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Many see fog, clouds, and mist as kind of depressing or cold. For me not only does it lend depth but also feelings of calm and quiet. There is a trail in the forest below where one can make silent steps on soft needles under huge old-growth trees. This is a true old-growth forest with an ecosystem all its own in the tip of Idaho near Canada.

This is an area of historical significance in the Clearwater National Forest of northern Idaho. It’s a section of the Lewis and Clark route and the place were later 350 soldiers led by General Howard suffered from lack of experience in rugged mountain travel while chasing 750 Native Americans. Being much more accustomed to mountain travel, the Nez Perce outran Howard and his crew by 5 days, anyway, this is one historical timeline. What seems to be clear is Howard didn’t catch them in this country and the suffering of his group becomes apparent upon observing some of the older trees still showing the scars of stripped bark, the only thing they had to feed their horses. Unfortunately, after running for survival and making it through the mountains, the Nez Perce were slaughtered in the area now called Battle of the Bighorn by a different calvary group. This, in general, seems to be the course of events, details are sometimes debated similar to fine details regarding the Lewis and Clark expedition through this region. My work consisted of watching and trying to capture a sunrise over a vast dense forest, mountain layers, and steep canyons.

Some say Jarbidge Nevada is the most remote town in the lower 48 states however, this isn’t the only claim to fame. It might be where the last stagecoach robbery in the US took place. The speed limit is 10 MPH on the dirt road through the town which you might expect is called Main. Apparently, a few dozen year-round residents keep the place in check. There are some tiny art and gift shops and the people I encountered offered a friendly wave.

Thousand Creek Gorge, northern Nevada. Hiking in the gorge requires some painful brush busting through head high rose bushes with needle-like thorns and some avoidance of poisonous plants. So overall a good experience with a few small wounds that will heal. Shorts and sandals are out of the question. Some narrow sections are boulder choked resulting in a few murky cascades and pools. Making this water drinkable would necessitate some serious settling and filtering — still questionable in my view so an overnight stay would be hard. Wildlife includes pigeons and raptors so it isn’t always silent as their utterances resonate off the cliffs. A shuttle could be arranged and it can be hiked from either direction. If raining, the roads to the canyon entrances are likely to be wicked mud.

Black Magic Canyon in south central Idaho. Sad to say some of the formations are now showing signs of graffiti and vandalism. I wonder sometimes if it would have been better to not show any photographs of this unique and amazing place but for the most part - as usual, awareness wins that debate for obvious reasons.
I spent more time in a deeper section during this last trip and became aware of something I hadn't fully realized before. Although the dominant colors in the carved basalt are of course black, gloss black and gray, light reflected off adjacent rock reveals different color hues ranging from light blue, to tan and sometimes varying shades of purple. It would take a much better writer than I to adequately describe the color changes depending on the angles of reflected light in this canyon that is an exquisite example of art in nature.
Over a period of about ten thousand years, the Big Wood River carved these sculpted forms in the hard basalt. So, someone in this time comes along and chisels their name and some verbal garbage - I would suggest not doing that.
Very Important information if you plan a visit: The water is now controlled by the Big Wood Canal Co. in Shoshone and the canyon is full during the irrigation season so early spring and fall are clearly the best times to visit. If you plan a visit you must call the canal company first. If you are in the canyon when they release water from the dam, it would be like a southwest flash flood in a slot canyon and there would no escaping. The number to call is 1-208-886-233.

Montana, east, The famous wild horse, known as Cloud in the Pryor Mountains. This wild horse, given the name Cloud as a newborn colt by Ginger Kathrens when she did the PBS Nature series, has become kind of famous and his likeness is painted on the walls of buildings in the small towns beneath the Pryor Mountains. He was still an impressive and strong horse in 2012 when I made this image of him. He got very comfortable with my presence in a short time, which surprised me a little. I suspect the legend will live on for quite some time.

Oregon, north-central, Geological formations aptly referred to as the Painted Hills in the John Day National Monument area. Years ago when I first started displaying images from here, the colors, shapes and patterns seemed unbelievable to some and were at times dismissed as unreal. As the area became more popular, that kind of skepticism has been subdued. Weather conditions, moisture content and of course time of day can dramatically change the tones, color density and hues. This phenomenon can also lead to comments like “I’ve been there and it doesn’t look like that”. The terminology that I like to use is art in nature and in this case, the look is related to geological eras including floodplain deposits from when this region of Oregon was warm and humid. Laterite soil (deposits rich in iron and aluminum) account for the reds, whereas the blacks are identified as lignite - a low-grade coal formed by the compression of partially decayed vegetation (Peat). The other more typical grey coloring is shale, mudstone or siltstone. Then there are the mixtures that vary from gold to yellow and may even appear a light blue under the right lighting conditions. Overall it was a unique set of events that created this magnificent place.

Despite possible cultural pressures, one shouldn't be apologetic when enjoying natural beauty as subject matter in an art form. It is an island of respite in a world focused on tragedy. Beauty and nature offer the kind of hope and uplift we need for balance and health.

Autumn view from the Cress Creek Preserve. Idaho is my home state and sometimes I can receive a little bereavement from residents when I travel and work in other states or regions. I think for the most part though people do understand what it takes to make a living at this and then of course there is the added benefits of exploration and adventurous travel. Still, it's always a pleasure to represent Idaho when I can, after all it is home and without question, a great place to live.

Recently, while giving a talk, I was ask: "What makes your photography better than others"?. The question caught me a bit off guard because I don't think in terms of being better than others. For me its about sharing a vision and maybe along the way if I could raise awareness, that would be a positive contribution. So I just do what I can and it's gratifying to learn when I have helped someone gain a better appreciation of our brief moment in the sun.