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In August, a bush pilot will drop Eli Rush in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and leave him there for a month. Equipped with an inflatable canoe, a month's worth of provisions and about 70 pounds of camera equipment, Rush will begin a project he has long dreamed about: Capturing the raw beauty of the nation's largest wildlife refuge.
"In a place that wild and beautiful, anything less than a month is unacceptable," said Rush on a cold afternoon as we walked around the gray streets of Grass Valley.
Rush hasn't figured his finances for the trip to the penny but so far the price tag is up to $7,000; $3,700 for the bush pilot trip alone. He's looking for sponsors and will reward each $500 donation with a large photograph from Alaska or from his collection. He hopes to come back to the lower 48 and give educational talks on the refuge using slide shows and a book compiled of his trip.
"The message I want to bring back is that the Arctic needs serious protection. So many people have this image of the Arctic as a bleak, flat, frozen windswept wasteland that thaws only long enough to produce millions of mosquitos. So why not drill for oil? There's nothing up there. These are misconceptions that I would like to dispel," Rush said.
"In a place that wild and beautiful, anything less than a month is unacceptable," said Rush on a cold afternoon as we walked around the gray streets of Grass Valley.
Rush hasn't figured his finances for the trip to the penny but so far the price tag is up to $7,000; $3,700 for the bush pilot trip alone. He's looking for sponsors and will reward each $500 donation with a large photograph from Alaska or from his collection. He hopes to come back to the lower 48 and give educational talks on the refuge using slide shows and a book compiled of his trip.
"The message I want to bring back is that the Arctic needs serious protection. So many people have this image of the Arctic as a bleak, flat, frozen windswept wasteland that thaws only long enough to produce millions of mosquitos. So why not drill for oil? There's nothing up there. These are misconceptions that I would like to dispel," Rush said.
"I would like to show the Arctic, through my photographs, just what an incredibly beautiful place it really is and how important it is to protect its wildlife and the land from destruction, which would mainly come from oil development," Rush said.
Wilderness trips are in Rush's bones. For the past 25 years he has paddled in other remote corners of the globe, including South America and the Canadian Yukon.
"Just to be in a truly wild place ... if two years go by and I'm not in one I start to go crazy," said Rush.
Rush plans on traveling up the Alkan highway in his pickup trip to Anchorage, a distance of about 3,200 miles. From there, it's about another 600 miles to the town of Coldfoot, his last taste of civilization, where he'll hitch a ride from a bush pilot to the refuge.
Wilderness trips are in Rush's bones. For the past 25 years he has paddled in other remote corners of the globe, including South America and the Canadian Yukon.
"Just to be in a truly wild place ... if two years go by and I'm not in one I start to go crazy," said Rush.
Rush plans on traveling up the Alkan highway in his pickup trip to Anchorage, a distance of about 3,200 miles. From there, it's about another 600 miles to the town of Coldfoot, his last taste of civilization, where he'll hitch a ride from a bush pilot to the refuge.
Once he steps foot off the plane, Rush will navigate through the refuge by river in his inflatable canoe.
Despite the rhetoric by some who want to see oil drilling there, the refuge is teeming with life and 8 million rugged acres of the refuge are designated wilderness. The Brooks Range rises from a coastal plain, forming a backdrop for 18 major rivers: Three designated as wild: The Sheenjek, Ivishak, and Wind. The land is unique for its arctic tundra and boreal forests.
This is the first trip Rush has taken with his large 8x10 camera. He is going to have a custom backpack made to carry the nearly 20 pound body and all its lenses and film holders.
Rush continues to work with film in a digital age. It's this preference for an old style of platinum printing method that creates dramatic black and white images and gets the attention of galleries and serious collectors. Rush also uses color film, which can be used to make big enlargements without losing detail.
Despite the rhetoric by some who want to see oil drilling there, the refuge is teeming with life and 8 million rugged acres of the refuge are designated wilderness. The Brooks Range rises from a coastal plain, forming a backdrop for 18 major rivers: Three designated as wild: The Sheenjek, Ivishak, and Wind. The land is unique for its arctic tundra and boreal forests.
This is the first trip Rush has taken with his large 8x10 camera. He is going to have a custom backpack made to carry the nearly 20 pound body and all its lenses and film holders.
Rush continues to work with film in a digital age. It's this preference for an old style of platinum printing method that creates dramatic black and white images and gets the attention of galleries and serious collectors. Rush also uses color film, which can be used to make big enlargements without losing detail.
While Rush won't see many humans, he won't be alone. He will be in company with 180 bird species, 36 species of land mammals including the Porcupine caribou herd, and Polar bears. There are no roads, developments, or trails and during August, Rush's footsteps will be lit by a midnight sun. Weather varies from cold, wet and foggy to a balmy 80 degrees.
"Toward the end of August, when the sky gets dark enough to see stars, I hope to see the Aurora Borealis. There's a very strong chance I will. As far a scenery, well, the north slope of the Brooks' Range is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, so all I have to do is keep my eyes open," said Rush.
To view Eli Rush photography, a collection of his work will be on display at the Deer Creek Studio, 317 Spring St. in Nevada City during the three days of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival Jan. 12-14. Rush will be there at 4 p.m. on Friday to talk with people about his trip and photography. You may also catch him the other two days of the festival.
Eli Rush can be reached at rainfrst@netshel.net or 530-478-1957.
"Toward the end of August, when the sky gets dark enough to see stars, I hope to see the Aurora Borealis. There's a very strong chance I will. As far a scenery, well, the north slope of the Brooks' Range is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, so all I have to do is keep my eyes open," said Rush.
To view Eli Rush photography, a collection of his work will be on display at the Deer Creek Studio, 317 Spring St. in Nevada City during the three days of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival Jan. 12-14. Rush will be there at 4 p.m. on Friday to talk with people about his trip and photography. You may also catch him the other two days of the festival.
Eli Rush can be reached at rainfrst@netshel.net or 530-478-1957.
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To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail laurab@the union.com or call 477-4231.
Snowshoe clinic set
An evening snowshoe clinic with local snowshoe expert Cathy Anderson-Meyers will be held 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18 at Wolf Creek Wilderness, 595 E. Main Street in Grass Valley. Anderson-Meyers will present a slide show and talk about equipment, clothes to wear, where to go and snow safety concerns. There is no charge for the clinic but reservations are required by calling Wolf Creek Wilderness at 477-2722.
To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail laurab@the union.com or call 477-4231.
Snowshoe clinic set
An evening snowshoe clinic with local snowshoe expert Cathy Anderson-Meyers will be held 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18 at Wolf Creek Wilderness, 595 E. Main Street in Grass Valley. Anderson-Meyers will present a slide show and talk about equipment, clothes to wear, where to go and snow safety concerns. There is no charge for the clinic but reservations are required by calling Wolf Creek Wilderness at 477-2722.
