The Gunnison River Gorge in Colorado
The Famous ‘Baby Grand’ Gunnison River
May 18-21, 2018 (Friday Evening – Monday)
$1,395 per person
Join Colorado’s premier landscape photographer, John Fielder, on this exciting Gunnison Gorge 14-mile wilderness rafting journey, below Black Canyon National Park in western Colorado. It promises spectacular canyon scenery with unlimited photographic opportunities both rafting on the river and climbing to the top of mesas. Day hikes in pleasant temperatures afford opportunities to photograph desert wildflowers and cactus along with views of the river from above. A true John Fielder experience, you’ll be out of touch with the rest of the world, focusing on the beauty of nature and the rhythm of river life for three idyllic days.
Be prepared for a one-mile hike down the Chukar Trail that brings you to the river and the narrow canyon carved through the polished Proterozoic schist and gneiss formations. Meet your guides, board your raft and experience mild rapids punctuating crystal clear pools on your first day of this secluded retreat. An isolated camp on the first night provides a peaceful refuge to enjoy a surprisingly sumptuous dinner before a session of photography in the evening light. The next day, the canyon combines narrow passages with exciting pool-drop rapids and, depending on the water level, Class III rapids demand either intricate maneuvering or a wild dash through boat swamping holes and waves. Again, we’ll set up camp, enjoy dinner and photograph in the evening light. After a rush of whitewater on the last day, the Hall of the River King envelops us in a mystical silence prior to the canyon walls receding to rolling sage hills. A lunch stop at Smith Fork provides a fun opportunity to explore the waterfalls and drop pools of a side canyon. The trip concludes at the confluence with the North Fork of the Gunnison River at a campground called Pleasure Park.
This Workshop offers a well-rounded and highly resourceful educational experience, appropriate for any level of outdoor photographer and nature lover, but especially for beginners and intermediates. No participant should feel that he or she is not qualified to attend. Limited enrollment of 7 participants gives everyone quality time with John Fielder and ensures that each person gets the specific instruction needed based on their individual level of experience. Personalized field instruction addresses the photographer’s needs related to both understanding camera functions and techniques of composition. A pre-trip slide show gives participants a basic orientation and addresses individual needs and skill levels.
The photographer with an interest in fly fishing will enjoy one of Colorado’s finest Gold Medal fisheries dominated by Rainbow and Brown trout. Combining these activities will pack your day with action from dawn till dark.
All meals are included.
The trip is coordinated by Dvorak Expeditions, one of Colorado’s finest river outfitters.
