PDA

View Full Version : Advice - Northern Texas Panhandle



appletree
4-Sep-2016, 14:09
Hi all! Long time no see. Been busy busy busy with work the past few months.

On a job near Cactus, Texas (staying in Dumas, Texas) and considering renting a car when done to travel for 3-4 days. Only have my Leica M2 with me, but thinking about having the friend watching my cats ship my Chamonix 4x5 and stuff to me (already bagged/cased up).

Any suggestions on places I can drive to and see, whether that is in Northern Texas, Northern NM, Southern CO, or Western OK?
I was told to go visit Palo Duro near Amarillo and that looks pretty great. What else? I do shoot a mixture of things, still life, landscapes, portraits, etc. I always like finding dilapidated houses and buildings. I am sure there is a route I could take and just sleep in a tent or hostels or something.

Shot all my Portra 4x5 a few months back. Maybe I snag a pack of color film from BH. I probably have two weeks before the job ends. Rest would be on FP4 or expired TMax 100.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

PS: Not sure yet if I need to make a loop back to Cactus and pick up our company truck...or if I am flying back. If flying I probably can go in a straight line to fly out of wherever. Then I do not have to make a circle back to Amarillo to fly out.

appletree
5-Sep-2016, 08:15
I am fairly convinced I will drive and see Shiprock in New Mexico. Not sure what stops are along the way or much else at this point. Maybe catch Palo Duro on my way back to Houston.

Erik Larsen
5-Sep-2016, 09:12
Well, you've got Chaco and bisti on your way to shiprock. Canyon de chelly and monument valley and Mesa verde and canyon of the ancients not to far from these as well if that's your thing.

appletree
5-Sep-2016, 09:23
Thanks for the reply! Will look them up.

And anything is my thing. I plan to just drive and shoot, hike when needed (parking the car somewhere).
Just planning to spend 3-4 days driving around shooting. Going to try and shoot a few night shots as well.

Probably bringing Tmax 100 (have a box of 100 sheets I bought last year that I need to start using, expired around 2000) and trying to decide what color film I want to snag (especially if I take a few star trails shots). Maybe Ektar 100 or Portra.

Most will be shot on b/w though. Hoping I can maybe even crop a few from my 90mm lens and make them "panoramic". I don't know, just gonna shoot. My blad is still being repaired (well the backs at least). So it is my Chamonix (90mm Nikon and 210mm Schneider) and my M2 (21mm Voigtlander and 50mm Summicron Dual Range). May pick up a 120 film holder back to shoot 6x9.

civich
5-Sep-2016, 12:08
The llano estacado if you can do flat scenes (think Art Sinsibaugh), and think center pivot irrigation is cool (check out google earth sat veiws). Numerous smaller canyons on the edge of the llano besides Palo Duro. North Panhandle? - The Canadian river breaks around Lake Meredith and the Alibates Flint Quarries national monument (if ya gotta make an arrowhead why not make it beautiful). SE Colorado? - (it ain't all just mountains). The Comanche National Grasslands prairie is cut by numerous small canyons - ancestral native american art is frequently found on roadside boulders - abandoned dustbowl era stone and frame homesteads are common - Cottonwood canyon has a herd of bighorn sheep which can be occcasionaly seen - Picture Canyon forest service campground and it's powerful image of a horse and other extensive pictographs - the forest service campground on Carrizo creek is intimate and has numerous pictographs. Highway 64/87 west of Clayton passes through the heart of the NE New Mexico volcanic field - in the right light it's otherworldly. Capulin Volcano National Monument - you can drive to the top but there is no nearby camping. State road 456 (gravel) east of Folsom to Kenton OK can be used to access the Comanche grasslands area and state road 72, west out of Folsom to Raton, up and over Johnson Mesa with it's beautiful and isolated stone church house. The dinosaur track field south of La Junta, CO - a 12 mile round trip walk in the Purgatory river canyon to access it but well worth while. At the end of September there is a star party with amateur astronomers from around the country taking advantage of the dark sky above Kenton in the OK panhandle....... Yeah- I love the area. -Chris

appletree
5-Sep-2016, 14:16
Wow. Sooooo much stuff to research and map out. Seems like I can EASILY spend 3-4 days driving and shooting (heck...looks like I would need 3-4 weeks).

civich
7-Sep-2016, 06:46
J., Just a couple things: In dry weather the high plains dirt roads can be driven with any type of vehicle, in wet weather watch out - some of those roads can be very greasy - a challenge even w/4x4. The walk down the canyon bottom to the dinosaur tracks is flat but the climb back out at the end is steep though short. Bring some wading footwear as the tracks are on both sides of the (shallow) river. If you are there in October wear some blaze orange - there is a resident elk herd and may be some hunters. In late September on the east side of Johnson Mesa you may be delayed by a cattle drive as locals on horseback drive the herd down the steep winding road to market and winter pasture. Good stuff. -Chris