Field Workshop

Dates Oct 14–20, 2006
Leader Cliff Zenor
Fee $2,195 from Reno, Nevada
Deposit $300
Limit 8
Terms and Conditions

Rising from the west out of California’s Central Valley, the rugged Sierra Nevada Range stretches 400 miles from north to south. The eastern slope of the Sierra drops abruptly from lofty snow-clad summits to the vast sagebrush desert of the Great Basin. This ecological boundary of the Sierras and the Great Basin, where mountain and high desert habitats merge, gives rise to one of the most photographically interesting areas in California—if not the entire western United States!

Mono Lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America with an age of at least 760,000 years. Over geologic time, calcium carbonate from groundwater seepage has become concentrated, producing fantastic underwater tufa towers and knobs. With a drop in lake level due to water diversion for agriculture, these towers are exposed and provide exceptional photo subjects—particularly at sunset. Due to its saline and alkaline nature, the lake is devoid of fish. But it blooms to life with brine shrimp, which in turn creates a critical food supply for thousands of migrating and nesting birds.

South of the Mono Lake Basin lies the great Owens Valley. The valley is flanked on the east by the White Mountains, which rise nearly as high as the Sierras. This is the deepest valley in America as measured from the top of Mount Whitney. Ansel Adams took many of his most famous photographs here. High atop the Whites dwells a sensational ancient bristlecone pine forest. With dramatic views of Owens Valley and 200 miles of the Sierra Crest, we’ll photograph the impressive gnarled forms of some of Earth’s oldest living things.

Near Mono Lake is the gold rush ghost town of Bodie. This photogenic and well-preserved state park seems to be a movie set from “The Twilight Zone” and looks as if the former inhabitants had left in the middle of dinner one day—the old buildings with their poignant contents in a suspended state of decay. Once home to 10,000 residents, Bodie was notorious for brothels, gambling halls and saloons—due in large part to the mines yielding almost $100 million in gold ore!

Join Cliff Zenor in the field for an exceptional diversity of unique landscapes and a wealth of photography possibilities.



Day 1
Participants fly to Reno, Nevada, and transfer by shuttle to our airport hotel. We meet for dinner. (D)

Day 2
A full day to drive along the Sierra Front Range to Bishop, California, stopping to photograph en route. (BLD)

Day 3
A journey into the White Mountains brings us to the bristlecone pine forest where we will capture the silvery-gray gnarled shapes of these ancient trees. (BLD)

Day 4
A leisurely drive north to Lee Vining will give us an opportunity to photograph the spectacular landscapes of the Sierra in their fall color en route, including the June Lake Loop. (BLD)

Days 5–6
We spend these days photographing the fantastic sculpted tufa formations of Mono Lake in morning and afternoon light, as well as the glorious golden hues of aspen forests in autumn. A stop in Lundy Canyon and the Bodie ghost town provides great photography and one of the few times we take our photo groups to a brothel! Our daily schedule will be determined by light and weather conditions. (BLD)

Day 7
We return to the Reno airport this morning. Flights should be scheduled for no earlier than noon. (B)


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