During John Muir‘s time, artists, writers, and scientists went into the back country, into the wilderness. When they returned, they shared their findings and feelings with the public. “Artists in the Back Country”, a program of the Sequoia Park Foundations, has the goal to replicate that in today’s world.
In 2008, I was invited to be one of seven artists to spend 9 days in the Sierra Nevada wilderness with this amazing group. The 2008 group included Hugo award winner Kim Stanley Robinson and National Geographic photographer, David Liittschwager. I was excited, to say the least.
Arriving at the Cottonwood Backpack Station, we watched the packers pack hundreds of pounds on the 15 mules.
I was one of five to ride on a horse to our campsite of over 10,000 feet.
My horse Dennis was big and sure-footed. Thank goodness. We rode over lots of rocky trails. I adored Dennis!
When I visit schools, one of the workshops available is “Artists in the Backyard”. Using photos from my Sierra Nevada trip and others, I lead students into creating stories from the images. Here are a few of those amazing images from high in the Sierra.
Earth's Voices 