to think and prepare for my new life as a single man in a whole new town. Frankly, I was excited about it…no fear at all. After all, I love seeing new places and Tucson was a new place to see and discover.

After Thanksgiving, I headed east towards Tucson. On my first day here, I found the almost perfect place for me to live and have been here for 6.5 years. But in three weeks, I will be moving to a new place. I am quite excited about it. I will not miss this place as the new management has driven me out. For 5.5 years, this was a great place to live. But now, all my old friends who took care of this place are gone…and the new people are slowly letting this place go to hell. But that is another story and I will happily leave this place in just a couple of weeks.

Anyway, when I found this place I was not allowed to move in for 2 weeks as they wanted that time to prepare it for me. So my life in the van was not quite over. For those two weeks, I lived in a very nice campground just off the Mt. Lemmon Highway. It was actually one of the best campgrounds I had on the whole trip. On most days, I would have coffee at my camp table, then head down the mountain to Eastern Tucson to eat breakfast and use the Internet. I also took the time to explore Tucson.

I thought sure when I came here I would find a place on the east side…but it turns out my new place was on the far west side of Tucson, up in the hills above the town. After living here a short time, I was glad I chose this side. Far fewer people and traffic up here. Lots of open space with walking trails in the desert and some great views. In fact my new place is only a couple of miles from here and is also located in the hills above the town. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Last week, I wrote about Canyonlands and offered you a Web page that featured my best photos from that National Park. This time, I am doing the same thing. I just posted a brand new page on my Website that offers the best photos from the Arches. I would be honored if you take a look at them and let me know what you think. 

Postcard from Island in the Sky

The journey from Ephrata, WA to a new home in Tucson, AZ was coming to a close…not because I want the journey to end, but rather because Winter was closing in fast and I was high on the Colorado Plateau. I’ve been on the road for a couple of months, living out of my van (by choice) and seeing news sites on a daily basis.

While camped out at the Arches, I was very near to another National Park…the Island in the Sky portion of Canyonlands National Park. If you have been following this trip, you know I spent a few days in the Needles section of the park. By road, it is quite a distance from the Needles to Island in the Sky. The entrance to the latter is just up the road from the Arches, so one fine morning, long before sunset, I headed into Island in the Sky.

First, I should explain how this part of Canyonlands fits into the whole. The park is quite large, over 527 square miles. Most of it sits down in Canyons. However, Island in the Sky sits high above the rest of the park, and is a broad and level mesa to the in the north part of the park. It sits between Colorado and Green rivers. It could easily be described as a peninsula that sticks out into the main body of the park. It is the smallest section of the park, yet receives the highest number of visitors to Canyonlands…about 60%. Probably because of its close proximity to Moab, UT and The Arches.

While it is very nice, it is not as interesting as the rest of the park, although the views can be magnificent. From the southern end of the peninsula, one can see much of the park, including The Needles. Earlier, when I was in the Needles, I could easily see the peninsula that is Island in the Sky.

The reason I left so early in the morning on this day was to visit one of the park’s most famous sites, Mesa Arch, as seen in the photo above. Seasoned travelers and photographers know that when the sun rises, it lights up the inside of the arch and it positively glows a bright orange…but only for a very short time. There are no photographic tricks in this photo, this is how it looks on many a morning.

Now, I have a confession to make. This photo was not taken on the morning I first visited the park. I took it a couple of years later on another trip. The reason…on my first visit, the rising sun was behind clouds and there was no glow. Although I took some pictures, I could not bring myself to show them here. I wanted you to see Mesa Arch in all its glory.

To get to Mesa Arch, one has to park and hike about 1/3 of a mile from the parking lot to the arch. You should arrive before the sun comes up to set up your cameras. If you do this, you will no doubt find other photo fiends already there and set up, ready for sunrise. On this first visit, there were some Japanese photographers there. One of them told me they were headed back to Japan the very next day. I felt bad for them when the sun came up behind clouds. Like me,they did not get the photo they wanted.

I spent the rest of this day wandering around the Island checking out the views. There is very little to get excited about on top of the peninsula, but the views are great. The best view of them all, besides Mesa Arch, is the Green River Overlook, not far from where the Green River runs into the Colorado River. Sadly, the light this whole day was not very good and my photos did not turn out well. On my second visit, I not only captured Mesa Arch at sunrise, but also the Green River Overlook at sunset.

To see more photos from Canyonlands, please check out my brand new Web page on the park. I have just started working on a new Web site and this is actually the first page I created that is up on line. Many more to come…and if you find a few errors here or there or something that seems out of place on the links, just ignore it. All it means is that I have not completed the new pages for that section.

This first day on Island in the Sky was enjoyable, but soon I headed down to the main highway, then up into the Arches were I was camped. The weather forecast was not looking good…the first snow of the season was not far off. So I had to make the most of my time here before heading south to lower elevations an my new life. But I was not quite ready to leave yet.

More to come…

Postcard from the Arches

The Journey Continues…

After three great days at the Needles in Canyonlands National Park, I took the 34 mile drive out of the canyons to connect with Utah Highway 191…then north towards Moab. My goal was to visit The Arches National Park, a park of immense natural beauty that I had only seen in pictures. I had looked forward to this visit for a long time…and I was not disappointed.

The entrance to the Park lies just beyond Moab. I stopped first at the visitor’s center just beyond the entrance to get the lay of the land, so to speak. Just beyond the entrance, the road into the park takes you up and up and up, over 1,000 feet, into the main park. Immediately, one starts seeing magnificent vistas with towering walls, soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. And of course, there are arches...well over 2,000 of them if you can believe that. It is truly a red rock wonderland.

On my first day, I drove the length of the park road, all the way to the end. There lies the entrance to Devil’s Garden, and, the park’s one and only campground. I staked my claim to a great campsite, then headed back down the road to see what I could see this first day. What I saw took my breath away. I saw many arches visible from the road. There were also many side roads that took me to other sites like the one pictured here. This is one of the parks most famous sites, Double Arch. All around me were massive rock formations and more arches. One of the most amazing places on the planet!

Without getting into great detail, arches are formed by a combination of forces, mostly water, ice and gravity. Wind plays little or no part. Water erodes the sandstone slowly, breaking down the molecular structure of the sandstone...ice expands and contracts inside the rock, weakening it even further, and gravity brings down portions of the rock where the molecular bonds have been weakened beyond the ability of the rock to hold it together. As the park only gets 8"-10" of rain per year, this is obviously a very slow process.

Arches take a long, long time to form…thousands of years at the least. They are born, then form, then, eventually die. For the process of arch creation is relentless. Eventually the arch is weakened enough by the process that parts start falling off. Then, one day, it just collapses and is no more. A couple of months before I took this photo, the famous Wall Arch collapsed. One day it was there, the next day it was gone. Since 1977, 43 arches have collapsed. Parts of the very famous Landscape Arch fell off and were captured on a video camera by a tourist who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Everywhere in the park you can see remnants of great giant arches that are gone.

I spent a number of days in the park visiting all the sites that I could get to by car. One day I took a ranger-led hike through the Fiery Furnace, a labyrinth of canyons that one can easily get lost in, which is why I went with a ranger. The place is badly named as it is one of the coolest spot in the park on hot summer days. I also took a long walk by myself through the Devil’s Garden, all the way to Landscape Arch and other interesting arches and rock formations. Well worth the hike.

As for photography, you can imagine I took a ton of photos. My photographic guide book told me where the best places were to photograph some of the sites and whether it was best at sunrise or sunset. You just can’t beat the wonderful light these two times of day yield. If you would like to see more of my best photos of the Arches, just head to my Web Site.

I have to admit after many months on the road, one can get tired of sleeping in the back of the van and taking sponge baths to maintain some modicum of cleanliness. So, on one Sunday, craving football, a hot shower, and a soft bed, I headed into Moab to a hotel. It was wonderful. I actually stayed a couple of days so I could catch the Monday Night game. Eventually I headed back to the park’s campground…but God, those days in a hotel were wonderful! I did that occasionally while on this journey, but sometimes there were no hotels anywhere nearby, like in the Needles.

But beside The Arches, there was another nearby National Park that needed a visit. So one morning, before the sun came up, I headed there to try and capture a photo of sunlight reflecting off the inside of an arch.

Stay tuned for more…

Postcard from the Needles

 

The Journey Continues...

I've never been in a National Park that was almost completely devoid of people. But, here I was in the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park and I only saw 3 other cars here (besides park employees, of course). You could say that I had the whole park pretty much to myself, and I made the most of it.

Of course, it was November and Canyonlands is not one of the most visited parks in the system. 

It is so large that it is divided into three sections: The Needles, Island in the Sky, and The Maze. Each is quite distinct from the other. Island in the Sky is approached from the north and is very close to Moab, UT. It sits up high on a plateau overlooking all of the park and is the most visited section of Canyonlands, probably because of the views and the fact that it is the most accessible for automobiles. The Maze is approached from the west and is strictly for serious 4-wheel drive vehicles with high clearances. Ordinary autos and vans need not apply.

As for the Needles, it sits down in Canyonlands and is named for very large rock formations that stick up into the sky like needles. It has some auto accessible sites, but it also has a large number of hiking trails and 4-wheel drive roads. The best way I know to describe it is canyons within canyons within a large canyon. It also has a comparatively smaller number of visitors, probably because there is only one way in and out...a 34 mile long road off of the main highway coming in from the southeast. But, it is a beautiful drive.

My guidebook and bible for photographing Utah said the best time to photograph the Needles was at sunrise and the trail left from the main parking area in the campground, which was a little ways back from my site. So, just before dawn, I got into my van to look for the trail. It was not to be found. I went back to my campsite and, lo and behold it was right across the road from my new home. Duh!

I headed out along the trail, and after about 1/2 mile, the trail ended at a large rock formation. As I have discovered since, this is quite common in this area. As I looked up, I saw stacked rocks that obviously marked the trail high up the rock (these are called "cairns" and are also very common). So I started climbing, praying my foot would not slip and that I could get back down safely. The cairns led me along more vertical rock and through a cave formed by falling rocks, then more climbing. Finally, I came to the top and could see all the Needles in full array from the early morning light. I just started taking photos as it was a beautiful sunrise with some luscious clouds in the sky.

I was able to make it safely down and back to my campsite (good hiking shoes are a must here)...and after breakfast headed out for more adventures in this wonderful park. I loved the 3-mile long ride on a gravel road to Elephant Hill where I discovered another great view of the Needles and other amazing red rock formations. The Scenic Drive is also very nice and provided even more photographic opportunities. Much later, I was able to get some great sunset shot of the Needles. But, what I loved most was having this beautiful place all to myself. 

I never ran into anyone else other than the occasional park ranger, either driving or hiking. While I would not want to spend the majority of my life alone, sometimes it is the best thing going.

I would have stayed longer than three days and two nights to enjoy the solitude but the winter clock was running and I wanted to see more of southern Utah before winter arrived. I would love to come back here someday just for the solitude and the beauty that is the Needles.

Postcard from Canyonlands

The journey continues...

I left the Farmington Wal-Mart parking lot in the early morning hours, got a cup of coffee and headed west. I didn't really have a specific destination in mind, but had a general idea where I was going. Sadly, I had no travel guides for New Mexico with me or I might have headed south a few miles to the Bitsy Badlands. I found out about them a few years after my trip. I would love to have spent a few days there with my camera as it is an amazing place. But perhaps sometime in the future. 

Anyway I headed west on 160 back into Arizona. Then just past the border, I took a short detour north to visit the Four Corners...the one spot in the US where 4 states (New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado) all converge in one spot. I am not sure why I did it as I had no one to photograph me with my arms and legs all in different states. 

When I got to the entrance, I found I was back on sacred Navajo Tribal land and a young lady in a shabbily build wooden shack wanted $7 for me to go in. Although a little  angry about this, I politely declined and turned around. Many months later I found out that a new survey showed that the Four Corners were actually in a different location. Now that made me laugh. 

Somewhere along the way, I stopped at a small Navajo town to get something to eat at the local McDonald's. It took 40 minutes to place my order and get my food, and the place was not very crowded. I was pretty exasperated and I am sure it showed. A nicely dressed Navajo gentlemen told me that bad service was normal at this place. Yet another point against the Navajo Nation.  

So I continued on...this time further west on 160. I wanted to see Monument Valley, where John Ford filmed all those fantastic westerns, some with John Wayne. It is quite a site to behold. But again, like Four Corners, it is on Sacred Navajo land. I had to pay $10 to get in, only to discover that I had to pay a whole lot more money to see anything else. All I got for my $10 was to visit the museum and gift store. Now I am really fuming.

Its an extra $25 to drive your car down into the valley...and you can not get out of your car to take photos. You know...sacred land and all that. So I decided to save my money and head out of the site along a 3 mile stretch of road to get back to the main highway. However, being still pissed off, I decided I needed some measure of revenge. So I stopped the car, got out, and took a piss on Sacred Navajo Land. I felt better in more than one way.

I headed north into Utah with no ultimate destination in mind. It was starting to get late and I was worried about where I would spend the night. I decided to skip Natural Bridges National Monument, much to my sadness, and continue north on Utah Highway 191. 

Eventually I came to Highway 211, the only road in and out of the The Needles Section of Canyonlands National Park. It was quite a long drive down into the canyons, but still quite spectacular. The photo here is just outside the park on the highway. 

Once in the park, I went directly to the Ranger Station and paid for a campsite. Being a senior citizen and having one of those Golden Pass cards, I don't ever have to pay entrance fees again and I camp for 1/2 of the regular price. When you reach 55, be sure and get one of those cards...one of the best bargains in America.  

I headed for a campsite and had little trouble getting a very nice one. There were hardly any people around. I set up camp, then took a short drive to see the canyons bathed in sunset light. I didn't get to see a whole lot... that came later. So I settled into my new home and looked forward to exploring this place tomorrow. The visitors guide gave me some good ideas where I would head in the morning.

To be continued...

Postcard from the Navajo Nation

The Journey Continues:

When last we spoke, I needed to leave Canyon de Chelly and get to Farmington, NM before the bank closed. A park ranger  showed me a route through the Navajo Nation on back roads. I struck out early in the morning as I knew it was a long drive.

To say the least, it was an interesting trip through small Navajo communities in the high desert…first north along Indian Route 12. Then east along Indian Route 13 through some beautiful red rock country, and eventually up into the high mountains where it had recently snowed.

From there I eventually descended down into New Mexico, still on Indian Route 13, passing the famous Ship Rock and eventually connecting up to New Mexico Highway 491, then on to Highway 64 and into Farmington.

The Indian Route roads were all just fine. If you want to see my route on Google Maps, you will have to really drill down as they are not on the big map. While I was in a bit of a hurry, I did stop here and there to take photos like the one you see above.

This country is little explored by tourists as it is way, way off the beaten path. But I am so glad I did it. I loved the views all along the way. On this day, I felt more like an explorer than a tourist…although I did feel like any moment I would be pulled over by Tribal Police and told I was trespassing on sacred ground.

When I finally got into Farmington, I found the bank easily as it was right on the main road. I conducted my business, then had to figure out what I would do the rest of the day. As it was late in the afternoon, my options for travel were limited as I really had no idea what was here.

Eventually I found a coffee shop with Internet and did some business and wrote a few e-mails…you know, all the things you do with a laptop while traveling. I also learned a little more about the city and tried to figure out what I might do in the evening to pass the time.

Farmington, while not big, has a population of over 45,000 people. It sits on the Colorado Plateau at an elevation of 5,400 feet. Its principle industries are the mining of petroleum, natural gas, and coal. I also learned that it has some movie theaters, so my plan that evening was to go to one of them and see a James Bond movie…which is precisely what I did.

As for sleeping accommodations, besides hotels, motels, or campgrounds, there is one other choice for weary travelers like myself…and that is a Wal-Mart parking lot. I learned before I even started this trip that Wal-Mart welcomes overnight RV parking for free. Now while my van is not exactly a full fledged RV, I spent several nights along my journey in a Wal-Mart lot with never a problem. 

Of course, I couldn’t use my camp stove for cooking, but I did not have to. Farmington has fine restaurants for dinner and breakfast as well as Starbucks for morning coffee. So I spent a peaceful night in Farmington and slept like a baby.

The next morning I had to decide where to go next. I got out my maps, guide books and computer to chose the direction…then took off.

More to come…  

Postcard from Canyon de Chelly

The Journey Continues:

After leaving Windows Rock, I went west, then North on Highway 191. My destination was Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “de Shay”) National Monument in Northeastern Arizona. It is a very unusual National Monument in that it lies within the Navajo Nation lands and is administered by both the National Park Service and the Navajo Tribal Trust.

It is a deep canyon (actually 3 distinct canyons surrounded on all sides by high cliffs). But when you approach the canyon from the west, there are no cliffs as the entrance to the main canyon and the mountains are at the same level. Then, at the entrance, there are two roads that follow the mountain’s rise and parallel the canyon walls on the north and south sides.

Tourists are not allowed into the canyon unless accompanied by a member of the tribe or a ranger. To take a tour of the canyon requires payment of a hefty fee to the Navajo Nation and a ride on flatbed truck with seats on it. I didn’t do the tour. While it would have been interesting to see the canyon from the bottom up, it didn’t go all the way to Spider Rock, the most famous landmark in the park.

Instead, I drove the roads up into the mountains and stopped at the many pullouts along the way, photographing down into the canyon. There is a great deal to see, even from above including Indian ruins, cliff dwellings, and fabulous rock formations. Spider Rock sits at the very end of the canyon and can be seen from above. If you would like to see it, check out the old 1960’s western, “McKenna’s Gold.”

Canyon de Chelly is actually one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America. For over 5,000 years, the canyon has been inhabited first by the Anasazi, then the Navajos. The ancient cliff dwellings were built by the Anasazi. Today, about 40 Navajo families live in the canyon.

The photograph above shows the remains of an old cliff dwelling that has long since disappeared. The black stuff you see on the canyon walls is called rock varnish or desert varnish, if you prefer.  The varnish is primarily composed of particles of clay along with iron and manganese oxides. To give you a better feeling of it’s size, if a man was standing among the ruins, you would barely be able to make him out.

For two days, I roamed the high cliffs of the park, taking pictures and enjoying the landscapes. For the most part, I had terrible light, so the few good photos I have of the park I did in black and white. Actually there isn’t that much color in the park and because of the lighting, the colored images were all too harsh. Thank God for black and white.

I camped for two nights in the park. And one of the things I noticed were how many dogs roamed the campground all unattended. One day, while out touring, the dogs attacked my campsite and tore up all my dry goods. The food was locked up in the van, but I guess that didn’t stop them. A neighbor told me they attacked in a pack. They left quite a mess behind. These dogs were all standard variety of breeds that you see in homes all across America. I guess their owners didn’t feed them or just let them roam free.

On the third day, I realized I needed to find a city with a Bank of America so I could pay a credit card bill on the due date. A park ranger informed me that the nearest bank was in Farmington, New Mexico…quite a distance away. But she showed me shortcuts through the Navajo Nation that would get me there much faster. So off I went through the heart of the Navajo Nation where few white men travel.

To be Continued…

 

(To see a larger version of this image, just click on it)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page

Postcard from Window Rock

The Journey Continues:

As I left the Petrified Forest National Park, I continued east on I-40. But before I got to the New Mexico border, I took a left on Highway 191…my goal being the Canyon de Chelly National Monument, deep in the Navajo Nation Reservation. 

But before I got there, I decided to take a detour to a small community called Window Rock (In Navajo: Tségháhoodzání). This small city of 3,000 people serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation, the largest territory of a sovereign Native American nation in North America.

Window Rock hosts the Navajo Nation governmental campus which contains the Navajo Nation Council, Navajo Nation Supreme Court, the offices of the Navajo Nation President and Vice President, and many Navajo government buildings.

Just north of the governmental buildings sits a beautiful city park at the base of the actual Window Rocks, as seen in the above photo. It is also known as the rock-with-a-hole-though-it, if you translate the Navajo name literally.

In the park you will also find World War 2 memorial dedicated to all the Navajo men who served in the US Military during the war. There is also a statue of a Navajo Code Talker, commemorating  the brave men who served in the marines in the Pacific war against the Japanese.

Briefly, these men facilitated battlefield communications by speaking in their own language (with some modifications since the Navajo language had no words for military terms). 420 Navajo men served as Code Talkers during the war…and the Japanese never broke the code. Their work was critical in the battle for the Pacific.

I took several photos of Windows Rock, hoping to catch a bird flying through it…and I did. I was very glad I took the detour to see this beautiful place and learn more about the Navajo Nation. But now it was time to get back on the road to my next destination…Canyon de Chelly.

To be continued…

(To see a larger version of this image, just click on it)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page

Postcard from the Painted Desert

The Journey Continues…

When we last visited, I had just photographed the Little Painted Desert and purchased warmer clothing at the Wal-Mart in Winslow, AZ. Now fully prepared for the weather, I got back in the van…the next destination…the big Painted Desert in the Petrified Forest National Park.

Now, realize that for the next few weeks, I am in all new territory, at least for me. Every mile is a new experience. What a great way to start a new life! It wasn’t a long drive along I-40 to the park. So, I still had good light when I got there.

The Painted Desert is the very north section of the park. I-40 divides the Painted Desert from the Petrified Forest. There is a very convenient circular road that takes you through the Painted Desert and affords some beautiful views of this magnificent country.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that the Painted Desert covers much more than what can be seen from the park road. In fact, it covers an area of 7,500 square miles and runs from the very northern part of Arizona down to where I took the above photo.

As mentioned, this part of the Painted Desert is in a national park. But most of it is on Navajo land. Other than the national park section of the desert, it is only accessible by dirt roads or by hiking…and to explore the desert requires a permit from the Navajo Nation.

You should know the Navajo Nation is quite large. In this part of Arizona, it begins just east of Flagstaff. I noticed when I was in Winslow that the majority of the people I encountered were of the Navajo Tribe. Further ahead in this journey I would have many more experiences in the Navajo Nation.  But that was yet to come.

Now, back to the Painted Desert. As I mentioned above, the road into the Painted Desert is circular, although it is not a complete circle. It begins at the National Park entrance station, then circles gently north and west, eventually winding up back on I-40, but this time to the west of the park entrance. In other words, when I finished my photo shoot, I was back on I-40 driving where I had already been. No matter.

As you can see from the photo above the colors are spectacular! I have a few more you can see by visiting my Web site. It’s a place of great beauty. It reminded me of the Painted Hills in Oregon. If you recall, I visited the hills on the first part of my journey.

I left the park and once again headed east on I-40, deeper into the Navajo Nation. Stay tuned…

Postcard from the Little Painted Desert

You probably thought I had stopped writing this blog. Actually I did…but only because I was a sick puppy. I had a nasty head and chest cold that turned into a serious sinus infection. It lasted several weeks before the prescription drugs kicked in. The worst part was how it affected my brain. Long story, short: I could barely look at a computer, much less write anything. But all is well now…well mostly. So I will pick up where I left off on my 2008 journey between divorce and a new life…

The Journey Continues…

When last we were together, I was photographing the wonders of a Yosemite Autumn. After a couple of days and any number of photos, I knew it was time to leave as the clock was ticking towards winter and I had much more to see.

I left Yosemite heading west towards San Francisco to spent a couple of days with dear friends and to sleep in a real bed. I had spent enough time on the ground in a sleeping bag and just wanted a real bed and a shower before continuing on my journey.

Leaving Yosemite Valley, I decided to stop briefly at Hetch Hetchy, that once-magnificent replica of Yosemite Valley that now is the site of a large dam and a huge lake. I knew it would be my last chance to see the place that provides the city of San Francisco with its water. I won’t recount the sad tale of this valley as I already did so a few years ago here (Click here to read about it and see the photos…before and after).

I won’t describe my short time in the Bay Area (it was great) and long trip from there down to Yuma. Suffice it to say I moved quickly to get to my son’s home in Yuma as quickly as possible. For those who don’t know, Yuma sits on the border of Arizona, California, and Mexico. My son is a Border Patrol Agent there.

Besides seeing my son, my goal was to drop off all my belongings that I brought from Washington for future use at my new residence (where ever it may be). Then, convert my van from a moving van to a bedroom. No more camping in tents and sleeping on the ground. Needless to say, the tent was put in storage at my son’s place.

Everything went according to plan. The rear of the van held the camping supplies such as propane stove, eating utensils, ice chest, clothes and other supplies. further up and behind the driver and passenger seats was my air mattress and sleeping bag. Everything fit perfectly, just as I planned it before the trip. I could now sleep in comfort. There was also a camping chair so I could sit outside comfortably while camping. I had everything worked out, or so I thought.

I left Yuma early in the morning, heading Northeast towards Flagstaff. After picking up I-40, I continued heading east to Winslow. Not far from Winslow is a road that heads north to an little known area known as the Little Painted Desert. I got there towards sunset, there perfect time for photography, and took a several shots. Afterwards, I found a public campground a few miles south of the site and after eating dinner and reading for a while by lantern light, l settled in for my first night in a van.

Here is where I made my first miscalculation. Most people thing that Arizona is hot and dry and at a low elevation. In fact, Winslow sits at 5,000 feet, and in late October and Early November it gets very cold. That night, the temperature dropped into the low 20’s…and I froze. I thought I had enough warm clothes for cold temperatures, but I was very wrong!

Before sunrise, I was up and after a cup of coffee, I headed back to Winslow and found their Wal-Mart. I purchased warmer clothes, an extra thick blanket, a ski mask for my head and face and other items to keep me warm. I also found a propane heater that was safe to use in an enclosed space. I vowed to be warm for the rest of my journey…and I was.

I continued my trip east along Highway 40. My first stop that day was to be the big Painted Desert, part of the Petrified Forest National Park.

More to come.   

Postcard from Yosemite Valley

The Journey Continues:

I should explain what journey means here. This was indeed a journey all over the western US to see many places for the first time (Yosemite being the exception here). In truth, it was a journey where I transitioned from my old life as a married man living in Central Washington…to a new life as a single man living someplace new in Arizona. And this trip was the long, slow road to that new life.

As I mentioned last time, as I drove down the Big Oak Flat Road into Yosemite Valley, I discovered it was the height of the Autumn season in that beautiful valley. The lower the elevation, the more color appeared. And while Yosemite Valley (at 4,000 ft.) has many evergreen trees, it also has a great many deciduous trees that turn all different colors this time of year.

The picture above is just one example of the beautiful Autumn colors here. You can see more on my Flickr Yosemite album by clicking on this link. This album shows Yosemite photos from Spring, Summer and Autumn. I bet you will be able to guess which are which (hint: if you see lots of water, its Spring).

I didn’t think a great deal about my life or the meaning of it, or my new life ahead. All I did was think about photography and how to capture all the beauty this valley has to offer. I shot from sunrise to sunset, loving every minute of it. Luckily, I was very familiar with all valley locations and was able to find some of the best locations for Fall color.

The most exciting thing that happened on the second day was crossing a meadow, heading for a select spot on the Merced River. There, I ran into a very large brown bear foraging for food. He saw me and began loping off in a different direction. These Yosemite bears are not very aggressive unless they are very hungry and smell food on your person.

A friend of mine tells the story of how he was once fishing up in the high country and had caught several fish. He was hiking along a trail across a meadow and spotted a large bear heading to intercept him. He knew what the bear wanted, so he dropped his fishing creole and took off in a different direction. True to form, the bear went right for the fish and had a snack. Fortunately, I had no food with me in that meadow by the river.

The other thing I remember about this time was seeing no Yosemite Falls. I told you last time that there was no water in Yosemite Creek, so this was not a surprise. But it was the first time ever in my life to see no Yosemite Falls. Very strange.

It was a great two days in Yosemite Valley and I took many more photos than you see in my Flickr album. Now that I have a big 27” iMac Retina computer, I look forward to processing and showing you more beautiful photos of Yosemite in Autumn.

But after two days camping out in the valley, it was time to head west to visit friends for a couple of days and sleep in a real bed. PS: just in case you wondered about hygiene, I was able to shower every day at Camp Curry.

Stay Tuned…

(To see a larger version of this image, just click on it)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page