Beautiful Wolverine Canyon will be our photographic subject for our last day in the canyons. It will also be our exit route. For a more complete description and to enroll, click here.
SOLUTION CAVITIES IN WOLVERINE. Wolverine Canyon is lovely might even be described as a "holey" place—at least along this stretch of wall near its junction with Horse Canyon. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Wolverine Canyon ends when it meets Horse Canyon, about a mile and a half up canyon from our camp. It is easily reached by walking and—together with Horse—can be a good option for one of our day hikes.
STREAKS LIKE ICICLES. Clays wash off a canyon ledge onto a wall with a coating of desert varnish. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Horse Canyon is quite wide where Wolverine joins it and the entrance to Wolverine is not obvious. The lowest part of the canyon is tortuous. The walls have been eroded into interesting forms by water. One long stretch of canyon wall is pock-marked by holes—some of which are connected by little passageways behind the rock façade.
MELTING WINGATE SANDSTONE. In one bend of lower Wolverine, striped Wingate sandstone appears to be "melting." Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Wolverine Canyon is in Wingate sandstone in its lower end and, like Little Death Hollow, will be in the Chinle formation in its upper stretches. There are no significant obstacles to a hiker in Wolverine, but there is a short stretch of narrows. The Wingate is colorful, with frequent dense streaks of desert varnish. Eventually, the wash cuts into the Chinle formation. The clays of the Chinle are in various pastel colors and are home to large pieces of petrified wood.
WOLVERINE NARROWS. In a narrow section of Wolverine, looking up at a wall coated with desert varnish. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
At the end of the day, we arrive at the cars that will transport us back to Boulder where we will take a well-deserved hot shower. That evening, we will meet for dinner. The following day (our last) we gather for what many people consider to be the most rewarding part of the workshop—a review of everyone's photography.
One by one, each workshop participant presents their photography to the group. After a brief presentation, an "idea session" follows. Led by the instructors everyone tries to provide constructive feedback to the photographer. This presentation/feedback exercise continues until everyone who wants feedback on their photography has a chance to do so.
After the reviews, everyone tends to scatter. Most will immediately head back home, but a few may linger another couple of days to visit other parts of the monument.
But that's not necessarily the end of the relationship. Bruce and I remain available (essentially forever) for discussions about Art, constructive critiques on future photographs, or to just chat. Many groups have remained friends and have kept up an email dialogue for years after the workshop.
PETRIFIED TREE TRUNKS, Two-hundred-million-year-old tree trunks are finally being exhumed by erosion in upper Wolverine Canyon. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
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