Where | The High Camps | Who for | The Schedule | The Cost |
Yosemite High Country
Backpack Expedition and Workshop 2009
An adventure of a lifetime!
Celebrate the 4th of July in the Yosemite high country!
One place still open!.... Registration closes June 1st!
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| May Lake at sunrise as photographed just a few yards from the high camp! |
Tuolumne Meadows / May Lake/ Glen Aulin and everything on the trail between!
Waterwheel falls!
3 Yosemite High Sierra Camps!
4th of July week!
A 5-Day Landscape Photography backpack expedition and Workshop.
July 4 - 8, 2009
Conducted by Steve Kossack
Limited to only 3 participants!
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| Morning along the Tuolumne River |
This is a once in a lifetime, small group experience! Here is your opportunity to see and photograph the Yosemite back country while backpacking without camping and food gear. Spend your summer holiday making a lifetime worth of memories and photographs. All levels of photographic experiece welcome ...from point & shoot to advanced DSLR as well as film shooters of any format!
About the Expedition and Workshop
3 High Sierra Camps!
F-8 And Be There Workshops and Steve Kossack Photographing The Great American Landscape presents a limited mini-workshop and backpack expedition in the spectacular and beautiful wonderland that is The Yosemite High Country. A 5 day outing! From Saturday July 4, through Wednesday July 8, 2009 we will be photographing and exploring some of the most beautiful country on earth! This is a unique opportunity to see and explore the high country of Yosemite. We will be staying and photographing at 3 of the high Sierra camps. No need to carry a full pack! This is the best of all worlds. Everything we need for lodging, bedding and food will be provided for us in these high camps, enabling us to carry photo gear instead! We will experience the Yosemite high country as few see it and partake in the photographic rewards as few know them!
This workshop is open to only 3 participants. Register now!
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| The landmarks of Yosemite valley with Half Dome and Clouds Rest on the left, North Dome with the peak of El Capitan just in view on the right horizon. |
Photographer, guide and host of the DVD series Steve Kossack: Photographing the Great American Landscape will lead this workshop. It's size and design will lend itself the flexibility to hike and photograph the available light and color of this exciting area during our 5-day backpack expedition and workshop.
Read the story of a previous expedition and workshop
Where are The High Sierra Camps?
Built by the National Park Service stating in 1916, these camps are placed in the high country some 7 to 10 miles apart making them a days hike from one another and a perfect loop trip. Each has a superb setting beside a lake, river, creek or meadow and is ringed by magnificent mountains and domes.
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| The Cathedral Range | Mt. Conness from above May Lake |
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| Down River from Tuolumne Meadows |
Magic light! From Glen Aulin high Sierra camp White Cascade
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| Waterwheel Falls on the Tuolumne River |
May Lake
Granite and afternoon light in the Sierra Moonrise and alpenglow at dusk
At the geographical center of Yosemite National Park is May Lake. At 9,270 this alpine lake at the foot of Mt. Hoffman is a photographic dream! Sunrise here is a treasure to behold on most summer mornings. The camp here is only a few yards off the lake!
Glen Aulin
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| On the trail | The Tuolumne River heads west to the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne |
Mt. Conness in the distance from Glen Aulin |
Glen Aulin means beautiful Valley ... and it is! Set at the foot of the cascade that descends from Tuolumne Falls, this calm and gentle area is the gateway to The Grand Canyon of The Tuolumne. This small but comfortable camp is set in the pines at the foot of the White Cascade.
Who Is This Trip For?
* It's for photographers and nature lovers of all levels. * It's a photography workshop. It's a 5 day hike that will cover 3 High Sierra camps. It's a chance to experience the high country without the burden of heavy backpacks. * It's a traditional workshop. * It's for you if: * You like hiking and working in the field from sunrise to sunset. * You want to learn about landscape location and light * You want to learn about equipment and strategies used in landscape photography * You like hiking with like-minded people, and making images and new friends!
This Expedition and Workshop
Tuolumne Falls Make no mistake about it, this is a strenuous hike! Although this hike is not as long or as physically challenging as our usual loop adventure, it will still reqire you to be in good shape. It is far easier to learn the photographic skills while there rather than hiking ability needed to enjoy this outing!
We will cover over 25 miles at elevations from just under 8,000 feet to over 9,000 feet in a our 5 days together! You will need to be in fairly good shape, have the desire and stamina to hike the 8 to 10 miles between camps every day. The trails are well maintained and there is no mountaineering skill needed. Previous backpacking experience is not necessary, just the will to do it! This is an excellent introduction to both the high country and backpacking as well as photography. We will be on the trail 7 to 8 hours a day and photographing the sunrises and sunsets form all the camps. Our pace on the trail will be leisurely and will allow for photography and rest breaks. This workshop is small by design. It will allow for ALL levels of photographic experience. There will be no lectures or product endorsements. Personal instruction will be available at all times. The opportunity to photograph and share with the group will always be present.
Weather, Equipment, Etc.
Early July is ideal to photograph all the falls below Glen Aulin high camp. This expedition was designed to take advantage of Waterwheel Fall while peak water flow is still likely. Mild conditions make for great hiking weather also! Storms are always possible and weather and conditions change quickly at this elevation. We must make our destination every day no matter. Each high sierra camp will provide us with everything needed for sleeping and eating. Water is available in all camps along with toilets. Some of the camps have showers. you will be given all needed information on equipment, including photographic, backpacking and high sierra camp amenities along with tips and suggestions after your registration.
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| The Yosemite high country is a special place. Don't miss this equally special opportunity to join our small group this 4th of July! |
The Schedule
You will need 5 days. 2 of them are weekend days. It's a holiday week!
- Saturday July 4, 2009:
- Our meeting place is Las Vegas international airport at noon. All transportation is provided to Yosemite and return. Group orientation and dinner in Tuolumne Meadows high camp will follow our arrival. Our first evening will be spent in Tuolumne Meadows High Camp.
- Sunday July 5:
- Our loop hike begins. Out on the trail after sunrise, this is a great way to begin as we hike the gradual trail that descends down the Tuolumne River. This is the classic Yosemite high country setting! This first day hike is just what we'll need to adjust to the high altitude and warm up the hiking legs! As our hike comes to a close a high foot bridge crosses the river flowing from the tumultuous White Cascade, we can now appreciate the unique setting of this high Sierra camp! It is here that John Muir said "the snow is melting into music" We'll be in camp early and take advantage of the time to explore and photograph the granite walls and breath taking setting that is Glen Aulin (it means beautiful valley) before dinner and then again at sunset. We'll be spending two nights in this idyllic high camp at the mouth of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.
- Monday July 6:
- After a sunrise shoot and breakfast in camp, we load our slimed down backpacks and head toward the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and the falls below. We'll have the day ahead to hike the 3.5 miles down to first California, then Le Conte and finally the grand finale, Waterwheel Falls! This spectacular area is the highlight of our high country adventure and the time of season should provide us with the images we came for! This is an incredible area at the right time! Our day will end with a return up the trail back to Glen Aulin high Sierra camp for dinner and a sunset shoot.
- Tuesday July 7:
- Up the trail headed for May Lake, after sunrise. ...After our sunrise shoot and breakfast, it's up, up and away!. Gaining elevation quickly after we make the junction that marks our trail after leaving Glen Aulin, our now almost 9 mile trek begins the day's long steady uphill. Perhaps the least populated trail we will see on our entire journey, this section highlights creeks, canyons and solitude. This will most likely be our toughest day on the trail at 8.6 miles, but you'll soon discover that it is worth each and every step! The views and vistas are special as we ascend toward the alpine lakes of McGee and Raisin. Once we accomplish the switchbacks we enter an area so different from where we came just a few hours ago, it will stun the senses! At the geographical center of Yosemite National park, Mount Hoffman and May Lake provide fantastic photo opportunities right from camp! We'll climb ridges to see Half Dome in Yosemite Valley far below and shoot the Cathedral Range as the last light of the day fades.
- Wednesday July 8:
- Hopefully sunrise on May Lake will be icing on our cake! The top image is of sunrise on May Lake, only yards away from our high camp tent! There may be no finer setting in all of Yosemite for this moment! Setting up and waiting is simply a treat, no matter what the result. Here the place, people and photography are all one! After a hearty breakfast we once again load up the backpacks the descend the trail to the old Tioga road and back to Tuolumne Meadows. Our thoughts will be of mountains, lakes, streams, canyons, waterfalls and all the sights and places we have experienced in the last five days. While not wanting to leave the freedom and beauty of our surroundings, our knees and backs will now welcome the rest as we will all begin to imagine the images that are now ours!
"I can not express enough how much this trip (Yosemite backpack expedition) meant to me. The learning, the laughs, the sharing, and yes even a little drama. This trip will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m like a kid waiting to open a Christmas gift with the images"... Doug Burnett
"I need to thank you and everyone for making this Yosemite backpack and expedition a blast. I had so much fun, without laughing, in the real world it would be classified as being "Illegal!" Please pass on my thanks and gratitude for making this the best trip ever for me. Steve you did a great job of keeping us all on track without getting too technical, a fine balancing act if I may say so. This trip was not just a job for you, it is a deep passion. I wait until the next one!" ... Les Oglesby
Please remember this is a serious outing and not to be considered lightly! Weather and climate is unpredictable. July in the Sierra is usually ideal for hiking. Mild days and crisp cool nights. Our packs will be light due to the fact that we do not have to carry sleeping bags, tents, food and the gear usually needed on pack trips, however this dictates that we must make each new camp every day!
The Cost
This is an all inclusive outing. All transportation to and from Las Vegas is provided. The cost of this trip is U.S. $2495. You are responsible for your own travel arrangements to and from Las Vegas NV. The cost is all inclusive. All accommodations and most food is included! The workshop payment of $2495 will be required when you register. If you need to cancel for any reason, a full refund (less $200) will be made, but only if a replacement for you can be found in time. If we have to cancel the trip for any reason you will receive a full refund. With only 3 places available this workshop is bound to sell out quickly.
Register now!
For more info please e-mail Steve Kossack at f8andbethere@cableone.net or telephone Steve at 1-928-634-8071.