A DAY ON THE FRENCH PETE TRAIL WITH BARRY LOPEZ
—Bunny Bowen
When I was asked in 2015 by Voices from the American Land to create a few illustrations for Barry Lopez’s essay, THE CASE FOR GOING UNCIVILIZED, he invited me to accompany him on a day hike on the French Pete Trail in the Three Sisters Wilderness to experience an old growth rain forest.
So, in late September 2015, my husband and I road-tripped from New Mexico to Bend, Oregon, then continued up over a rugged lava field and down the McKenzie River valley to meet Barry. A gracious host, he gestured towards the deep woods surrounding his home and described how he had been tending this land for over four decades.
As we headed for the French Pete trail, he pointed to vast clear-cut areas intentionally hidden from view by narrow “beauty strips” of unlogged trees along the edge of the road. From the trailhead we set off for a short hike on a path spongy with centuries of evergreen needles and leaf mold. Barry named the trees: thousand year-old Western cedar, incense cedar, western hemlock, vine maple, big leaf maple. At an ancient Douglas fir, he handed me a cone with “mouse ears.” The creek was clear and moss-lined, as eddies of yellow and orange leaves slowly swirled. We saw twinflower, fern, slugs, and decaying logs which hosted moss, fungus, and seedlings bearing promise of renewal.
After several hours we headed back out to our trucks, parking at his favorite view of the Three Sisters to enjoy our lunch. This day was a generous gift from a busy writer, who took the time to share his love of the Oregon wilderness with strangers.
From my fiber art studio over the next year, a number of Japanese Rozome (batik on kimono silk) pieces developed from this trip. They are shared here, with thanks to Barry Lopez for introducing me to his beloved country.
I’ve returned to Western Oregon several times and was heartbroken to follow the catastrophic fires of late summer and early fall 2020. Barry's property burned in September 2020 in the Holiday Farm Fire, and he "crossed the river" on Christmas Day, 2020.
For information on restoration of the McKenzie River Corridor and to learn more about this remarkable writer visit barrylopez.com. |
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Barry Lopez on the French Pete Trail, September 2015.
Bunny along the McKenzie River, September 2015.
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