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.
[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 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.
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).
