As one of the most spectacular canyon systems on the Colorado Plateau, the Escalante River and its tributaries have carved an intricate network of deep, narrow, well-watered canyons into the bedrock of the Colorado Plateau across an area encompassing nearly 2,000 square miles. This extensive canyon system forms the centerpiece of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Jim has spent more time exploring and photographing this region than anywhere else on the Colorado Plateau. He has walked the entire length of the Escalante River from its headwaters on the Aquarius plateau to where it enters Lake Powell nearly 100 river miles to the south. He has explored and photographed hundreds of miles of the Escalante's spectacular side canyons. For this workshop, he has chosen some of his favorite photography locations in the canyons which form the headwaters of the Escalante River surrounding the village of Boulder, Utah. Situated at 6,600' on the southern slopes of the 11,000-foot-high Aquarius Plateau, Boulder is arguably the most picturesque small town in Utah and serves as an ideal base for exploring this fabulous region. Surrounded by cottonwood trees and situated on a small pond in the center of town, we'll base out of the renowned Boulder Mountain Lodge with its very comfortable accommodations. We'll indulge in the dining experience at Hells Backbone Grill; one of southern Utah's finest restaurants. During this workshop, we'll rise early to capture first light from breathtaking vantage points from the edge of the Aquarius Plateau to the serrated sandstone ramparts of the Waterpocket Fold. After returning to the lodge for breakfast, we'll head out again to explore deep, narrow, well-watered canyons lined with cottonwood trees beneath towering walls of Navajo sandstone. This is also the time of year when the cottownood trees usually begin to take on their brilliant autumn hues. As we spend our days exploring this remarkable landscape, Jim will also offer insight into one of his other great passions; the geologic history of this spectacular region.

 

WORKSHOP FEE: $750.00 - Lodging, meals and transportation to and from Boulder not included. 

Register now with a $200.00 deposit. Register before July 19, 2012 and receive a 5% discount on the full workshop fee.

We will charge your card for the balance 30 days prior to the workshop. (See cancellation policy below.)

(Note: When you register, choose the option "Ship to this Address" in the Billing Information section and then in the next window, choose the option "Workshop - No Shipping Fee".)

 

WORKSHOP DETAILS
Dates: October 19-22, 2012

Based in: Boulder, Utah

Maximum # participants: 8

Photography Skill Level: All levels - Novice to semi-pro - Jim will work with each participant based on his/her individual needs. Each participant should be familiar and comfortable with the functions and operations of his/her camera equipment.

Lodging: Each participant is responsible for booking his/her room in Boulder. We'll use Boulder Mountain Lodge as our base in the beautiful village of Boulder, Utah. Rooms start at $130.00. * IMPORTANT * The town of Boulder is very small and has an extremely limited number of rooms. In order to guarantee a place to stay, we strongly recommend reserving your room the moment you register for this workshop. Other places to stay in Boulder: Pole's Place (in town) and Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch (15 minutes - 6 miles - outside town). Located on the grounds of Boulder Mountain Lodge, we'll eat our meals at the renowned Hell's Backbone Grill

Physical Difficulty - Moderate: This workshop will include one three-mile round-trip hike and one five-mile round-trip hike. The three-mile hike will be along a relatively level canyon bottom with minimal elevation change. The five-mile hike will involve an elevation gain of around 500 feet along an established trail. Many of our photo set-ups will involve short strolls from our vehicles to our vantage points. Some hikes with be along established trails while others may use routes over uneven terrain; slickrock, etc. For additional details, see the schedule below.

Upon registration, participant will receive a detailed clothing and gear list and other pertinent information.

 

 

 WORKSHOP ITINERARY

Friday October 19, 2012
6:00pm – Meet at Boulder Mountain Lodge in the town of Boulder, Utah.
6:30pm - Dinner and orientation.

Saturday  October 20
6:30am – Depart lodge for a 30-minute drive to capture first light as it illuminates the colorful ramparts of the Circle Cliffs. These high sandstone cliffs resemble a fortress along the northeast headwaters of the Escalante River. Our vantage point looks out across a vast landscape with the jagged crest of the Waterpocket Fold and the 11,000-foot summits of the Henry Mountains to the east and the canyons of the Escalante stretching away to the south. Roadside setup; no hiking required.
9:00 - Breakfast in Boulder
10:00 – Depart Boulder to explore a beautiful canyon at the headwaters of the Escalante River with towering sandstone walls and thick groves of cottonwood trees along a small stream. If we’re lucky with our timing, the cottonwoods usually take on brilliant yellow autumn hues at this time. Once we are deep in the canyon, we’ll find a comfortable spot to relax for a while so Jim can discuss some of the important techniques we will be using over the next 3 days. This will involve an easy-moderate 3-mile round-trip walk on a relatively level sandy trail along the floor of the canyon.
2:00 – We’ll visit another canyon known as Monk’s Alcove. We once encountered a group of Tibetan Buddhist monks in long flowing robes taking advantage of the acoustics here as they chanted (yes, we were surprised too). This canyon is a narrow defile cut into the Navajo Sandstone which opens up at the bottom to form a beautiful glowing chamber. This involves a short stroll from our vehicles.
4:00 – Arrive back at our lodge in Boulder to regroup before our sunset photo session.
5:00 - Depart lodge for a short drive to our sunset photo location along the Burr Trail. The Burr Trail is one of Utah’s most scenic backcountry roads. It slices through a maze of cross-bedded Navajo sandstone domes and formations and provides easy access to countless photographic opportunities. We’ll photograph last light as it illuminates one of these cross-bedded domes with warm low-angle light. This will involve an easy walk from our vehicles. 
7:30 - Dinner in Boulder

Sunday October 21
6:15am – Depart Boulder for a 45-minute drive followed by a short 10-minute hike to our sunrise photo location at a stunning vantage point perched high atop aptly-named Hell’s Backbone on the shoulder of the 11,000 foot-high Aquarius Plateau. We’ll capture the first rays of sunlight as they illuminate high cliffs of Navajo Sandstone along the upper reaches of Death Hollow canyon.
9:30 – Breakfast in Boulder.
11:00 – Depart Boulder to spend our day exploring the deep well-watered canyons at the headwaters of the Escalante River. If the autumn colors have begun to change, we will explore the main Escalante River canyon beneath a canopy of yellow cottonwood trees enclosed by lofty sandstone walls. If the colors have not changed yet, we will have the option of hiking along a well-maintained trail to Calf Creek Falls, one of the most impressive waterfalls on the Colorado Plateau. This beautiful waterfall plunges 150 feet from the lip of a narrow canyon while its spray nourishes a kaleidoscope-colored garden of plants which grows on the water-sculpted walls surrounding it. We'll spend about two hours photographing the waterfall before beginning our hike back to the trailhead. This hike entails approximately 500 feet of total elevation change with a round-trip distance of 5.5 miles.
4:30 – Arrive back in Boulder to regroup for our evening photo session.
5:15 – Depart lodge for a short drive to our sunset photo location on the rim of a mesa near town. A moderate 1/3 mile hike with an elevation gain of 225 feet across slickrock will take us to the base of a sculpted sandstone pinnacle on the rim of the mesa which glows with last light this time of year.
7:30 – Dinner in Boulder.

Monday October 22
6:00am – Depart Boulder for a one-hour drive to our sunrise photo location where we’ll capture first light from an overlook at the crest of the Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Park. This overlook provides a breathtaking view of one of the most remarkable geological formations on earth. We’ll need high-clearance 4WD vehicles for the last 2.5 miles of the drive. Hiking to the overlook will involve an easy 1/2 mile walk along an established trail with 150 feet of elevation gain.
9:30 – We’ll arrive back at our vehicles and proceed to the spectacular road down Burr Canyon. A series of well-graded switchbacks slice through the jagged spine of the Waterpocket Fold here and will deposit us at its base where we’ll photograph this remarkable formation and explore one or two easy-to-access slot canyons.
2:00 – Begin our drive back to Boulder.
3:00 – Arrive back in Boulder.
5:00 – Depart lodge for a short drive to our sunset photo location from the top of a Navajo sandstone mesa near town. This mesa is carved into a myriad of cross-bedded stripes and beautiful patterns which will be accentuated by the low-angle light at sunset. This will involve a short, steep hike to the top of the mesa with an elevation gain of 200 feet. 
7:30 – Dinner in Boulder.

 

 

 

OUR CANCELLATION POLICY
When you register more than 30 days prior to a workshop, we will charge your credit card for the deposit only. We will then charge your card for the remaining balance 30 days before the workshop begins. If you cancel more than 60 days prior to the workshop we will refund 75% of your deposit. If you cancel within 30-60 days of the workshop, we will refund 50% of your deposit. If you cancel within 30 days of the workshop, and we can fill your spot, we will refund 90% of the full workshop fee. If we cannot fill your spot, we will refund 70% of the full workshop fee.

TRIP INSURANCE
In the event of a medical, family, or other emergency, we strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance. For these same reasons, we may also need to cancel a workshop on short notice. If we cancel, we will refund 100% of all monies collected from you.