Where’re Ya Headed?- NP's 2006

David,

If you want, you are welcome to post about your different workshops in the Workshops Forum. I would like for both vendors and participants to be able to post there...so feel free to share as much as you would like there.

James

We've been to Rocky Mountain NP for short camping trips the last couple of years and may go again this year. My luck hasn't been too great for successful photo excursions, though.

Two years ago it rained the whole weekend and this last August I tripped and fell and cracked a rib the first night there. I snagged some good shots both trips, but not nearly as many as I wanted to.

This next time we were thinking of later in the season to catch the changing aspen. When is the best time of fall to do that? Late September?

I live in Kansas City and I envy you folks who live in such scenic areas. But if you are ever in this area, let me know and I can show you some great Barbeque!

Dave Williams

Hey David, sounds like you have had some bad luck out west! Sorry to hear that. Now you know why we westerners have a "rugged" reputation - LOL. Thanks a lot for your BBQ offer! Rest assured the next time I'm in the area I'll put in my order for some KC BBQ! Nothing but the best!

Thanks again and, please, if you should go to the park, pose a shot or two or tell us what you learned while you were there. That goes for everyone reading this thread. Once I get back into shooting the parks, (spring) I'll be giving regular updates, mostly as conditions warrant or as requested. It sounds like Roman might just be our connection to the rest of the Pacific coast parks; I know I speak for the rest when I say we cannot wait to see some more of his stuff. Finally, I'm headed up through Banff and Jasper at the end of the week. I expect some crazy cold weather and I hope to find some good subjects. If I don’t, I still will let you guys/gals know what I found. I've never been up through the heart of the Canadian Rockies during the winter.

Check back later, take care and good shooting!

"Finally, I'm headed up through Banff and Jasper at the end of the week. I expect some crazy cold weather and I hope to find some good subjects. "

That is awesome, Tony. How are you preparing to go out there? What will your accomodations be like? Weather handling for your equipment?

James

I'll do that, Tony. Actually I do have a NP question or two. We're thinking about the Grand Canyon. (Though with my luck I'll probably fall in!)

When is the best time of year to go for photo shooting? And is there a "best" place to go? (Assuming its too big to see everything in one trip)

Thanks for any info!

Dave

Dave, I'm on the road, but in the meantime, maybe Roman could interject here and give us some help.

Here's a simple link that has some very good, albeit basic information, but it is a good start!

http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/faq.htm

here's a GREAT site to get some additional information
http://www.kaibab.org/misc/gc_faq.htm

I'll be back later!

I must admit to a tinge of jealously when I read about trips to Yellowstone, the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley. We who live in the deep Southeast, would love to make those types of photo excursions.

Unfortunately, for me at least, that kind of travel is not likely in 2006 as I continue to build the business and, in my spare time, show dogs, renovate the house and, oh did I mention, build the business

However, while extensive travel for pleasure is not possible at this time, there is no reason why I (and others) can't concentrate on those Natural Wonders present within a day's drive of where we live. For example, Florida has over 159 State Parks including such wonderful settings as the Keys, the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico as well as many historical sites. My plan is to try to photograph all of these during the course of 2006.

Sure I'd love to shoot the grand vistas of the Grand Canyon. But capturing the essence of the Everglades would be just as challenging and far more accessible.

I urge all of us on this forum to consider the venues closest to home as photographic opportunities. And to share what you find there.

Jim

Jim,
I have a suggestion for you to visit Alaska. Get hired to do one of the Dog Shows here. You would make enough to pay for your trip up here and have local people drive you around to see and photograph some of the sights. I know people who have come here and spent less than $1000 for plane fare and all expenses while here. I can put you in touch with the right people for show photography if you need help with that.

David,
good suggestion. Let me check out the shows up there and see which ones have Specialties associated with them (including a Rottie Specialty) which would provide the greatest income potential.

I'll let you know which ones look good and maybe you can find out who I should talk to.

Thanks,

Jim

I am planning on going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in May.

Lou

Leaving here on April 15th and will visit the following:
Bosque del Apache NWR
Tombstone AZ and surrounding area.
Saguaro NP
Sedona AZ and surrounding area including Walnut Canyon Natonal Monument
Laughlin NV and Oatman AZ an old mining town
Las Vegas to do some night shooting
Valley of Fire State Park
Arches NP Utah
Dead Horse Point State Park
Canyonlands NP
Canyon of the Ancients CO
Hovenweep National Monument
Mesa Verde NP
Ride the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge RR
Canyon de Chelly National Monument AZ with a Navajo guide
Painted Desert & Petrified Forest NP
Then a stop at the RT.66 auto museum in Santa Rosa NM
then back home to Cleveland

Then probably will take me 2 months to edit all the Raw images I shoot.

Jerry,

You are going everywhere - sounds awesome. I cannot wait to see some of your stuff from your trip. Tax day - a great day to start a trip, LOL.

James

wow, that's a heck of a schedule. You should try to find a way to keep us updated along the way by posting a photo now and then. It would be fun to track your progress. I'm not putting any pressure on you, but it would be cool to see some of your work along the way!

Take care, be safe, and bring a back-up!

We do something like this every year. Usually take my RV and tow a Jeep but with the price of gas so high it was much cheaper driving the Jeep and staying in hotels than driving the RV and staying in campgrounds. Last year spent a month in FL doing all the NWR. Did St. Augustine alligator farm rookery, Merritt Island NWR, most of the places along the Florida birding trail and the Everglades. Two years ago drove from Cleveland up to Fairbanks and Denali NP. Found that the best place to photograph the wildlife is in it's natural habitat was in the Yukon where the black bears and moose were eating right at the side of the roads. Was so little traffic that I stopped the RV on the road was able to shoot photos for almost half an hour in most places without any traffic. I will post to my website as I can when traveling. www.pbase.com/vciinc.
Traveling is one of the perks of retirement.
Jerry

hey Jerry, you need a younger guy to ride along in case you need a tire changed or some wood hauled to the fire? LOL - sounds like your living the life!

Where are you headed this summer?

Looks like I am adding the Valley of Fire in April in addition to shooting Death Valley in March! I have decided to bite the bullet and do the DWF and WPPI trade shows this year.

James

your lucky man!!!!!!!!!! I know you will let us all know how you did!

I think I'll go to the Smokies a 'few' times this year! Since I live only 12 miles from the park's border and about 30 mi. to Cades Cove, I try to make it up there once a week.

Jerry, I envy your freedom to travel and see all the great places at your leisure. I do travel a lot but have to fit it into a pretty limited schedule.

The Summer of '04, we did make a Great Western Tour, 37 days from Tennessee to California and back. Alamo, Saguaro, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Petrified forest, Painted Desert, back down to Yuma and over to San Diego, then to LA, Pacific Coast Hwy., San Francisco, over to Yosemite, Mono Lake, Tahoe, Great Salt Lake, Tetons, Yellowstone, Black Hills, Little Big Horn, Devil's Tower, Badlands, and dozens of other interesting places in between. It wasn't primarily a photo trip as I had two pre-teen girls with me but did take a few thousand photos!! Might have to make a similar trip in another couple of years!

Regards,

Dick:)

To RichardR

Tell me a little about the photo ops in Saguaro and Sedona. It will be my first time there.

Thanks

Jerry

Hi, Jerry,
The photo ops in that area are spectacular, especially around Sedona. I highly recommend taking one or more of the Pink Jeep tours. http://www.pinkjeep.com/ The girls really enjoyed that! We stayed at the Best Western Inn of Sedona, (A really nice place!) and they picked us up right at the hotel. We took the Ancient Ruins trip, which was great.





The view of Sedona from the hotel was very nice, too.



Just North of Sedona, Slide Rock State Park is a fun place to visit. The stream cuts through solid rock for hundreds of yards and is a great place to cool off!



A side trip to Montezuma's Castle along the way to Sedona was really interesting.



It was very hot the day we were at Saquaro, well over 100 degrees, so we didn't spend much time walking around! It is a beautiful place, though.



I highly recommend a visit to the Desert Museum near Saquaro. A great collection of Southwestern animals and plants in natural surroundings.



Here's some more links that might interest you:
http://www.sedona.net/
http://www.desertusa.com/sag/du_sag_index.html
http://www.desertmuseum.org/
http://www.nps.gov/moca/
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/slide-rock-pic.shtml

That's a great area of the country with much to see and do and hope you enjoy the trip.

Best regards,

Dick:)

Thank you for posting such interesting and informative information. I hope that people are able to access this post over the course of time and use this information to improve there photo-safari's!

Thanks again,

Finalshot

Hi Richard.

Thanks for the info. Will try them. We are actually staying in Cottonwood and I imagine the ride up to Sedona will be very interesting. Staying there for 3 days so I guess we can visit everything in the area. Will stop in Sagauro on our way to Cottonwood from the Tombstone area. Hope to post during the trip depending on internet connections along the way.

Thanks again

Tony, thank you for starting this thread. Lots of great info on places to go.

Jerry, you're quite welcome.

Tombstone is a lot of fun. There's lots of food and drink:



But be careful of flying lead out in the streets....



Or you could end up in Boot Hill!!!



It's a pretty long haul out in the boonies to Tombstone so plan to drive out early unless you're staying there. The Gunfight at the OK Corral is in an outdoor theater setting and usually a sellout during tourist season so be sure to get your tickets early. There are occasional shootouts in the streets, too.

Best regards,

Dick:)

Richard.

We will be spening the night in Benson and going to Tombstone in the morning. It's a short drive from what I gather.

Thanks again
Jerry

I will be going to this remote place this coming July. We are planning to spend close to a month. Otherwise, I will be climbing some in the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite and Northern Cascades.

This should be a great year!

Misha

Misha,
Who are you using to go to the Gates of The Arctic?

Hey Misha,

This sounds like an awesome year for you indeed. Don't be afraid to take notes.

James

David - we will be flying ourselves to Bettles. From there, we're contracting Brooks Range Air and their Beaver to drop us at Circle Lake. They will pick us up three weeks later. We'll be spending most of our time climbing (hopefully first ascents) around Arrigetch Peaks.

James - you bet! I am hoping to write a feature for one of the outdoor magazines after we come back. Perhaps, I can publish something here too!

Misha

Excellent. I hope that I was not too subtle.

James

PS Have you been speaking with any magazines about specifically publishing some pieces for them? If so, what has that been like?

Tony - My wife and I will be visiting your neck of the woods this summer - late June, early July - for some time in GNP. It will be our first time there. So if you don't mind me asking: What can we expect at that time of the year? How are the crowds? Any good tips on what NOT to miss while there? We are average day hikers - don't mind long walks but we're not planning on any nights outside of our hotel. Do you have any suggestions for some interesting hikes?

Thanks,
Joe

First, I'm glad you’re headed up this way. The one thing I can say about late June and early July is that it's completely unpredictable. The weather can be nasty, or it can be good! The crowds follow the weather. Over the past 5 years, there has been snow and or cold, cold rain that time of year.

That said, it also can be very nice. You will want to plan to photograph from the east side of the park - Many glacier, St. Mary’s, Two Medicine, etc in the morning, and the west side in the evenings. There likely will be few flowers up high on Logan pass, but there will be a lot of snow, and nice waterfalls. You will find wildlife around Logan that time of year too, if you can see once you’re up there. If it’s snowing or raining it will be difficult. Plan to hit the Cedars and lake McDonald area if the weather is bad. I would concentrate on photographing the middle elevations. Tell me more about what you like to photograph and I can add more.

Keep in mind that weather offers opportunities but also can wreck your plans, so just come with an open mind, and a variety of cloths. Every time the weather throws me a curve, I end up capturing some of my most memorable images. You have to really focus on your photography when things do go as planned. A famous photographer once said, “The sun does not always shine.”

Why don’t you check back with me before you come out and I'll know more then.

Tony - Thanks for this initial information blast.
As for what I like to photograph - mostly landscapes. I like early morning light when I can find it since I tend to be an early riser. I was happy to read that the waterfalls should be in good form as I've recently taken a liking to photograph them.
I was expecting that the weather might not be the most cooperative and planned to bring clothes of everytype. I like to travel in 'carry-on' mode so packing what I will need could be interesting.
I'll definately check in with you just before heading out. Thanks for the offer.

Would love to know some hot shooting spots in Banff!! Also I don't know which month to go. I'm in California so the best spring season in Yosemite is in may. Yet in Banff I would not know. Thanks Tony, Jay

Hey Jay, did you post on photo.net too? if so go there.

I'm not being a jerk when I say that there is no best time! It's always in motion up there and it's best when I'm there! That said, I like early to mid August and all of september are my favorites. I loved it in february this year when I wen through on my way to Jasper to photograph wildlife, I also love the cold and the snow. Keep in mind that the flora in alpine areas change so fast that one day the flower you want is there and the next it's gone but replaced by another. the growing season is so short that from one week to the next the flowers are different. with some scouting you can find a larger range of flowers, but you have to know what and where to look. get a good buck on albera rocky mountain flowers.

If I were you Id go in early to mid august. AND prep for any weather. I dont forcast the wather but I can tell you that you could get hit with rain, sun and snow all in the same day. Dont be foolish and head off up the trail without proper gear.

Most of all have fun.

by the way go check out photo.net under the nature sectio where the same question was just asked last night. . .

Tony,
You suggested that I write to you just prior to coming to Glacier for any last minutes pieces of information. We leave on Monday and are due to arrive at Glacier International around 2:45 pm. What's the weather been like lately? I read that there was a mudslide on Going To The Sun road a week or two ago that closed it down. Do you know if it has been cleared?
Our plan is to just do day hikes. You suggested a couple in an earlier post - the Cedars and Lake McDonald as well as the middle elevations. Any more suggestions? I also plan to explore the Many Glacier area - possibly making it up to the Ptarmigan Tunnel. What are some of your favorite day hikes?
How is the road that leads up to Polebridge? The map lists it as unpaved. Is it passable by car or is this more like SUV territory?
Any information that you can share will be muchly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

logan pass opens today or tomorrow, it's been closed all year, with limited access from the east side.

car will make it on the pole bridge road, but I did hear the the floods really did some damage in places. the floods were HUGE over there and yes the sun road was completely washed out in places.

mcdonald falls was not even a falls. make sure to check out mcdonald falls an image the it looks like a ripple, and you get an idea of how much water was coming down the river.

PURE SNOW on logan. Last nigh the only signs of growth were a few glacier lillies starting in the exposed areas. I'd hike the hidden lake trail from logan, its all snow, but it would be fun. The highline trail still is closed.

many glacier is awesome!

Lots of great day hikes in Two Medicine, and fewer bears.

Also, cut bank creek is great and accessable.

The prarie flowers are awesome, even thought the balsoms are all done. we had so much rain that it's a great flower year. none on logan yet, but august will be awesome!!!!

Go check the post under "when are you good enough" and you can see a shot GNP in Late august!
I cant wait. have fun, call me when you arrive if you need anything. . . I live on the east side so not likely I'll be over in the ceders or avalanch falls area. . .

Well, as some already know I recently visited the Great Sandy NP in SE Queensland (Fraser Island etc). If anyone
would like to see some of my pictures, let me know and I will post the links.It was just lovely and I hope to go back again one day. The bird life in Qld is quite amazing.

I actually live in Victoria (Australia!) and I am looking forward to visiting some of the inland NPs here
including arid mallee and box-ironbark areas. It is still Winter here, and I might be better off waiting until Spring
as I feel there will be more flowers and activity then ;-) Some of the places will mean a 6 hour road trip or more
but hopefully be worth it.

nice to see you posting here chessyr. out here, in the west (USA), 6 hours is a trip to store! Pack you bags and start shooting now, you'll get enough sleep when youre dead. Why dont you post some of those photos's from your recent trip!

Youre too funny FinalShot. Are you out in the wild wild west? Saloon Bars?

Believe me, I shoot most weekends. Problem is I mostly shoot birds/wildlife and use telephotos handheld and the weather/light never seems to be right in recent times (I dont have a tripod, or Image Stabliser on my bigger lenses)

I will get those links so you can see some of my SE Qld pictures!

Fraser Coast Australia (Great Sandy National Park etc)

Birds:
http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/fraser_coast_birds&page=all

Other wonderful critters:
http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/fraser_coast_other_wildlife&page=all

Scenics:
http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/fraser_coast_scenics&page=all

Click on the small images to bring up a larger one.

Enjoy!
(apologies if I have posted this already)

put it this way. my bank is 120 mile drive, one way. I drive 75 miles per day to take the kids to school... so, yes, you could say that.

The nearest movie theater is also is about 120 miles. One small food store in Browning, MT and then cut bank has two. I'm about 60 miles from cut bank, mt. . . check it out on a map. . . a 6 hour drive really is nothing when you put 40-50k miles per year on one vehicle! Your from austraila, you should know big country and long drives!

Really though, sleep less shoot more!

Piece. . .

I live in suburbia which is the very reason we get out most weekends, rostered days off and holidays! We don't have to travel far to see birds, but if we want to see "rarer" birds it sometimes means travelling further inland.

I googled Browning and now I am reading about Glacier NP and that it is home to more than 260 species of birds!

As for sleep, I only catch 6 hours of it at most! It is not my greatest hobby.

LOL!

we do have lots of birds for about 4 months, the rest of the year we have a magpies, crows, and that's about it. You know spring is here when the birds come back! And boy do they come back! It's awesome!

Take care down-under!

Tony,
Thanks for the update! Sounds like it'll be a fun time in GNP. Not used to seeing snow in June so that will be interesting.
Thanks for your kind offer.