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Owyhee Canyonlands
There is a place that I know, a place where the heart of the world beats at a different pace. A place where beauty and savagery co-exist in a dance that has existed throughout the ages. A place where mystery is paramount, WILD is expressed in raw form, and man is seldom a witness to the unfolding. The energy here moves at a different frequency and natural processes continue mostly unencumbered by man. Amongst the rattlesnakes, willows, and canyon walls is this place, The Owyhee
A view from the canyon rim looking down on our camp and kayaks (lower right). The size of this place and the energy are something of magic.
What is the Owyhee? The Owyhee is an ecoregion that extends between southeastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho, and northern Nevada. This high desert ecosystem is famous for its plentiful sagebrush, sweltering summers, and breathtaking views. It’s home to a number of unique species in critical condition, such as the sage-grouse and the pygmy rabbit. The Owyhee provides not only varied recreation opportunities—hiking, camping, and rafting, just to name a few—but it also hosts the Owyhee Watershed, the main source of water for the Treasure Valley that irrigates about 1,800 farms and 118,000 irrigated acres in eastern Oregon and part of southwestern Idaho. The Owyhee is the last great expanse of land in the western United States of America that remains largely untouched. Much of the Owyhee is quite remote, lacking cell service and paved roads. Natural conditions prevail out here, and if you’re not prepared for them, the great Owyhee can chew you up and spit you out. It’s certainly a challenge, but it’s more than worthwhile. The views and the pure connection with nature that you access out here in the Owyhee are unparalleled. Friends of the Owyhee acknowledges that Indigenous peoples and Nations—including the Shoshone-Bannock people and the Numu (Northern Paiute) people—have stewarded through generations the lands and waterways of what is now designated as the Owyhee. We honor and respect the enduring relationship that exists between these peoples and nations and this land. What is the Owyhee copied from Friends of the Owyhee web page. www.friendsoftheowyhee.org
A whisper from the ancient one. One December morning as I stand viewing my favorite place in all the world I notice a fog bank rolling across the desert. As it dropped into the canyon it became dark and mystery was the theme. Through the shroud of clouds lay the beacon of wisdom I had come here to find; a whisper from the ancient one.
A place so meaningful to me I hesitate to mention it by name. This stately canyon form contains magic from the past and a spiritual center for those lucky enough to visit it.
The vastness of the Owyhee is one of the things I cherish most about it. It has often been called the big quiet. This image was taken in the Oregon Owyhee. Here, I spent several days with friends as we explored ancient collapsed calderas, petroglyphs left by the true children of these lands, and the vastness of the sagebrush sea. I often sat and listened to the sound of silence offered here.
"A Whisper & Contentment" As my dog Shadow and I photograph the rolling landscape from our camp I try and pay attention to my mental and physical state. I want to see if I can make a record of how I change when the transformation from day to night begins. This desert in which I stand, is indeed within me. What was a drab February desert becomes transformed as mother Earth pulls a warm pastel blanket over this corner of herself. In the distance, a coyote rejoices and many others join the chorus. From the nearby cliffs, the hoot of an owl harmoniously flows through the air. I study the unfolding scene scanning for visual elements which will bring striking evidence to the existence of this enduring moment. The interplay of light and form is what I've trained my eye and soul to see, witness, and record. From this point overlooking a landscape shaped by time, I am relaxed and free, if only for a time, from the chains of man. The dedicated years of photography study have helped me see and capture the unfolding beauty, but it is being here, accepting the blanket which feeds my soul with contentment and overwhelming joy. My house has walls and a roof but my home stretches to the horizon and its sky extends to the heavens!
Each spring a group of my closest friends embark on a week long kayak trip down some stretch of the Owyhee Rivers or tributaries. This particular image was taken of our camp above a section of the East Fork of the Owyhee. While my friends rejoiced around a campfire reliving the days events I climb high above to try and capture a unique perspective of our journey.
A thunderstorm over the Honeycombs, Owyhee Canyonlands
Lessons from the Old Man I depart our camp along a windy section of the South Fork of the Owyhee River hoping to climb out of the canyon to find a nice view of the winding river in order to make a pleasing photograph. Once on the canyon rim I find it difficult to line up a long section of the river because of its winding nature. I take this shot and then sit to ponder, as I often do. Within a meditative state, I hear the murmur of the river below as it winds along its path. I say to the river, "What lesson can you teach me, old man." I sit for a long spell when suddenly I hear a whisper. "Only with perseverance can you carve canyon walls from solid rock. Resistance is the price of change, but with grit, you can shape obstacles into cathedrals. Don't fight against the current, or you will be lost; instead, flow with the current and use its energy to shape a divine path to the ocean of your dreams. When obstacles block your journey create an alternate course around it; there are no straight lines. Finally, give gratitude along your way and you'll receive great energy from all you pass." I bowed my head and thanked Old Man River for his infinite wisdom. South Fork Owyhee River, Nevada
Our camp along the South Fork of the Owyhee River, Idaho. We spent a couple of days here because it was so beautiful and full of energy. I've been dreaming of getting back there ever since we left.