Uncategorized | Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers & Photographers

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.

Let’s Have a Conference!

There’s good news across the country and in New Mexico, as we begin to get the Coronavirus pandemic under control and get closer to the normal life we had in the good old days. Although there are still more questions than answers about the rest of 2021, it’s looking good that RMOWP will gather for a conference September 26-29 in Alamogordo, New Mexico, home of White Sands National Park. See the May-June issue of Rocky Mountain Outdoors for photos of the Alamogordo area.

Conference 2021 in Alamogordo, NM!

No one really knows what 2021 will bring, but with the increasing availability of Covid vaccines and progress on treatments, let’s be optimistic and plan a conference. So, mark your calendars for September 26-29, that’s Sunday through Wednesday, in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

September – October 2020

Do ducks have belly buttons? © Tom Ulrich 2015 BPJNWA winner

To see the September – October issue of Rocky Mountain Outdoors, click here.

2020 Conference Still On, We Hope

By Don Laine

RMOWP’s 47th annual conference is scheduled in Alamogordo, New Mexico October 5-8, 2020. However, as we are all aware, the Coronavirus pandemic remains active, causing many 2020 events nationwide to be canceled or postponed.

Snow and dust discolor the gypsum sands of White Sands National Park. © William Horton

At this time, Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers & Photographers is taking a wait-and-see position on our October conference.

RMOWP Conference The Middle Years, Part VI

Article & photos by Jack Olson

Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tram — Crammed on the Tram at Bachelor Syracuse Mine

Our 21st annual conference took place in Montrose, Colorado, in 1994. At our conferences we have at least one, “don’t miss, don’t oversleep” event. This one had several. One day we experienced a jostling, thrilling jeep ride into Yankee Boy Basin, an iconic high country valley. In that same area, near Ouray, we toured the 1884 Bachelor Syracuse Mine in a rattling tram. We scarfed a packed lunch in a campground high above the town as a bear strolled nonchalantly by. Is that cool, or what? We weren’t done yet and zipped out to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument (it didn’t become a national park until 1999). We’re glad we got there first. We finished the evening with cowboy yarns spun by the fire.

RMOWP Early Conferences, Part V

Article & photos by Jack Olson

hiking near Manitou Springs — Spring hike near Manitou Springs

Our 17th annual conference in 1990 congregated at Manitou Springs, Colorado, in the shadow of Pikes Peak. But we got out of that shadow in a big, big way, chugging in the cog train to the summit of the peak. At 14,110 feet, this was one of the few times our hardy crew has breathed such thin air. The Air Force Academy sports teams are nicknamed the Falcons. We got to meet real falcons up close and personal, even timidly stroking their feathers. The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs is a geologic wonderland and we craned our necks strolling beneath the red rock features. Millions of years ago sequoia trees towered over a volcanic landscape to the west. Eruptions spewed volcanic ash, burying the trees, and remnant fossilized stumps dot the surface of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

Minox Sport Optics

MINOX Logo_small Minox USA is the exclusive American distributor for a growing number of high-quality outdoor products, including Puma Cutlery and the excellent Minox Sport Optics, based in Wetzlar, Germany. Optical products include binoculars, spotting scopes, wildlife cameras, and an extensive line of fine riflescopes, known for their craftsmanship, performance, and value. The new ZX5 riflescopes offer 5-times magnification, a large field of view, and a choice of reticles for short and long-range shooting distances.

For additional information, click www.minox.com.

Puma IP Cutlery

Founded in 1769 in Solingen, Germany, known as the “City of Blades” for its world-famous knife manufacturers, Puma combines traditional handmade craftsmanship with modern manufacturing techniques to produce some of the finest knives and cutlery in the world. Puma’s products include fixed and folding classical hunting knives plus knives for almost all outdoor activities and top-quality collectible knives. Puma knives are produced in Germany, and the Puma IP line (for International Production), are designed in Germany and manufactured in Spain.

For more information, click www.pumaknives.us.