News | Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers & Photographers

What’s Up in that Tree?

Text and photo by Steve Cochrane

porcupine in tree — Porcupine sitting in the upper branches of a tree. © Steve Cochrane

Who knew porcupines climbed trees? This is the normal response when I take clients to view and photograph porcupines.

RMOWP’s 2022 Conference is tentatively planned for June 26-29, in Golden, Colorado or nearby, with post-conference field trips on June 30. These field trips would include a high-elevation excursion to Mount Evans (14,271 feet above sea level) plus lower elevation options for those who aren’t comfortable that high up.

Conference 2021 in the Rear-View Mirror

By Barb Laine

As RMOWP’s 47th conference drifts into the mists of memory, we’re thankful we were able to gather together and share experiences once again. Alamogordo gave us the opportunity to see some remnants of the old West at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, photograph numerous petroglyphs at Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, and witness a double rainbow shortly before sunset at White Sands National Park.

So You Want to Self-Publish?

By David Staat

One of the highlights of this year’s RMOWP conference was a self-publishing panel discussion. Self-publishing a book is a multifaceted endeavor where success comes in many forms. This subject was explored by a panel of experienced self-publishers. As moderator, I was asked to provide a summary of their discussion. The panelists were Ron Belak, John Hanou, Peter Kummerfeldt, and Virginia Staat.

RMOWP Loses Longtime Friend Sue Baker

Sue Baker, a longtime member of RMOWP, passed away in Stillwater, Oklahoma, October 10 at the age of 82. An accomplished artist, illustrator, and teacher, with post-graduate studies in art, Sue was active in the Stillwater Art Guild. She also had a degree in business education and was office manager of Baker Animal Clinic, her husband Jim’s veterinary practice.

A Bad Man But a Great State Park

Text and photos by Don Laine

first grease rack - concrete. Pancho Villa State Park. — The first grease rack – made of concrete. Pancho Villa State Park. © Don Laine

General Francisco “Pancho” Villa was not a nice person, but the Mexican bandit-revolutionary, certainly without meaning to, played a major role in helping the United States prepare for its entrance into World War I.

Today, those traveling in southern New Mexico can drop in to Pancho Villa State Park in the border town of Columbus to learn about Villa and see some of America’s first mechanized military equipment. If your timing’s right you might also see blooming cactus in spring and do a bit of bird watching in winter.

White Sands Welcomes RMOWP

Playing in the cool gypsum sands, White Sands National Park — Playing in the cool gypsum sands of White Sands National Park. © Don Laine

RMOWP’s annual conference is just a few weeks away (Sunday-Wednesday, September 26-29) with a good time for all planned in sunny Alamogordo, New Mexico.

In addition to photographing the glistening white gypsum sands of White Sands National Park, we’ll discover the real Wild West at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. A must-see in the area, that we hope you’ll explore on your own, is Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, with more than 21,000 ancient petroglyphs. Other local attractions include the New Mexico Museum of Space History for a glimpse of the beginnings of America’s space program, the Tularosa Basin Museum of History, and of course the Toy Train Depot. Due to the ongoing pandemic, some of these attractions may have limited hours when we’re there, but we’ll try to get current information closer to the conference.

RMOWP 2021 Conference Set

Ready to trek across the sparkling white sands of White Sands National Park? Then mark your calendar for September 26-29 for RMOWP’s 47th conference in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

The Legend of Pavla Blanca

Courtesy National Park Service

To the Indians of central New Mexico, one of the most enduring legends is that of Pavla Blanca, the ghost of the Great White Sands. Hidden behind the swirling eddies of the spectral white dunes, her tragic story provides one of the most fascinating tales of the Southwest.

A Look at the Evil Empire