[LargeFormat] Suggestions for Fall Color - Columbus to Chicago

[Verna Knapp]

Yes, you have my sympathy on the fuel prices. This one is even expensive 
to fill here in the US. After my 400 mile trip I put a bit over $50 US 
into the tank.

Saturday I took it up into the Rocky Mountains to shoot fall colors. At 
the first stop, a painter stopped to talk to me and told me of his 
favorite place to get *into* the aspens. After packing up my gear, I 
tried to follow his directions. I found the road off to the side up by 
Meeker Park. Drove for a very long ways (he had said 2 miles off the 
road) so I probably took the wrong initial turn. I think I drove more 
like 10 miles. There are two roads with the same number. Eventually I 
was on a steep road with rocks poking up and no turnaround. This is in a 
Ford Econoline E350 extended body van jacked up for a four wheel drive. 
It is a good 4x4 (Quigly) but tall. There were a few washouts, but not 
bad, as it was dry. Only slightly worse than the road I live on was 
after that huge storm washed most of it out. I got lucky with a turnout 
with the returning traffic. Eventually I reached Johnnycamp, which is a 
primative hunting camp. It has a nice grove of golden leaved aspen I 
could get into. Along with guys in ATVs and hunters. I pulled
into a campsite on the other side of some rocks, and did some 
exploring.The big pile of rocks was gorgeous. Lichens and various 
colored up bushes growing out of it. I got my 4x5 out and made a number 
of exposures. Because of the shadow patterns I kept waiting for the sun 
to go behind clouds. I even found a use for my wide angle lens, and 
darned near wrapped the camera around a tree while trying to shoot along 
a rock face with tiny bushes growing out of it. This was an all out 
photo trance. I never did get into the grove of aspen. I stopped when I 
ran out of film, then decided to go home and sleep in my own bed, though 
the camp site was a lovely one, and I'll probably use it in the future. 
Still, there was no point in staying for the morning light, as I didn't 
have the film to take advantage of it.

I kept wishing I were driving a jeep or a hummer on that trail! The 
beast, as I call my van, is awfully long and awfully tall, though she 
did fine on the way out of the camp, where high road clearance was 
mandatory. Still, she is a fine vehicle for camping in the places I can 
get her into. And I'm not sure I really want to go into the hard core 
4x4 trails anyway. I have a notion that big muscles and a lot of 
testosterone would be helpful when doing that, and I don't tolerate
overdoses of adrenaline all that well. On the other hand, a class in 4x4
driving would probably be very useful up here in the Rockies.

The Rockies are amazingly beautiful and amazingly rough. I love them.

Verna


> 
> Verna,
> 
> You probably know about fuel prices here in the UK - one of the reasons 
> that the Land Rovers had to go. The pre-owned section of the web site 
> does have some bargains. All I need to do is emigrate to the US with a 
> few packing crates full of camera gear.
> 
> The colours are starting to change now on the trees here and just in 
> time for the forthcoming f32 large format workshop. This has been taking 
> up a lot of time recently and I'm looking forward to an exclusive 4 days 
> of large format photography.
> 
> The list has been amazingly quiet over the last few days - maybe the 
> colours have changed already in other parts of the world....
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy the trip Karl.
> 
> Cheers,
>            Clive


-- 

"Seize every minute of life...look at it and really see it...
                live it...and never give it back."