C1696

“Green River Reverie”

(Dinosaur National Monument, Utah)

Oil on Pannelli Telati fine cotton Panel

6”  x  8”

Click here to make this your Own

Imprimatura & Drawing

Block-in 

The Green River arises in the northern end of the Wind River Range in western Wyoming, first briefly flowing northwest, then loops out of the mountains to flow south along their western edge. It continues through western Wyoming, cutting the Flaming Gorge south of the town of Green River (where those of you familiar with the works of Thomas Moran will recognize the buttes and bluffs in some of his paintings). It enters Utah at the south end of the Flaming Gorge, turning east as it is blocked by the Uinta Mountains, flows into Browns Park, in extreme northwestern Colorado (definitely in Butch Cassidy country here), until it cuts through the eastern extension of the Uintas, at the Gates of Lodore. We are now in the northern section of Dinosaur National Monument. Rafting trips begin here. It now flows through deep canyons in the Monument, past the campground at Echo Park, near its junction with the Yampa River (an interesting descent of 3000” by car to get to), flows westerly from here, back into Utah and the western end of the Monument (Dinosaur National Monument, straddles the Utah/Colorado  border).

It is here where I came up on this quiet scene, not far from its egress at Split Mountain, and less than a mile or so below the Green River Campground. I have thought about painting this ever since my few brief moments here. I passed this spot several times in my explorations of this end of the Monument, and this time the lighting was just perfect. The contrasts of the purples and blues of the shadowed canyon wall (with its dark streaks of desert varnish), with the yellows, oranges and greens of the foliage, and the milky jade greens of the River itself, has stayed in my mind since those days I spent in the area in Autumn of 2017.  I stayed one night in the Green River Campground,  and it is quite pleasant as far as campgrounds go, with the River quietly flowing past. I spent the next 8 nights dispersed camping just outside the Monument on BLM land. The dinosaur bones are what bring most people to this monument, but if you are interested in geology and hiking intersting landscapes, Dinosaur National Monument is an interesting area to explore.

From here the Green winds south through eastern Utah, until its meeting with the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park. I did not see the source of the River, but I could see the Canyon of the source south from where I camped at Mosquito Lake up on Union Pass, after I witnessed the  2017 eclipse of the Sun. I travelled the length of the Green through western Wyoming; saw it in Browns Park; saw it enter the Gates of Lodore; enjoyed the cooling shade of the cottonwoods for awhile at Echo Park; witnessed its emergence at Split Mountain; and enjoyed this little scene near the Green River Campground. I am not familiar with the River between here and Canyonlands NP, but I did see it from high places in Canyonlands, and just like not seeing the actual souces, I did not see its endgame, but I did see the canyon junctions where it joins its waters to the Colorado, from a distance. There are rivers that stay in the mind, and this is one ... I would see it again, should I ever go that way.

Pigments used in the painting were:

Imprimatura & Drawing: Rublev French Red Ochre;

Pigments: W&N Cadmiums Orange & Yellow Pale, Ultramarine Deep Blue, Titanium White;

Rublev:  Blue Ridge Yellow Ochre, French Red Ochre, Lead White #1;

Schmincke: Caput Mortuum;

North to Wyoming: Part 2

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Monday, August 14 - August 21, 2017; Dinosaur National Monument, northwest Colorado & northeast Utah, and on to west of Union Pass, Wind River Range, Wyoming.

I had no time between leaving Aspen, CO until after the Eclipse to paint, so this is another painting done after that event, but this blog post is of part of the journey to arrive there.

C1633

“Wildfowl Flotillas on Mosquito Lake”

(West of Union Pass, Wyoming)

Oil Sketch on Centurian Oil Primed Linen Panel

5” x 7”

Click here to make this your Own

I ended part 1 of Heading north to Wyoming with; “And that was Thursday, day two of the Dinosaur National Monument, where I thought I would spend only part of one day to breeze through!”

And yet, I was not yet finished with the Monument, for how can you pass up a name such as ‘the Gates of Lodore?’  Sounds like something from ‘the Lord of the Rings.’  To get there, in the morning I continued on the county roads for thirteen miles to Us Hwy 40 at Elk Springs (a couple houses and a rest area), and on to Maybell and a petrol station.  From here State Hwy 318 is followed west forty miles or so (now north of the Yampa River), and then leaving the pavement, a gravel road is taken a few miles to the Gates of Lodore where the Green River enters the mountains.  It’s funny to think that just a few miles by river will take one to the meeting of the Yampa River with the Green at Echo Park, where I was yesterday, so many desperate road miles ago; there were two groups of rafters preparing to do just that.  The views of the Gates from the sand bank on the Green at the campground are good, but for the classic views of the river into the canyon itself, a mile stroll along a nature trail is well worth the hike.  Sadly the box containing the guides to the numbered points of interest was empty.  You know … I never spotted one Dinosaur the whole time I was in Dinosaur National Monument!  I, of course, expected them lurking on every horizon.  What a swizz (that is a ’jip,’ to the Yanks out there!!  Har! Har!

The Gates of Lodore from the Campground.

The Gates from the Nature Walk.

The Gates of Lodore from Trail’s End.

Into the Gates.

Floaters on the Green.

Now wasn't that really Lord of the Rings-ish?  Photos taken and lunch eaten, and I continued west on Hwy 318.  A few miles along from the Gates of Lodore, I attempted to cross the Green, to drive the few miles to one of the hideouts of Butch Cassidy, but the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic, and an eight mile walk was not in my timetable.  From the highway one could see the canyon, and imagine the seclusion of the place, especially back then.

A few miles along from the Gates of Lodore,
one comes to Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge.

Near Browns Park Butch Cassidy had one of his hideouts across the Green River.

Up that valley, is one of Butch’s hideouts;
The Green is in the fold of land between here and there.

A few miles along the road enters Utah, and the pavement ends and becomes gravel and intermittent with pavement for the forty or so miles to its junction with US Hwy 191, which I took north through Rock Springs, Wyoming, topping up with petrol and ice, to Farson.  Turning northeast here onto State Hwy 28, forty miles brought me to the famous South Pass.  Here this broad pass, at the south end of the Wind River Range, saw thousands of emigrants pass through on the Oregon Trail, including the Mormons on their 1847 trek to the future Salt Lake City.  One can still see the wagon ruts in places.  A few miles on I left the pavement for the forest roads, and five miles in, camped for the night, on forest road 309.

Just to the west of South Pass is the “Parting of the Ways.”

At South Pass.

South Pass is at the top of the ridge to the left of Pacific Butte.

Of course I had to show you Oregon Buttes, which lie to the south of Pacific Butte.

To the north of South Pass is the Wind River Range,
and at their north end is where I watched the Eclipse,
three days after I passed through South Pass
 and up the east side of the mountains,
through the town of Dubois, and then over Union Pass.

More historical info at South Pass.

The next day, Saturday, I passed through Lander, on US287, stopped into the ranger station there, picked up some free eclipse info and eclipse glasses, topped up with petrol, and continued on to Dubois, seventy miles further.  Here I strolled around this decidedly western town (with hitching posts in places), topped up with petrol again, and a bit of dry ice to make my normal ice keep longer, and headed into the Wind River Range over Union Pass, and the eclipse in two days time, and that you already have read about in my last posting.

Red Canyon overlook, on the east side of South Pass.

Wildlife info.