Buckskin Gulch

As we prepared for our trip to Utah earlier in the month, we were dismayed when the US government shut down all public services, including the National Parks.  This was as a result of some very childish political wrangling between the Republicans and the Democrats over government debt levels and spending on federally funded Medicare.  The Republicans were holding everyone hostage and not allowing the governing Democrats to increase the debt ceiling to allow the government to continue to operate.  Meanwhile the American citizens, investors worldwide, and tourists like us, were to pay the price.

Shortly before we left Canada it was announced that the government of the State of Utah was stepping in and providing funding to the US Federal government so that the National Parks in the state could continue to operate.  Obviously they recognized that tourism was a significant contributor to the local economy.  We were relieved to say the least.

One of the things that we wanted to do was to hike into a site called The Wave.  This is a restricted area in the Coyote Buttes, part of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.  This area is limited to 20 hikers per day, and a special permit is required for access.  Half of the daily permits are sold on line several months in advance, and we had missed the opportunity to reserve these.  The other half are allotted at the Bureau of Land Management Office, a day in advance.  This office was just a couple hundred yards from the house that we had rented, but despite the parks being open, the BLM office was closed due to the shutdown.

On day two of our trip we decided to check out the area around The Wave.  We were a little uncertain about what to do.  Since the parks were officially closed, perhaps we could just wander in...?  But we were a little reluctant to attempt this, mostly because there was so much uncertainty about everything.  The official word was that all the restricted areas in the area were closed, and there were signs posted to that effect.

We got up again before dawn, and headed out after breakfast.  We turned south off Highway 89 at the White House Rock Road, down to the Wire Pass Trailhead.  This is the start for the hike into The Wave.  It is also the trailhead for the slot canyons of Wire Pass, Buckskin Gulch, and further on for many miles into Paria Canyon.  These areas are not specifically restricted, but do require a day use fee and registration.  It was really unclear as to whether or not these areas were closed, but it appeared as though officially, they were.

We explored a little in the area along the road.  There was a cool old cattle corral, as well as an some outcrops with really interesting rock formations.  We made a couple photographs with the view cameras in this area.

 

We decided not to take a chance and try and sneak into The Wave.  Instead we drove back up the road a few miles to the Buckskin Gulch trailhead.  This trail follows Buckskin Wash for about three or four miles, eventually meeting up with Wire Pass, and later with the Paria River.  Initially the trail is right in the wash itself, and it meanders along, through some spectacular badlands.

A short time later the wash forces itself through a rather narrow gap between a pair of large outcrops of red sandstone.

After that the landscape changed a little and the sandstone became more striated and layered.  We stopped in a couple of spots along this section of the wash and made some more photographs.

The vegetation was obviously finishing up the season and most of the plants had gone to seed and were preparing for the dormant winter season.  One type of sage was blooming in spectacular yellow fashion and the few of these plants that were on display were attracting a host of bees and butterflies.  I managed to capture a shot of a Monarch butterfly feeding on one of these plants.

We never did get as far as the slot canyons but at one point came across a big dried out mud hole that was rather photogenic.  We spent some time here making a few photographs of the patterns in the cracked mud.

After this we turned back and followed the wash back out to where we had parked the truck.  By the time we got there, drove the 4 miles along the White House Rock Road back to Highway 89, and then all the way back to Kanab, it was after dark.  We repeated what would become our daily ritual.  Have something to eat, reload film holders and get to bed early so that we could start all over again the next day.

Cottonwood Canyon Road - Grand Staircase Escalante

On Saturday October 12 my friends Rob and Brad and I set out on a road trip.  We left Edmonton around 10:00AM, for the 24 hour drive down to Kanab, Utah.  Originally we thought we might drive straight through in shifts, but by nightfall we found ourselves getting too tired to continue.  We checked into a hotel in Butte, Montana.  The next morning we were up before dawn and on the road again.  We drove pretty much non-stop with only the occasional brief stop for food, fuel or a bathroom break.  We finally rolled into Kanab by nightfall and stopped at a local bar and grill for something to eat.  I ordered a New York steak but I guess I am somewhat spoiled by the quality of our Alberta beef.  This American cactus-fed beef left something to be desired.  The jug of Budweiser draft that we shared was worse than the steak.  After supper we rolled into the house that we had rented for the week and unpacked our gear.

The next morning we were again up before dawn.  After a quick breakfast we hit the road, heading east on Highway 89 into the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.  These public lands of 1.9 million acres contain some fabulous scenery and very rugged backcountry.  This first day we decided to explore the Cottonwood Canyon Road.  This road runs for about 40 miles in a northerly direction, eventually ending at Cannonville, near Kodachrome Basin and Bryce Canyon.  Initially the road follows the Paria river, but then veers away from the river and follows the Cockscomb Fault.  The spectacular Cockscomb is a 50-mile long fault crossing Grand Staircase Escalante and the Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments from north to south, roughly following the Cottonwood Canyon Road.  From the air the Cockscomb appears like a giant wound on the earth's crust and is arguably one of the most remarkable geologic formations of the Colorado Plateau.

This photograph was taken at the southern end of the road, where it starts at Highway 89.  This beginning few yards was deceptively smooth.  It quickly got very rough and contorted.  In fact we found out, a few days after driving it, that it had been closed for some time due to a number of washouts.

This photograph is of the Paria River, near the southern end of the road.

We pretty much spent the entire day driving along the road making various photo stops.  At some stops we just took record snapshots with our digital cameras.  At others we actually set up the big view cameras and did some more serious photography.  One of our first stops was along the Paria River.  Just across the road was a large cliff with an interesting area of fallen rock.

Another of our stops along Cottonwood Road.

A little further on we crossed over the Cockscomb Ridge and down in the valley of Cottonwood Creek.  Here the Cottonwood trees were in full color and lived up to their namesake.  There were also some very interesting rock formations here.

A little later we came upon this formation, that Rob referred to as "The Clansmen".  This is not the proper name for it, but it sure is fitting.  The valley just below these rocks was filled with more Cottonwoods in splendid fall color.

As we continued down the road it climbed up and over the Cockscomb fault and provided a great view along the ridge looking back to the south.  As we were driving along the ridge Brad spotted this Red Fox attempting to dig something... probably a meal... out from between the rocks.

By this time is was getting late in the afternoon.  As the valley was beginning to fall into shadow we got a couple of shots of an area called "Candyland".  It was difficult to photograph due to the high contrast between highlights and shadows.  Hopefully some of the shots that we took on Black and White film can be printed properly in the darkroom to yield a better tonal range.

After finishing up here, we made a brief stop at Grosvenor Arch, and at an overview the looked down onto the valley near Kodachrome Basin.  But we were out of time and had to hit the road from home.  Rather than drive back over the rough Cottonwood Road in the dark, we elected to loop around the long way and stay on the pavement.  This round about route took us through Cannonville and Tropic, up onto the plateau adjacent to Bryce Canyon, and then back onto Highway 89 north of Kanab.  It took about 1-1/2 hours to get back to the house in Kanab and it was well after dark when we arrived.  We had a late dinner, settled down to re-load film holders, and eventually cashed in for the night.  This would be the routine for the next several days...

Procession West ends at McMullen

The Procession West show here in Edmonton at McMullen Gallery came to an end on October 20th.  I was not around when it came down. My friends Rob and Brad and I were down in southern Utah doing some back country hiking and photography.  We left Edmonton on October 12th and drove through... over 2 days... to Kanab, Utah.  We had a house rented in Kanab that would be our home base for the next eight days.  Every morning we were up before dawn and out on the backroads somewhere to some trailhead.  During those eight days I shot 129 sheets of 4x5 Black and White film, and 29 sheets of Color.  I also shot nearly 1100 digital images and racked up 5899km on my truck.  It was a great trip and look for a bunch of posts in the coming days with all the details.

Our Procession West show ended on October 20th and the McMullen staff graciously took down the show for us while we were away.  Rob and I picked up the prints today...

While I was away another rejection letter showed up in the mail, this time from an Art Gallery in Castlegar, British Columbia.  We had sent a submission package to them back in the spring and they finally got around to responding.

The Renegades played two hockey games while I was away and won both.  The team is now undefeated through our first six games and as a result we have been moved up to a higher division.  It remains to be seen whether or not we can be competitive against teams of a higher skill level.

I arrived back home from the Utah trip last night, and returned to a partial day in the office today.  It sure was a challenge to force myself back into the work routine and deal with all the little issues and problems and conflicts that arose in my absence.  I actually only missed six days of work, but even so there seems to be no end to the crap that has to be dealt with.  I really look forward to the day when I can walk away from this and focus my attention on relaxing endeavors such as those of the last few days....

Winter Hockey - Game Four

The Renegades played our fourth game of the winter season last night against the Ice Hawks.  It was a late ice time, with the game not starting until nearly 11:00PM.  This one was much closer than our previous three but we hung on for a 6-5 victory in regulation time.  We are now undefeated through our first four games, tied for first place in our division.  By the time I got home, put my gear away, and had a quick shower it was already well into morning.  My clock said 1:56 as I rolled into bed this morning and it was only 4-1/2 hours later that I was trying to get up and drag myself into work.  I made it, but was about 10 minutes late.  One of the few benefits of owning the company is that I don't have to answer to anyone when this very rarely happens...

Ilford Delta 100 in Pyro [PMK]

This past weekend I processed a couple of batches of Ilford Delta 100 film in Pyro [PMK] developer.  I quite like this combination, though not quite as much as Kodak TXP in this developer.  This time around I had some equipment issues.  The light baffle in one of my Jobo Expert tanks came loose and I didn't notice it.  With the first batch I ended up with about a half dozen sheets that were partially fogged.  But the baffle was only loose at this point, and I did not notice that it was an issue.  During processing of the second batch the baffle fell off all together and the resulting light leaks ruined all 10 sheets.  Some of these exposures dated as far back as 2010.  Fortunately it appears as though I have other versions of these shots on other types of film.  As far as I can tell, it looks as though nothing was lost completely.  Here are some scans of some of the images from these batches that were not ruined...

From the summer of 2013 while touring the badlands with our German relatives.

A camping weekend in the Front Ranges during 2012

Two shots of a church out near the Saskatchewan border, taken in the summer of 2010

Cottonwood Tree from August of this year.

The Monochrome Guild Spring Photo Weekend of 2012

Two shots from Saskatchewan taken after dropping off the Procession West show at the Art Gallery of Regina, back in June of 2013.

An abandoned store in central Alberta from 2010

Another from the Spring Photo Weekend in 2012

Long exposure from the spring of 2012

An old store taken in 2010

A shot from my "Playground Ghosts" series, taken in the summer of 2010

And finally, a shot from the Brazeau Collieries Historic Site taken in 2010.

The Shed

In June of 2012 I started building a shed.  We have limited space in our small yard so I designed a long narrow lean-to that could fit in the limited space along side of our house.  I built a base out of treated timbers, and a subfloor of 3/4" plywood.  Then I started building the tall wall.  At that point I was interupted and my limited ambitions were re-directed onto another project.  Margarit decided that she wanted to replace all the old carpet and lino in our kitchen, living room, dining room and hallway, with laminate flooring.  This was a rather extensive renovation that included demolition of a short section of wall, removal of a shelf unit, some drywall repairs, re-texturing the ceiling, and the installation of subfloor.  Margarit had a flooring contractor hired to install the laminate, and a handyman to demolish the wall and re-route some electrical wiring, but she didn't initially realize that all the rest of the work had to be done before the floor installation could start.  There was a set deadline and I was pulled off the shed project and put to work on the other renovations.  Most of this work was done while the girls stayed out a Pigeon Lake for a few days in July with their cousins.  The renovation dragged on for a couple months due to some back ordered materials and some issues with our new fridge fitting into the space that we had for it in our kitchen.  By early fall most of this stuff was resolved and I was attempting to put some baseboards on.  While I was doing that I put the girls to work doing some painting for me on the shed, that I had started several months earlier.  By mid October it snowed and winter settled in to stay, and the shed project was put on hold.

In early 2013 we decided to undertake a major exterior renovation on our home.  We replaced our old windows and doors, added exterior and attic insulation, and installed new siding, soffit, fasica and eavestroughs.  The change from slider windows to casements meant that the started shed was too high for the adjacent window to open properly, this would prompt modifications and a minor re-design.  By early summer most of the exterior renovations were done, and the last item, new shingles, were installed in May.  I decided to purchase some extra matching siding and shingles, for the shed.  All this time our neighbor had been complaining to Margarit about how ugly the shed was and that she couldn't stand looking at it outside her dining room window.
So this fall I finally got back to the shed contruction project and have put a big push on to get it finished this year.  Following the re-design I framed and sheeted the shed, installed shingles and skylights, and then put on all the siding and trim.  I finally finished up most of the work this weekend.  The only thing remaining to do now is to put a door on it.  It will be really nice to clear up some space in our garage and actually use this shed now.  Bikes, patio furniture and all of our summer stuff will be stored in the shed in winter.  In the summer time we will move all the toboggans, snow shovels and winter stuff into the shed.  Hopefully the neighbor will get off our case now.  I don't see what the big deal is... it only took 17 months... and I'm almost done now...

TL Bar Ranch - Closed...

Earlier this summer it was announced that the TL Bar Ranch, down in the badlands, will be closed.  This ranch has become one of our favorite camping spots, and it is where the girls first developed their love of horses and learned to ride.  The ranch will be closed for at least a year, maybe two, and maybe for good.  Then owners are just feeling a little overwhelmed with all that has been going on in recent years and want the opportunity to spend some time with their own young children.

We planned a camping weekend with my cousin Vic, his wife Susanne, and their daughter Ceyanna.  We had originally planned to go earlier in September, but then my Dad passed away...  So, we postponed until the last weekend in September.  This was the last weekend that the ranch would be open.  We expected it to be busy, so we reserved some horses.  As it turned out we were the only two campers there, and there were only a couple of extra riders along with us and the two trail rides we went out on.  The weather was not great... it was cool and overcast, with breezy conditions and a light shower on Sunday morning.  But we made the best of it.  It sure was nice to get together with Vic and Susanne again and we really enjoyed the relaxed weekend that we spent together.  My Mom came along with us again as well, and she seemed to enjoy the visit too.  We did a little fishing, had a barbecue, and just enjoyed being out at this wonderful place one last time....  Hopefully we can return again someday...

Winter Hockey - Game Three

The Renegades played Game Three of the current winter season earlier this week.  This time we had a reasonable ice time... 8:45PM.  The game was against a team well know to us, the Klondike Maulers.  A couple of the guys on this team used to play on the Renegades, and we have played against this team for many years.  We put in a strong effort and won the game by a 5-2 score.  We are now undefeated to start the season and in first place in our division.  The league will be looking at some divisional realignment and odds are pretty good that we may get moved up to a higher division.