How did I find a lot of the areas that I photographed?
With the help of some extremely nice people.

I truly thank each and everyone of the people who allowed to photograph them and to document their story. I was given an education that I never thought I wanted, but am so glad that I received. These names are listed alphabetically by first name.

Additionally to allowing to invade their personal lies, these people went far and beyond out of the way to assist me at many turns in the road in finding people who had stories that should be told.

Carolyn & Jack Pimentel
Steve Ziegler
Adriane Garayalde, District Administrator, Shasta Valley RCD

Sandi Tripp, Transportation Program Coordinator, Karuk Tribe of California

Sandi has a very special heart for others and for giving.  She was instrumental in getting me in contact with some very special people.  I found out later that she could have easily taken me to many of the places that the others showed me, but she wanted them to have the “honor.” 

Ron Reed, Cultural Biologist, Karuk Tribe of California.

What can I say about Ron?  Ron is one very intensely passionate man about many things that when tied together, they could bring a better tomorrow.  He is gravely concerned about how the young people of any tribe are “assimilated” into today’s society without knowing any of their own culture, language and history.  While Ron did not say it exactly like this, to me his implication was that they are lost between 2 societies, between 2 cultures.  This sense of not belonging can have negative effects on the person.  While not everyone experiences the “bad”, it could lead to health problems from obesity, poverty, alcoholism or drug abuse.  Ron has created and implemented a program for the young people of his tribe to learn how their people lived off the land, forests and waterways of the ancient tribal lands along the Klamath River.  Ron also wants to teach them to have pride in ones own family and in their elders.  He has looked into the traditional prayers and takes from them many lessons that could be applied to today’s methods of water and forest management.

It is as if you were sitting and bending over to tie your shoe laces.  In your left hand you hold the past. In your right, the present.  As you intertwine and weave the two around each other, you create a bow that binds everything together to create the present.

I road around with Ron for nearly a full day and really enjoyed the time, conversation and his stories.  He is a fanatic.  A word of warning, if you ever meet Ron Reed, don’t try to hood wink him ---- on any level!

Hawk White and his wife Jenny.

Hawk, to me, was just one of the nicest guys any one could ever meet.  Hawk is planning on becoming a guide; so if you ever need someone to show you around the Salmon River area, get a hold of Hawk. 

Bill Jones
Bill, now retired from the US Forest Service, was instrumental inintroducing me to most of the following people. Bill met with me in Eureka
and spent several hours talking about places and people I should see. We first meet in January of 2003.

KLAMATH NATIONAL FOREST
Happy Camp Ranger District
Carol Sharp, John Allen, Max Creasy, Deems Burton, Dave Payne, Alan Crockett
These people really spent a few hours with me drawing out places on the Klamath Forest map. Helping to plan out my fall color trips and locations.
Dave, even went with me on one hike just to make sure that I got back safe.

SIX RIVERS NATIONAL FOREST
Gasquet Ranger District
Monte Satern
Monte, on a cold January afternoon, with greasy hands stopped his work to help me out with areas in the northwest corner of California.

Orleans Ranger District
Bob Hemus - River & Wilderness Manager

Lower Trinity Ranger District
Jim Lasell

Jeff & Martha Little - Klamath Falls, Oregon
Jeff and Martha, among other things in life, are river guides for Noah's Outfitters of Ashland, Oregon. Jeff told me of some of the special
places that he had seen while rafting down a few sections of the Klamath River.

I owe a great deal to these people for their kindness, time and knowledge of the area. I thank each of you for everything you gave to me without
ever once asking for something in return.

Thank you, very much.