Cottonwoods, A Fond Farewell

First Glance, 2018-week 05

     I often have found myself interested in working in projects or series.  You can often tell a more interesting visual story.  This way one image doesn't have to capture it all.  You can also show different facets of the same story and how things change.

     In 2006 I did my first book orientated project for a handmade book titled "Cottonwoods in Winter".  It was completed by using a 4x5 field camera (Wista) over the course of January and February of that year. I first published and hand sewed the book that March.
     The location was a 2 mile long by 3/4 mile wide cottonwood forest along the South Platte River in Chatfield State Park, Colorado.  There are no roads, just trail access, so I used my mountain bike pulling a trailer to haul my camera, tripod and film from my house on each visit. It did not snow much that winter which really helped me with access to remote areas.
     I really grew to love that trail and those cottonwoods. Parts of this forested area seemed untouched by man over the years.  Some of the trees are so large it would take 3 people to touch around their girth. With a few of them being close to 300 years old.

     A dozen years have gone by since I worked on that project.  The wind has knocked down a couple trees.  The river has flooded once or twice, but basically it is the same magical forest that I visit through out each year.

Looking north, 2018-week 05

     That brings us to my new project...  Once again I will photograph this area.  Trying to capture more of its feel as a forest, instead of the individual trees.  I am guessing I have at the most two years before it's mostly destroyed. The Corps of Engineers has given the Denver Water Board the go ahead to raise the level of Chatfield Reservoir by 10 feet (3 meters).  Most of this old growth forest will be affected as it grows along the river feeding into the reservoir.  All of the trees in these images have been staked and numbered, the final accounting before the roar of chainsaws and earth movers.

     Denver wants its money, and needs its water as it continues to grow.  Forgotten and erased from our memories will be some of the Colorado lifestyle and its untouched wild lands. 

Looking south, 2018-week 05

     Nothing else to do now, but record it so it won't be totally forgotten!