Go West V - Alpine Tundra

Forest Canyon Overlook, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


In the Rocky Mountains no tress grow above 11,400 feet... eight months out of the year temperatures remain below freezing, fierce dry winds blast ridge tops, and ultraviolet light shines intensely. The climate is so harsh that only small plants and lichens survive. Compact plants only a few inches tall send tap roots 6 feet down into the earth to find nutrients to live. Small animals like yellow-bellied marmots and pikas spend long winters hibernating in their dens among the rocky slopes.  

Yet visitors to the park get first hand looks at the alpine tundra world by driving up Trail Ridge Road, and walking along short trails to overlooks like this one.

In the foreground are pink granite stones spilling over a steep slope into a canyon. In the middle ground are dark subalpine forests of spruce and fir which dominate the valley below. And in the distance rise the snow streaked sides of massive Stones Peak mountain where alpine tundra re-emerges.

Vast distances in the West can be a challenge to portray within the two dimensional confines of a photograph. But a scene like this one makes it easy, with the receding layers of space, and the use of a wide angle vertical format... along with a Chocolate Chip Clif Bar to munch on. Yum.

Go West IV - All Saints Chapel

Capilla de Todos los Santos, San Luis, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Atop San Pedro Mesa, in the small town of San Luis, stands the All Saints Chapel. Its design by local architect Arnie Valdez, reflects the Catholic tradition, but perhaps more importantly the influence of Spanish culture in this region of Colorado. Hispanic settlers established a village in the valley below, and by 1851 San Luis became an official town, making it the oldest one in the state. Leading up the mesa to this handsome and evocative church is a Stations of the Cross trail, featuring bronze sculptures by Huberto Maestas.

I found this setting fascinating, so evocative of the hardscrabble life of the arid Southwest and the impact of its Hispanic history.

Go West III - Route 66

Old Cadillac, Cadillac Ranch, near Amarillo, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


One of the original US Highways, Route 66 stretched from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California, and in its heyday in the 1950's was synonymous with the ultimate road trip. Along the "Main Street of America", you were sure to see something quirky and quintessentially American. Though this iconic highway has receded into the mythic past, segments of it still remain.

Not far from one of these remnants, in a cow pasture near Amarillo, Texas, is Stanley Marsh's Cadillac Ranch. This public art installation is a row of classic cadillacs buried at perfect angles matching those of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is undoubtedly one of the most photographed places in Texas, and one of the most graffitied. The old cars are an open canvas for anyone with spray can in hand.

Go West II - Snap and Go

Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark, western Kansas
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


It may surprise you to know whirlwind road trips can be a challenge to photographers, or anyone else with infinite curiosity. The temptation to stop repeatedly to explore can be heart rending. I wanted to stop at least 72 hundred times during our adventure... to take a photo, or look at a bird, or a rock, or a yak for that matter.

But we had to press on to see everyone we wanted to see, and visit all the places we wanted to visit. I took pictures when I could. Hence, my road trip photography is of the "snap and go" variety.

"Snap and go" is not especially conducive to good nature and landscape photography, which is often predicated upon capturing beautiful light to set a mood. Yet some subjects are strong enough to endure the snap shot style.

Monument Rocks (or Chalk Pyramids) is such a subject. They are a strange anomaly, towering 70 feet above the endless agricultural flatlands of the Kansas high plains. These chalky formations were sculpted by wind and water. But the layers of fossil rich rock date back 80 million years, when this region was not an ocean of wheat, but an ocean of sea water (talk about climate change!).

Go West I - The Road Trip

Mt. Sneffels, near Ouray, Colorado  © Doug Hickok All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Becky and I just returned from a 24 day road trip to Western parts of the U.S.  Our main goal was to visit friends and family (34 to be precise, in 9 cities). Needless to say along the way we encountered spectacular settings, either driving, hiking or picnicking. We drove 5,824 miles through 13 states and 3 time zones. The highest elevation reached was 12,183 feet along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The highest temperature was 104˚F on our first day of tent camping in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas. And the oddest sight was a stand of 6 shaggy black yaks on a ranch outside of Ouray, Colorado.

But enough with the numbers. I am excited to bring you the photography. Over the next few weeks I will post an assortment of road trip pictures taken during our Western adventure. I hope you enjoy the views.

Today's image shows a mountain valley leading to Mt. Sneffels Wilderness, near Ouray (self-labeled "Switzerland of America"). Our destination here was the hiking trail that led to a turquoise alpine lake, in a basin below the snowy peaks seen above. I chose this image to start the Go West series because of the simple beauty of this mountain landscape, so representative of Colorado. The fresh green hues of the quaking aspens especially caught my eye.


And finally, thanks to everyone for your visits to our blog during our absence. They are very much appreciated!

Alien Light

Lamp, Abandoned Gas Station, near Lawrenceburg, Ohio  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


This lamp once kept a gas station well lit at night. But time passes, and what is left looks like remnants of an alien world.

Venetian Symbols

Ornate Lantern, Saint Mark's Square, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view.)


Ornate lanterns, church spires, seagulls from the Adriatic,
 and the Lion of Saint Mark.
 This could be no other place than La Serenissima!

Lantern Shadows

Lantern and Shadow, Dock Street Theatre, French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view.)


Shadows of an old lantern play upon the surface
 of a stucco and brick wall.

Stono Dock

Sunset, Stono River Dock, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view.)


A golden river flows past a boat dock at sundown, an idyllic scene symbolic of South Carolina's Lowcountry.

Craft

Detail of Headstone, Saint Philip's Churchyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


One of the inspirations in life is admiring the craft of an expert,
 no matter what the craft may be. Whether a writer, a doctor, a teacher, or a stonecutter, it is pure beauty witnessing the work of a master.

Gate Shadow

Gate Shadow on Stucco, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)


A gate shadow traces its ornate contours onto an old stucco wall at the Dock Street Theatre.

High and Dry

Derelict Lobster Boat, near Welshpool, Campobello Island, New Brunswick
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Rest in peace.

Hogwart's Herbology

Bare Boned Bonsai, North Carolina Arboretum, NC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Mandrake?
 Cover your ears!

Bella Italia

Window, near Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view.)


This Roman vignette offers a glimpse of colors and textures typically seen in beautiful Italy. I am suddenly craving a large plate of lasagna and a glass of wine!
Bella Italia!

Impression of a Sunrise VII

Sunrise, Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


The sun rises over Charleston Harbor
 like the Eye of Sauron,
 searching the waters of Middle Earth
 for the One Ring to rule them all.

Wash Out

Creek Wash Out, Mt. Hood, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)


A jumble of rocky debris fills a creek flowing down from the slopes of cloud covered Mount Hood, an ancient volcano of the Cascade Mountains.


 

Decline and Resurgance

Arched Windows, Old Warehouse, Savannah, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)


Patterns of semi-circles dominate the facade of this forgotten old building in historic Savannah. Like film and film cameras, it has fallen into decline, but has the potential for resurgence given the right circumstance.

Big Tuna

Big Tuna Restaurant, Georgetown, South Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)


It is the perfect time of day for photographing wonderful warm hues, but too early to visit the gritty, rustic Big Tuna Restaurant and Raw Bar. It is better to come back later in the evening, when it becomes a hoppin' kind of place.

Ferny Woods

Ferns and Rhododendron, Craggy Gardens, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)


Along the mountain trail to the top of Craggy Gardens, hikers pass through thick groves of rhododendron and a forest floor lush with ferns. But be alert for little creatures that scurry beneath the ferns, like fairies, gnomes and trolls... oh my!

Yin and Yang

Shutter Clasps, Elliott Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)

Two shutters and clasps mirror one another as evening light illuminates opposite tones.