Spring in the Tetons
WOMEN IN WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
DATES: September 6 - 8, 2024
TRIP LEADERS: JENNIFER LEIGH WARNER
COST: $1,975PP
GROUP SIZE: 3-5
The Palouse Valley is a bucket list location for landscape photographers due to its natural beauty. The fertile land easily grows wheat in glorious shades of green and gold, with a sprinkling of the yellows of canola added in for spectacular panoramic views. It has been dubbed the American Tuscany, with wheat and rapeseed replacing vineyards.
County roads with 100 year old barns, rustic farm equipment and rolling hills are a dream for any landscape photographer. The Palouse features 215 of Washington’s annually recorded bird species and Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site is a 150-acre, 3,612-foot-tall National Natural Landmark. The thimble-shaped, quartzite butte looms high over the surrounding flat lands. The park offers panoramic views of nearby farmlands, the Blue Mountains, and other neighboring ranges and peaks.
Length of Tour
3-days/2-Nights
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Spokane, WA.
Day 2 – Photograph landscapes of the rolling hills, barns and waterfalls
Day 3 – Morning photographing landscapes before heading back to Spokane.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Spokane check into hotel.
Explore Riverfront Park, a site for the 1974 World’s Fair Riverfront Park is the jewel of downtown Spokane. The Spokane River winds through and cascades over basalt rock and two dams to create the largest urban waterfall in the country.
We will meet this evening for dinner and a meet and greet. Here we will also discuss the coming weekend, photography strategies, logistics, and expectations.
Day 2 – We will leave bright and early for to catch the early morning light on the wheat fields of the Palouse. We will photograph along the country roadsides looking for the best light on the hills.
We will travel through the heartland of the Inland Pacific Northwest, the rolling hills of the Palouse that was transformed between 1860 and 1920 from undulating prairie into one of the nation’s premier dryland farming and ranching districts. The Palouse is a landscape photographer’s dream with the rolling hills of greens and gold colored wheat fields. As we make our way north we will pass by old barns as we make our way up to Steptoe Butte. High above the Palouse Hills on the eastern edge of Washington, Steptoe Butte offers views of a unique landscape.
We will stop for lunch in Pullman, Washington before heading to Palouse Falls for the evening. Carved more than 13,000 years ago, Palouse Falls is among the last active waterfalls on the Ice Age Floods path. This natural wonder was named Washington’s state waterfall in 2014.
Day 3 – We will spend the last morning photographing old barns and bridges before heading back to Spokane for afternoon flights home.
