Rebecca Wilks

Rebecca Wilks; Photographer, Teacher, Yarnellian, Do-Gooder

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Getting Over It

 

Getting over the cold, paddling on Alamo Lake in February

Travelers know that, if a trip is long enough, there will be those moments.  You’re tired and things aren’t going your way.  If we’ve been around long enough, we recognize the situation, take a deep breath, and know that it will pass.  If we can, we get away by ourselves or settle down with loved ones and refrain from addressing anything important until it passes.  Some find that alcohol or sugar helps.

 

Windstorm at Ibex Dunes, Death Valley National Park

The first examples that pop into my head are all about wind, whipping the camper around so I can’t sleep and sucking my stuff out the door as I try to get the pop-top down.  The van is so much more stable than the Four-Wheel Camper (“Lurch”) that was our previous vehicle, but winds to over 40 MPH will take the fun out of most camping trips.  Most of that has been in the Mojave Desert, where there’s no escape (joy), but there were a couple of monsoon storms at viewpoints on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim when I packed up at 2:00 AM and headed into the forest.  Trees are a big help if you can find them.  Parking nose into the wind is a good plan, too, if you can manage it and the wind direction is more or less constant.

 

The morning after from my haven in the Mojave National Preserve

This last Mojave trip had relatively tame winds at around 35 MPH, but I was already grumpy about the cold and getting tossed around on the highway when I pulled over for fuel in Pahrump, NV (so very much cheaper than CA).  I managed to choose the wrong pump and before I knew it there was fuel spraying out around the nozzle.  This messed with my attitude.  I was too grumpy and tired to drive home for 5 hours, so I headed for the northern part of the Mojave National Preserve, tucked into the downwind side of an abandoned corral, and popped a beer.  Voila, Attitude adjustment.

 

Kofa

Then there was the time at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge when my last dog, the perpetually grumpy one, backed into a cholla and came up covered with cactus balls.  She let me take exactly two off and lost what few manners she had.  We drove the three hours home and our local veterinarian put her under anesthesia for the win.  We both had better attitudes then.

 

Yankee Fork Salmon River.  The hot place.

Last August’s epic circle included some sublime time in Idaho.  We’ll be back. One issue with summer, even at altitude, is that sometimes we can’t escape the heat.  We don’t have A/C. The biting flies were relentless and DEET was useless, so shade was not the answer.  That was a long day in the black van.  There was nothing for it except to wait out a very long day.

 

Not my favorite camping moment.  Death Valley.


Long-time readers may recall that Lurch had an electrical issue.  Eventually I traced it to a fuse and had lots of spares around for replacement before the battery charged down completely.  The first time, before figuring it out, I was in Death Valley.  Long story, but the rig stayed at the Toyota Dealership in Las Vegas (a warranty tow, thank goodness) and I went home. 

 

Gypsy warming up after a night without heat, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah

Sometimes I think that eventually everything will shake loose in a rolling house.  I’ve had lots of minor mechanical issues like a (sink) water pump failure, heat failure, mobile phone booster failure, and a still mysterious blown-out rear window.  These were not my best days and come to think of it they always seem to happen when my mechanically inclined husband stayed home.  But I’m not superstitious.

 

I’m sure there will be more since that’s the nature of travel.  The trick is getting over it.

 

Best of luck to you in your adventures and failing that I wish you a prompt attitude adjustment.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

150 Days in Guatemala

 This article was originally written for the Southern California Sierra Club Camera Club's publication, "Focal Points,"  but did not appear there in this form.


El Arco Reflected, Antigua Guatemala
 

I wonder how much time I need to devote to an international destination to make me credible enough to write an article like this. I’ve been hesitant for some locations, but after a dozen or so trips to Guatemala for a total of about 150 days, I have some images to share and a few things to say.

This all started when my husband and I got sparked about an exemplary NGO called Cooperative for Education.  We’ve volunteered with them, been tourists, and spent time in language immersion school. In 2019 I enjoyed a photography-based trip as an exchange sponsored by the nonprofit Through Each Other’s Eyes.  TEOE promotes cultural understanding through photography.  I was hosted with another TEOE Associate there, and we arranged a whirlwind tour with them in Arizona. 

 

A Local, Santa Catarina Palopo, Guatemala

I don’t do much street photography at home.  When I travel internationally, though, I appreciate the opportunity to convey something of the culture.  I love this woman’s traje (traditional dress) and the rooster, which is certainly not a pet.  We also had a brief lovely connection, which is one of the best  parts of travel for me.  My Spanish is passable, but she only spoke the local Mayan language, Kaqchikel.  We gestured and laughed.

 

Pig Vendor, Tecpan Guatemala

Chichicastenango boasts a famous Guatemala street market, but I love the market in Tecpan because we saw no tourists there, and the vendors are not yet fed up with us.  Generally, they’re happy to be photographed.  I love this image despite its technical flaws.  This woman was stopping people, hoping to sell the piglets.

 

Volcan Fuego, Guatemala

Of course, there are landscape opportunities.  We sat with a guide in a nature preserve along the flanks of Volcan Fuego, which famously had a large deadly eruption in 2018, and continues to have frequent small ones.  We were about to give up when I had the chance to get just this one 25 second exposure.

 

Net Fishing Lake Atitlan at Dawn, Guatemala

Some of the most beautiful destinations in Guatemala are in the shadow of volcanos, including Lake Atitlan.  German explorer Alexander Von Humboldt famously called it “the most beautiful lake in the world.” This predawn image from 2009 was my first published in a national magazine, Budget Travel.


View of Antigua Guatemala and Volcan Agua From Cerro de la Cruz

The city of Antigua is also graced by volcanoes.  The territorial capital boasts ruins from the 1500s, cobblestone streets more suited to photography than tuk-tuk rides, color, shopping, and dining.  I love to walk Antigua early in the morning, when the locals are going to work and school, and other tourists are still asleep. This image was made from Cerro de la Cruz high above the city.


Door Knocker Details, Antigua Guatemala
 

Fascinating details are everywhere, begging to be photographed.


Tikal, Guatemala

Even further back in history, Before Cortez made his mark, Mayan empires were built.  My favorite cultural site is the famous Tikal, tucked in the rainforest.  If you’re a geek, you might recognize it as the rebel base on Yavin 4 in Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope.


Students in Patzun Guatemala
 

We’ve been to scores of tiny pueblos, delivering supplies to schools.  I feel privileged to have been welcomed to these places, danced and played with the kids, and of course photographed. The whole town shows up, and we have the advantage of being trusted, honored guests.  Nearly everyone, including the elders, is happy to be photographed and enjoy seeing the results on the back of my camera.


Kite Festival, Sumpango Guatemala

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some celebrations, including the well-known processions and colorful handmade sawdust alfombras (carpets) made in the streets. My favorite is the Kite festival in Sumpango, which marks Todos Santos in early November.


Flor with Marco and me 2023
 

Finally, the relationships.  We’ve watched lots of young people grow up.  We especially treasure the chance to keep in touch with Flor, our first scholarship student.  We met her when she was 12.  Now she’s 27 and raising an infant daughter.  She supports the rest of her family and is saving to study engineering in College.

All those return trips to Guatemala might be evidence of a lack of imagination or perhaps I just want to know the country deeply. In any case, I’m sure we’ll be back.

There is, of course, much more in the Guatemala Gallery on my website.









Tuesday, February 13, 2024

No Dog

Rare snow in the Mojave National Preserve

This was supposed to be a trip with a friend, but he was worried about the weather and cancelled. It was probably a wise decision since he would have had the longer more treacherous drive.  Death Valley, and National Parks in general, are not the best places to take an active dog.  As long as I had this dog-free trip planned, I decided to take this opportunity and shoot some dog-unfriendly locations I’d had on my list.  I got away with juggling the timing to travel between storm pulses and woke up to snow on the Joshua trees in the Mojave National Preserve the second day.  This seemed an auspicious start to the journey.


Feast or famine; water on highway 127, California

Driving up highway 127, I could see the damage from a rough season of rain everywhere.  I followed a pilot car through this flood, otherwise I would have lost my nerve.  Even the road into Texas Spring Campground in Death Valley was essentially four-wheel drive terrain.  Heavy equipment operators in the park will be busy for a long time. 

 Lots of my planned locations were not accessible.  There were roads that had been closed for a long time like Scotty’s Castle and Titus Canyon, and a long list of newer closures; Dante’s View, West Side Road, Devil’s Golf Course, 20 Mule Team Road, Artist’s Drive, and Salt Creek, as well as most of the back country. Lots of projects on my mental list have been bumped to next season. 

Cloud Reflections at Badwater Basin, California

Propper style on the mud flats, Badwater Basin California

The flooding of Badwater Basin, the occasional recurrence of historic Lake Manly, was impressive.  I made three visits with conditions ranging from flat calm to wind-driven white caps, sloshing around in the saturated saltwater in my flowered muck boots.  I heard lots of comments about them.  With so many places closed, it was a bit of a struggle to avoid including the crowds in my shots, even at sunrise. People were concentrated in the few populare places that were open.  I avoided Zabriskie Point and Mesquite Dunes, largely for that reason. 

Travertine and flames, Titan Narrows, Death Valley California

I enjoyed hiking into a few canyons.  Years had passed since I explored the travertine details of Titus Narrows.  One benefit of this road closure is the chance to walk up the passage, which is so washed out that it’s not recognizable as a road, without the need to dodge vehicles.  Desolation Canyon was new to me, a lovely hike and sort of consolation prize for the closure of Artist’s Drive since some of its wild geology is visible there too.  I loved being the only hiker in this lesser-known canyon. 


On the last day I made a swing through Rhyolite Ghost Town near Beatty Nevada.  I’d been curious about this place for years and might have spent more time there if I wasn’t so uncomfortable in the cold, strong wind.  The most captivating thing about that detour was the Goldwell Open Air Museum, with the famous Last supper sculpture and this “Keep Going” shadow sculpture by Michelle Graves .  That was a message I needed that day for sure, with the wind blowing me around on the highway and especially when a fuel pump malfunctioned in Pahrump and spewed diesel all over me and the van.  Every trip has its moments. 

Sunrise, Mojave National Preserve California

I didn’t want to drive all the way home in that wind and with that attitude, so I landed among the joshua trees, back in the Mojave National Preserve refueling psychologically and getting a little work done while the winter sun streamed into the van.

Golden light in Golden Canyon, Death Valley California

I'd come full circle with weather, light, and water where it usually isn’t.  I would have called it a near- perfect short trip, had I been able to bring the dog.

More images are in the Winter Gallery on the website.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Fortuitous Atmospheric Phenomena

Birds repositioning for a hazy sunrise, Peeples Valley Arizona

Storms bring good stuff, which creates an excellent excuse to catch you up what I've been doing, photographically.


Google Images, East side of the White Tanks Mountains, 1990 and 2023

Ready for some quiet time after December's usual excesses, I headed for the desert January 3.  I had two nights reserved at White Tanks Regional Park, which was a quiet little second home in the 1990s.  With the stunning encroachment of subdivisions, it has become a bit of a zoo.  

Moon behind gathering storm clouds, White Tank Mountains Arizona

That first night, while enjoying a beer and Trader Joe's Chicken Tika Masala (on my top 10 camping meal list,) I got philosophical.  This place has always been a bit challenging to shoot, and with the addition of loud crowds, I decided to bail.  My thinking was that the campsite was paid for whether I used it or not, and I could be happier for the same price in a favorite free site ("dispersed" in forest ranger lingo).  

There are spots in the Harquahala Mountains which remain quiet and still feel like a second home.  Granted I go on weekdays, but I've never seen another soul camping there.

Rainbow at last light, Harquahala Mountains Arizona

The afternoon was rainy, and I didn't expect any light until the morning.  I was in my jammies (embarrassingly early, I admit) listening to Guy Tal's webinar about (of all things) living an authentic life.  I looked up and saw this,

Purple sunset, Harquahala Mountains Arizona

and this.  I ran out into the rain in my cotton PJs and joyfully got wet shooting and laughing my head off while yelling happy profanity.  Alone has its advantages.

Foggy Tree Tunnel, Peeples Valley Arizona

It snowed here at home mid-month, but I confess there are no snow images good enough to share.  Then we had a warm spell and the El Nino moisture fell as rain.  The next morning there was fog.  Every good Arizona photographer I know loves fog.  I was on my way to photograph some bridges north of Prescott (more on that project later) and was stunned into hanging out in Peeples Valley, 3 miles from home, for over an hour.

Fogbow, Peeples Valley Arizona

Between the horses and the tree tunnel at Hidden Springs Ranch and the fogbow across the highway, it was time well spent.

Little Hell Canyon Arizona

Once all this burned off, I headed up the road to start a project on historic Arizona bridges. This one spans Little Hell Canyon near Drake.  I'll write more about this work soon.

As always, there's more in the Winter 23-24 Gallery on the website.




Thursday, December 28, 2023

Monthly Favorites 2023

Here I am again, inviting you along on a little trip down gratitude lane.  I enjoy this yearly exercise and I hope you will too.

Roping at D Spur Ranch Arizona

January

Lisa Langell offers a delightful workshop she calls “Magic of Cowboys” at a ranch east of Phoenix. Our group did everything from portraiture to capturing gunshots to exciting action.  This was my favorite, though I’m pretty sure the longhorn would disagree. This image will be part of a show called “Double Takes” at the Wickenburg Art Center.  It will be displayed next to a painting inspired by it.  I can’t wait to see it!

Guatemalan Friend
February

Guatemala is an exemplary place for street photography, and this shot in Santa Catarina Palopo is my favorite so far.  Not only was she happy to be photographed, but she was wearing her colorful traje, standing in front of a great background and (lest we forget) holding a rooster. This was one of those moments of connection that make international travel so special.

Globe Mallow, Sonoran Desert National Monument Arizona
 
Spring Bouquet, near Tonto National Forest Arizona

March

I don’t know how to define the popular term “superbloom,” but I will say that last spring was a doozie.  I couldn’t decide between these two.  The first is globe mallow overtaking a cactus skeleton in Sonoran Desert National Monument.  I’d never been there before, which made the visit that much more delightful.

The second was a friend’s neighborhood. We spent the day together, chasing flowers in the Tonto National Forest East of Phoenix and the best shots were here, literally in the median of highway 87.  I love the color and the context that the mountains provide, and that you can’t tell it’s a highway median.

Spring Cottonwoods in the Hassayampa River Arizona
April

The drone has literally given me new perspectives, especially on familiar places close to home.  The cottonwood trees in the Hassayampa River are exuberant in the spring.   They tend to look a bit ratty close-up but from a distance like this, they’re the heart of the Spring season.  I’m also a sucker for historic bridges like this one on Wagoner Road. This shot has made me think about a bigger photo project along those lines.

Top-down view of Watson Lake Prescott Arizona
May

Abstract, aerial, directional light, dramatic, and from a top-down perspective.  Delicious.

Golspie Burn Scotland

East Clear Creek Arizona
June

June was a big month, so I’m going to allow myself two; one domestic and one international.

We’d been planning and re-planning a trip to Scotland through the COVID years.  Finally, we got there and there are so many images of stone structures, waterfalls, seascapes, and highland cows that making a choice is impossible.  Today, my favorite is this lovely waterfall at Golspie Burn, but tomorrow it might be the 3:30 AM sunrise on Skye

The Arizona shot is a drone perspective on one of my favorite spots, the Kinder Crossing area on East Clear Creek.  That’s Marco casting in lovely light.

Fish Lake National Forest Utah
July

Especially this year, I’ve been discovering beautiful places through Marco’s fishing.  Our time in this lovely area in the Fish Lake National Forest in Utah started out as an escape from the 100 + degree temperatures at lower altitudes.  At 10,000 ft it was a joy.  300 feet above that, from the drone, this just got better.  The light green trees are aspens, and they were a thing to behold when we returned in the autumn.

Sunrise on the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho
August

Two weeks seemed like long enough to circle up through Montana and back, but that’s a lot of driving.  I suppose we’ll have to keep trying the timing until we get it right.  Two weeks of photography also makes for some tough choices, but here’s my selection and I’m sticking to it.  This little tributary of the Salmon River in Idaho is called Fourth of July Creek (who could resist?) and the mountains sporting morning glow are the Sawtooths.

Lake Stream Gorge, Fish Lake National Forest Utah
September

This one gives me that ‘full heart” feeling, even though it’s not technically perfect.  We’re back in that same part of the Fish Lake National Forest as the July shot.  I loved this angle on the spectacular gorge enough to come back and shoot it again the next day.  I love the backlight and color.

Caddo Lake Texas
October

Caddo Lake Redux.  This was my second go with the girls, and I had a ton of ideas about what to do differently.  Some worked, some fell victim to the overcast but not foggy weather, and then there was the unexpected.  This pond was free of the surface gunk we saw in the more popular places, and delicate and diminutive floating heart flowers against the reflections were winners.

Maple leaves under ice, Zion National Park Utah
November

Zion, like many National Parks, is not so dog-friendly.  Marco had never seen it, though, so we made a little detour on the way back from Gold Butte and took a short hike on Checkerboard Mesa.  This little scene captivated me.  It still does.

Afton Canyon California
December

When I fly the drone over places I’ve not seen from the ground, I’m sometimes surprised.  There’s a lot going on here in Afton Canyon (Mojave Trails National Monument); railroad tracks and bridge, geology, topography (I love that s-curve canyon), and the Mojave River and Road.  Desert at its best.

 

Thanks for riding along this year, and here’s wishing you the best in 2024.


Monday, December 25, 2023

500 Nights

Almost alone in Afton Canyon Campground CA

You know how sometimes, when you buy things, you worry that they’ll just sit around and gather dust and you’ll feel guilty about the expense?

Not this time.  Now traveling in our second camper vehicle over 10 years, together or separately we’ve spent 500 nights out seeking adventure.  Sometimes we found it.

In the last 100, there have been 39 brand new spots, and 67 boondocking (outside campgrounds).  Campgrounds have their charms, but solitude wins. Marco is almost retired, so I’m not alone as much (12 nights) as I was in the early years and he’s been out fishing on his own for 8, sometimes with Gypsy.  She’s learning to be a fishing dog and even got used to a boat.

Idaho Summer

We had some two-week trips, long for us.  Each of these was a highlight, north for a circle through Montana and closer to home for fall color in 2022 and 2023.

Frosty Fall Morning in the Kaibab National Forest

There were 12 nights in the North Kaibab (North Rim Grand Canyon) Forest, the most in one place. 

Cowboy silhouette, D Spur Ranch Arizona

We’re grateful for the opportunity to “driveway camp” when visiting friends or conducting business in places like Red Lodge Montana and Santa Fe. Camping at the D Spur Ranch near Phoenix for a cowboy photo workshop was another driveway highlight.

Yankee Fork Salmon River Idaho

The toughest place (and longest day), though photogenic, was on the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho.  It was too hot to move and too buggy to hide in the shade.

Moonset over the Circle Cliffs Utah

There were a bunch of “I always wanted to camp there” spots, Like Circle Cliffs in Grand Staircase Escalate National Monument Utah, Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada, and Afton Canyon in the Mojave.

Fish Lake National Forest Utah

My favorite angler, White Mountains Arizona

A corollary to that is “We’ve gotta go back” places like the East Fork of the Bear River in Utah, the  Black River system in the White Mountains of Arizona, and perennial favorites like Kinder Crossing and Fish Lake National Forest.

In the autumn trees, Kaibab National Forest

Our Sprinter meets our needs well, but it has also dealt us some frustration, including a malfunctioning heater, seemingly infinite electrical gremlins, spontaneously broken window, wash water pump failure, free-flying solar panels on the highway, and several recalls.  The scrapes and bumps we accept as patina.


All the best to you, readers, for the holidays and new year.