Editorial, landscape and travel photography
“The Autumn leaves drift by my window, the autumn leaves of red and gold…”
Crisp but pleasant evening for Halloween activities in Blair on Thursday, Nov. 31.
Photos of light snow icing on trees and playground equipment Wednesday Morning, Nov. 6 at Stemmermann Park and Lions Park Trail at Arbor Park.
Floodwaters inundated the Arlington fair grounds in March, but thanks to the determination of the The Washington County Fair Board and hours and hours of hard work by more than 100 volunteers, the Washington County Fair was held as scheduled July 26-31.
I enjoy everything about the fair, but the most memorable event for me this year was the livestock auction. In addition to raisng more than $68,000 for kids who participated in livestock competitions, bidders and contributors also generously raised another $9,000 to help the grandson of longtime Arlington farm-family Terry and Betty Rasmussen who has leukemia.
During the last few days of my month-long adventure through the North-west I drove along U.S. Highway 2 which parallels the Canadian Border. My plan was to end my trip as I began by visiting historical forts, battlefields, and other points of interest.
After a night off the road at a motel in Haver, Montana I made a stop at the site of the Battle of Bear Paw south of Chinook, Montana. The Bear Paw battlefield is where a band of Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph was cornered by U.S Cavalry units just 40 miles south of the Canadian Border. At his surrender, Chief Joseph said: “Hear me my chiefs! My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”
The battle in September, 1877 ended a 4 month, 1,500 mile flight to freedom after the band was forced to give up its native homeland in what is now Idaho and move to a much smaller reservation.
Weeks earlier on my travels in Idaho and Oregon, I had stopped at several historical markers at locations where the Nez Perce had come to the aid of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. Without the help of the Nez Perce, Lewis and Clark may never have survived. On the return journey, the Nez Perce provided refuge as the Corps waited for the spring thaw and passage through the Bitter root Mountains. The time between the Nez Perce coming to the aid of the Corps of Discovery in 1805 and the forced removal of these proud people from their homeland was just 72 years – one lifetime.
My other destination was the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. For years I have read epic tales about mountain men as well as the Lewis and Clark expedition. In each one of those real and fictional accounts, the place where the Yellowstone meets the Missouri is an important setting.
The partially reconstructed Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is located at that confluence at the North Dakota/Montana border 25 miles south of Williston, South Dakota. The original fort stockade was built in 1828 or 1829 and financed by John Jacob Astor’s American Fur company. The literature describes the imposing white washed Fort Union as the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri until 1867. Historic visitors included mountain men Jim Bridger and Hugh Glass, and wildlife and landscape artists John James Audubon, George Catlin, and Karl Bodmer. The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha holds extensive collections of work by both Catlin and Bodmer.
A short distance from Fort Union is Fort Buford State Historic Site which I had never heard of until I was looking for a campsite. Fort Buford was commissioned in 1867 to protect river and overland routes and to protect survey and construction crews for the Great Northern Railway. Some of the soldiers garrisoned at the fort were, “Galvanized Yankees.” Galvanized Yankees were ex-Confederate soldiers recruited from Union prison camps and sent to the frontier to protect the trails, telegraph lines and U.S. Mail routes.
In July, 1881 Chief Sitting Bull and about 35 families who were near starvation crossed U.S. border from Canada and gave up their arms and horses. In a formal surrender ceremony the following day, Sitting Bull gave up his Winchester rifle to his son Crowfoot who surrendered it to Major David H. Brotherton.
The Bismarck Tribune reported that at his surrender Sitting Bull said: “ I surrender this rifle through my young son…I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle. This boy has given it to you, and he now wants to know how he will make a living.”
Another account is that the Lakota chief told the eight year old boy, “ My son, if you live, you will not by a man, because you will not have a rifle or pony. Give my rifle to the Major and tell him I am the last Lakota to surrender.”
I also spent some time wandering through the Fort Buford cemetery. The restored wooden grave markers include the cause of death as well the date. Far more soldiers and civilians laid to rest in the cemetery died from diseases and afflictions than from bullets and arrows.
So ends my June journal of my Northwest Adventure. Thank you again to all who have followed my journey and for the many kind comments.
For the past two years I have planned to visit Glacier National Park and each time a severe forest fire dashed those plans. This year I decided to incorporate the trip in my journey to follow the Lewis and Clark Trail. While Lewis and Clark never passed through what is now Glacier National Park, streams within the park are the headwaters of the Marias river which Lewis and Clark explored. Just west of Glacier National Park is a National Historic Monument at the site of Camp Disappointment where Merriweather Lewis and three of his men camped on the banks of the Cutbank River.
I purposely waited until the end of my trip to visit Glacier National Park hoping that Going-to-the-Sun Road would be open. The park service never lists a specific opening date because of the unpredictability of heavy late spring snowstorms. Maintenance crews begin in April to remove the 80 or more feet of snow that covers Logan Pass during the winter. Generally the road opens in late June to early July and closes with the first heavy snow in October. Forest fires in the past two years have caused the road to close in September.
Construction of the monumental engineering project began in 1927 and was completed in 1932. The Sun Road, as it is sometimes called, is a National Historic Landmark. Driving along the narrow road, gazing up at lofty peaks and waterfalls and down over the steep canyon walls gives me more thrills than an amusement park ride.
This year the road was scheduled to open June 22, but remained closed due to dense fog and clouds. The road opened the following day, but clouds and intermittent rain showers persisted. Several times I tried to take some moody photos in the mist and rain, but the mountain tops were hidden in clouds. Overnight the skies cleared and before dawn I packed my gear and drove along the Sun Road to photograph those incredible mountains and valleys before heading toward home.
Going-to-the-Sun Road links West Glacier and Apgar Village on the west, and St. Mary and Many Glacier to the east. The west side of the park attracts the largest share of visitors and offers many more amenities. In Apgar village and the town of West Glacier just outside the park there are many gift shops, restaurants and equipment rental shops. A tour boat on Lake McDonald and the historic Lake McDonald Lodge are also popular attractions.
On the east side of the park, the scenic glaciers and access to high country trails are the main attraction. Many Glacier also features the historic and picturesque Many Glacier Hotel.
If you have your passport with you, visiting Waterton on the Canadian side of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is definitely worth the hour drive from St. Mary. The historic 90-room Prince of Wales Hotel sits high above Lake Waterton and looks something like a set from a Harry Potter movie. The hotel was built in 1927 and still retains that last century old world flavor. The hotel offers picturesque views of Lake Waterton and the towering peaks beyond.
An area of Glacier National Park that is off the beaten path is the rugged and authentically rustic North Fork of the Flathead river on the northwest boundary of the park. The entry point for the remote lakes and praries is the community of Polebridge and the Polebridge Mercantile. The Merc was built in 1914 and is listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. The store is well known for bakery items – particularly its huckleberry bear claws and rolled fresh bread sandwiches. It also sells handmade crafts and souveniers. Next door to the Merc is an old cabin that is the home to the Northern Lights Saloon where backwoods enthusiasts gather to share stories of the days exploits.
Mid to late June is a great time to visit the Park if you want to avoid heavy traffic and crowded trails. The problem is that you may find many of the high country trails closed until the end of June due to heavy snow and the shuttle buses do not begin operating until July 1. I enjoyed my week in the park and look forward to a return visit.
Following the Lewis and Clark Trail to the Columbia river and the Pacific Ocean was only one part of my vision in traveling to the Northwest. The other part was to view some of the sights that my wife and I had visited almost 36 years ago when we were first married.
On leaving Oregon I put the Lewis and Clark trail behind me and followed Highway 101 along the Pacific Coast through Washington State to Olympic National Park.
It was a very beautiful and peaceful drive. I have driven the Pacific Coast Highway through California, and this was a much more peaceful experience. The Washington coast is much like Oregon. There are stretches of forests and meadows as well as sandy beaches and rocky cliffs. During my drive the weather was cool and sunny with enough morning and evening fog to make the photography interesting.
Traveling alone I could stop as I pleased to shoot the beaches and surf. The best part of using a digital camera is that I can shoot for hours playing with the composition and then go through and select the keepers. My goal in shooting ocean and landscapes is not much different than shooting events for the newspaper. The game I play is to find one or a handful of images that best communicate what I see and experience at the moment that I press the shutter.
My personal favorite beach shot was a man by the name of Jon Maxon fishing in the surf at Kalaloch Beach at sunset. I like the play of light and shadow as the fisherman casts his rod toward the sun. Jon and his family were staying at the same campground overlooking the ocean where I was staying.
The next morning I drove to the Ho Rainforest campground. In the afternoon I followed the Hall of Mosses trail which is one of the best known trails in the park, but I was disappointed with the experience. I just couldn’t make a decent photograph.
The following morning I hiked 6 to 7 miles along the Ho River trail until I decided it was time to turn back. I was carrying entirely too much photography gear and not enough water. It was a strenuous hike, and my images were just ho-hum.
On my last morning at the campground, I got up early and revisited the Hall of Mosses that I photographed the first day. In that short early morning hike, the clouds and fog hung low over the peaks and glades. I was alone and had the trail all to myself. I finally made the images I had envisioned. The light and the weather was what I had hoped for.
Leaving the Ho Rain Forest, I circled to the far side of the park to Hurricane Ridge. When I had visited years before, the low clouds prevented me from seeing anything. On this day the skies were relatively clear and I was rewarded with an awesome view of Mount Olympus and the entire Olympic Range.
When I left Hurricane Ridge and Olympic National Park, I really didn’t have a plan. I generally tried to avoid big city traffic, but I just couldn’t get this close to Seattle and not make at least a short visit. While waiting for a ferry to cross the Sound, I booked a room at a hotel within blocks of the Seattle Space Needle. As I drove toward the city, the traffic was heavy and road construction confusing, but I did manage to find my way to my hotel. I spent that evening and the next morning revisiting Seattle landmarks that were touchstones to my past.
I did enjoy my ride to the top of the Space Needle and I did make a few nice shots of lights on the water front and harbor. But my favorite Seattle landmark is the Pike Street Market. I know from Facebook comments that many remember from movies and television shows. The market is totally unique.
Yes, I did watch a fish vendor entertained customers by throwing a “flying fish” across the counter to another vendor. I also had a nice Sunday brunch at the Sound View – delightful little restaurant with a view of the harbor and the sound.
Leaving Seattle I drove south-east to Mount Rainier National Park. The 14,410 foot mountain is the tallest volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range. It is the most glaciated peak in the continental United States and mountain a very impressive sight.
