dreaming of the west, #artistsareintents

Still dreaming, literally, of the fantastic trip through the Klamath River Basin in southern Oregon and northern California with Signal Fire during the Unwalking the West residency. Last night I dreamt I was swimming again in Medicine Lake, high up in the Modoc National Forest. Spending 7 days straight with 11 other artists non-stop in a van or camping in close quarters could be a disaster, or it could be a gateway drug for more encounters with natural landscapes, spending time off the grid with others and devising creative ways to participate in environmental advocacy. So many years in New York City have made me thirsty for an experience like this, which included leaving the land at least as wild as when you arrived, deep dives into Klamath and Modoc mythology and history, thoughts on decolonization, tracing environmental conflicts, learning how to poop in the woods. We visited quite a few sites important to the history of the Klamath tribe and various environmental struggles. We hardly mentioned John C. Fremont, the namesake explorer for this particular trip, at all.

Meanwhile, my amazing fellow residency people have been sending back great images, like this drawing of Medicine Lake by Mika Aono, from her sketchbook chronicling the whole trip.

This photo of us swimming in Medicine Lake by Ryan Pierce.

This photo of Captain Jack’s Stronghold by Joe Hedges. We are taking turns reading the explanatory texts about this dark moment in Klamath history, and divising ways of hacking or correcting the official version.

This drawing of the Beautiful Warner Mountains during our long, uphill backpacking trek by Mika Aono.

This photo by Ryan Pierce of Jessie Landau and me, looking ahead on Summit Trail, wondering how much further to our campsite.

Joe Hedges’ photo of the campsite we finally arrived at, which was shy of the lake we aimed for since snow blocked the train.

[The panorama of Patterson Lake at the end of the trail shared by Jessie Landau. I can’t seem to share it from Facebook, which is fitting since only three of us – not me – made it there.]

And Mika Aono’s reminder of how to poop in the woods, as told and performed by Ryan Pierce.

And so many more images and memories.

A very special thanks to our two hardworking, talented, generous and inspiring guides, Tarp (aka Ryan Pierce) and Kai’ila Farrell-Smith.

And thank you to the two visiting presenters, artist Natalie Ball and environmental Lawyer Dave Becker, who generously shared their intimate knowledge of and expertise on local sites with us.

Natalie Ball sharing a special Klamath site, Singing Rock.

Dave Becker at the head of Hanan Trail, a site he advocates for through his legal work.

Here’s the Rachel’s-eye view of the whole trip (minus most of the backpacking trip, when my camera was heavy enough to leave behind).

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