September 6, 2005
Kamp Katie
Jordan Montana
Not much to say- boring bland sky, flat light and lots of plains with some neat rock out croppings. As we neared Jordan the land began to take on a more diverse look and we found a great camp for the night on the banks of dry creek.
it’s getting scary!
September 7, 2005
Kamp Katie
Jordan Montana
AFTERNOON
Awoke to wild turkeys in the yard!
Spent a wonderful morning with May Billing who owns Kamp Katie. Katie was her Mom and when it was time for the kids to start school Katie moved into town, from the family ranch, and started Kamp Katie. Now May runs the place in the summer and lives out on the ranch in the winter. The ranch is about 30 miles from town and May is doing it all on her own since her husband died. She had so many great stories about growing up in the area and how things use to be. She was a reported for the local paper and has written many articles on life in and around the Jordan farming community. She shared one of her many photo-writing albums with us. So many thoughts about the land and the folks who homesteaded there. We heard about PeePee Butte which was a must stop on their way to Mile City. Guess why… We passed PeePee Butte and found it all fenced and cross fenced in- besides today you could of gotten a ticket for using PeePee Rock.
She spoke so much about the old days and even though it was a lot harder it was so much better. The quality of life was what was what was important. Family, Life, Land and Spirit. There was always enough to get by or a neighbor who would help to tide you over.
Progress for May didn’t seem all that important and for all intent and purposes she is living much the way she did all her life on the Montana Plains.
welcome to Kamp Katie
Wake up call
Henry is awake and ready to go
Kamp Katie
May Billing at her kitchen table
Heather and May looking over her books
forward a page from May’s book
an open letter a page from May’s book
udate a page from May’s book
where I shot Mays’ Portrait
September 7, 2005
Weird Motel
Ashland Montana
On the border of the Cheyenne River Res.
Ashland is a very depressed little Reservation Boarder Town and I was surprised to find the St. Labre Indian School was there. On of my Mom’s favorite charities. Spent most of tonight running film and got about a third of the film shot processed will have to stop again in a few day and try to catch up. Negatives look great!
Tomorrow a visit to The Battlefield of the Greasy Grass and then on to the Big Horn Mountains.
Hi Mom!
first stop of the day
second stop of the day
September 8, 2005
Sibley Lake
Big Horn Mountains
Wyoming
Big Mistake! The battlefield was totally depressing. Even thought The Ranger gave a very informative talk that favored the Native American history of the battle, even bring Sitting Bull’s words (see below) into the talk it was all too sad thinking about how and why the battle happened. Then to add insult to injury as we were leaving we had to jump on I-90 for a short stretch and low and behold it ran right smack through the middle of what was the Indian Encampment.
Our spirits lifted though as the Big Horns drew near and we started to climb up into some of the most beautiful mountains. First scraggly pastures with lost of rocks, then small groups of old weathered pine trees giving way to more and more rolling hills slowly turning into mountains. The weathered pines turned into proud Lodge Pole Pines and we were into the Big Horns. The mountains are softer than the Rockies with dense Pine forests and high pasture land. Flowing through out our great rivers, The Little Big Horn, The Tongue and Shell Creek to name a few. Looks like great trout fishing waters to me. Although there are signs by many of the river stops warning you that the water has bacteria and should not be drunk no warnings about eating the fish however but one has to wonder. By the end of the day had made two strong images ad am looking forward to tomorrow.
by Sitting Bull
Heather at Greasy Grass Memorial
heading into the Bighorns’
along HWY 14
high Bighorn Pasture
detail high Bighorn Pasture
top of hill
dmk shooting top of hill
looking DOWN the hill
Sky
September 9, 2005
Sibley Lake
Big Horn Mountains
Wyoming
Spent the day exploring this end of the Big Horn Mountains. Went over to Medicine Wheel to say a prayer. Then explored possible fishing sites on the Tongue River. Non- resident licenses are $72.00 per year each. We can get one day licenses for 11.00 each so when we find the perfect fishing spot we’ll get a daily one. What with diesel up to over $3.00 per gallon, in some places and the price of type 55 film raising again to 3 dollars and change per exposure we have to tighten the purse strings quite a bit.
As the day turned cloudy went in search of photographs and found an old settlers cabin off the beaten track. Then the rain chased me home. Quite a majestic place these mountains.
Road Plaque for Medecine Wheel
detail
more detail of another plaque
Old Settler’s Cabin or maybe Cowboy’s
Driving home
Driving home 2 like them both too much to pick just one and it was a long drive
September 10, 2005
Sibley Lake
Big Horn Mountains
Wyoming
Another great day out exploring but our 3 mile climb up and down the side of a serious mountain to Porcupine Falls has left us both sore and walking around like the old folks I am. The falls sure were worth the aches and pains. Beautiful deep pool under the falls and I’m sure it held some trophy trout. I think I made a good image of he falls and then did a detail of the moving water that has promise. We are both ashamed to say we will not go back to fish it. Now not because of the walk but the licenses cost so much…..
DMK shooting the falls (hay, is that Clint Eastwood?)
Some of Heathers’ art work gonna try to get her to let me post more
September 11, 2005
Greystone Camp
Greystone, Wyoming
Grand day traveled only 50 miles but met some great people and did some fine portraits. After leaving Sibley Lake we headed west down HWY 14 through the Bighorn Mountains. Up here the mountains are speckled with high mountain pasture and many ranchers run their cattle up here during the summer months. Sure enough, it was not long before we passed some ranch hands working cattle by the side of the road. Great photograph so we found a place to turn around ( yep, a few miles down the road) and headed back.
Only two problems the sun was hot and white over head and as we rounded a curve they pass us going the other way. Shoot, a few miles down the road we found another turn a round and headed west again. After a few miles the road started down the mountain and we figured they were long gone. Then through a cut in the trees we saw their horse trailer down in a gulch and sure enough we found a forest road going off in that direction. Well, I reasoned if their big old horse trailer could go down and turn around so could our very small and getting smaller all the time airstream, so down we went.
At the bottom of the road we had the pleasure to meet Mr. Wayne Barnett- owner of the Barnett Ranch and Clint and Carrie Besaley. After a round of introductions and some small talk portraits where in order and I did two very good ones! The sun went behind the clouds just as I began so I had wonderful soft light! Wayne’s family has been ranching in the area for generations and we learned a lot about the operation in these mountains.
Turns out that not only do Clint and Carrie run cattle but they do very special leather work as well. They made both of their own saddles, special design with all the features they need but super lightweight for mountain work, as well as knife sheaths and many other very special leather items. Their address is Box 628 Greybull, Wyoming 82426 if you’d like to write them about a leather project. I mean their work is good.
October 15th is when they will bring the cattle down the mountain for the winter and we got an invite to come back and photograph that. If we are still in the area we won’t miss it for the world.
So off we went heading west again and passed a great old school house with a for sale sign. Again turned around and drove in to meet Mr. John McGough of Shell Wyoming. Had a good visit with John, he is a very gentle man with deep concerns for the historical side of life. I enjoyed his company immensely. John bought the old school house in the ‘80’s and has been restoring it. Quite a super job he has done but is now moving on to other projects so it’s up for sale. You can see it at:
http://www.wyomingstoneschool.com/
He is having some problems with the site so you may need to check back but it is a very cool old building and the remodel is excellent! If only I was ready to settle down…… After the second portrait of the day with the sun going behind the clouds again giving me that wonderful soft light we were on our way. Just a few miles down the road we entered Greybull and found our home for the night. Only sad note of the day is that the trailer brakes faded and let us half way down the mountain on HWY 14. But not too worry the truck breaks are strong and tomorrow after we reach Cody we’ll deal with it.
Dang where ever we go there we are
Let’s see that’s Heather then Clint and Carrie Basaley, me and Wayne Barnnet
Wayne showing me some of his photographs of ranch life- they where quite good.
should this be titled “Worken Cowboy”?
Heather, John McGough and DMK at his stone school house-gallery-bookstore
Leaving John’s
September 12, 2005
Cody Camp
Cody, Wyoming
Well some days the bear bites you, and some days you bite the bear. But some days you bite the bear and then the bear bites you back. Today was such a day.
Had a great drive from Greybull into Cody. Countryside is truly amazing and as you approach Cody the Rocky Mountains come into view. True there was snow on them and that for told the next leg of the trip but magnificent never the less. I even got a good landscape of an old farm house on the way.
Arrived in Cody and set up camp and got directed to Mr. Marty MacLennan owner of Park County RV Inc.
244 N. Blackburn Avenue
Cody, Wyoming 82414
307-527-GORV (4678)
toll free- 866-627-4678
cell- 307-272-6558
His card reads Let the “RV DOC’ diagnose and repair your RV 15 years experience. Parts, Sales, Warranty work, mobile service, Factory Trained and Insurance Claims. And after meeting and working with him I am sure it is all true!
When you hit a strange town with no brakes it can be the start of a really bad day. Not if Marty is around! After he found out we were travelers and lived in our rig full time he went right to work and got us up and running . It did take a long time but only due to the amount of work that was needed. We ended up replacing both brake assemblies. The old ones had to be some 40 years old and should have been change out years ago. It’s amazing we got as much use out of them as we did.
As well as being a great RV guy Marty also made a superb subject and another portrait is in the can.
Meeting folks like Marty makes one feel good about a town and I gotta tell you this could be a great place to settle down at the end of the journey. The landscape and people could keep me busy for a good long while. Thanks Marty!
So now what, it’s late and we both are a bit disheveled- our camps the last few days have been dry- so no showers and I’ve spent the day being Marty’s assistant so to speak and we look a mess but what the heck it’s Cody, Wyoming they gotta be use to folks just off the trail so off to town we go. As we drove down the main street I noticed a photography gallery and swerved to a stop. Downtown Cody is a candy store for me as Heather so aptly remarked as we got out of the truck on mains street. Lots of stores with what looked like authentic Indian stuff and good Cowboy stuff and two photography gallery to boot.
Mr.Marty MacLennan
Farmhouse Wyoming
driving into Cody on HWY 14
September 16,2005
Yellowstone Camp
Wyoming
Arrived here yesterday afternoon. Cody was a complete bust. Neither the stores nor galleries held our interest for long and we felt a bit depressed by the time we headed out. Tried to connect with a few folks of interest in town but to no avail. So much for my candy store it was all nutra sweet.
As the altitude rose so did our moods and by the time we arrived in Yellowstone we were back on the bus so to speak. If only we had the bus I’ve about 300 sheets of film to process and the film drawer is overflowing. Within the next week we have got to stop and run film.
Yellowstone is a candy store. Buffalo, Elk, Geysers and spectacular landscapes around each bend in the road. Up at 6 am this morning to catch the fog over Yellowstone Lake then west and north chasing the Geysers. Stopped at Old Faithful but need to wait for a cloudless sky to make it work. One of the few times I’ve looked for a blue sky with no clouds. Coming home tonight we go to watch the full moon rise over the Yellowstone River and walking Henry I was treated to a falling star.
Churning Caldron
Churning Caldron 2
dmk shooting churning caldron
Hills
Sunset
Moonrise
Moonrise 1
Buffalo
September 17 2005
Fishing Bridge
Yellowstone Camp
Wyoming
Woke up to rain that turned to snow as we drove up into the higher elevations. Glad the trailer was left at camp. The snow increased and at the top of the pass the road was closed so we headed back down. Made a few good images but I’m having trouble photographing here. The animals, especially the elk, pose in perfection as I set up my camera and just as I’m ready I get a look like “ya liked that huh?” and they walk off. Perhaps I’m paranoid but it sure seems that way. The landscape is so varied and I feel at home in the meadows and with the distant vistas but in the forests it’s a different story. Very difficult for me to find order within the chaos of the trees. I watch the other photographers here, which there are many, and the all have long-very long- lens. For the animal work it is obvious why, but also with the landscape- being able to isolate the subject from the background becomes very important. Using the wide lens is demanding much more thought, and it’s forcing me to understand the order within the chaos, or perhaps simply to accept the chaos as it is and record it. Yellowstone will be a learning experience. I have been focusing on the vistas, geysers and obvious stuff but tomorrow I’m going to force myself to walk among the trees.
Henry is quite the unhappy puppy here! The park is so very restrictive and he spends his days mostly in the car. Questions like, Why can’t I swim in that water, Why can’t I chase that bear, Why can’t I play with the people in the campground??? Seem always in his eyes.
The park is weird, even at this time of year it’s crowed and where ever you go there are people but no one speaks to each other. It’s like coming to the wilderness to seek solace and finding tons of people there. Your chooses? go home or pretend all those people aren’t there. Everyone is friendly but it’s like being in NYC no eye contact and as little interaction as possible. It must be insane during high season. Overall impression is that the park is designed for folks to stay in one of the big resorts and take the tour bus to all “the spots” then go home. Very little focus on individual exploration. Even now the parking lots around the park are crowded- you mush have to wait hours to park during the high season.
It is truly a magical place, though, and a good learning experience for me. I do wonder if I am limiting myself with the exclusive use of the wide lens but it is part of the trip and I ain’t gonna change now. It forces me to keep getting closer and closer to what I am photographing and to understand the relationship of thing. It’s interesting to try and do intimate work with a wide lens.
Hopefully the clouds will clear and my bright blue sky is on the horizon.
Henry Waiting
Buffalo Car
Buffalo Walking in Line
Buffalo in snow by Car
Driving in Snow
Driving in Snow 2
Image 1
dmk shooting Lake Yellowstone
dmk shooting trees
Elk
Excelsior Gesyer
Heather at Excelsior Gesyer
Image 1
Image 2
Image 4 (there is no Image 3)
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7
Image 8
Image 9
Image 10
Image 11
Image 12
Sunset Yellowstone
