Acadia Pathmakers - David

January 15, 2018

"A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it." – Irving Penn

I’ve mostly wrapped up my 2015 AIR work from Acadia National Park, but digging through my negatives I ran into this one of David. David, his crew, and I spent a couple of days together on the Hunter Brook Trail. They were completing some path enhancements using dirt, rock, hemlock timbers, chisel, hammer and lots of muscle. I have nice memories of these guys and David in particular. He’s a big friendly personality, and within minutes, one feels like they’ve known David like a forever best friend. He’s an inclusive sort and ensured that I was part of the group ribbing and general conversation.

Besides sharing the details of the project he, Tyler, and Kyle were implementing, he talked lots about community within the Trail Crew, but also from living and working in and around Mount Desert Island. David has great respect for his friends working as fishermen, and for the challenging path they follow to provide for themselves and their families. In fact, David shares his extra hands pulling traps with them on his days off. He is a workhorse without question. He also talked with great admiration for his wife and her dedication at improving island community. She works as a school teacher on Swan’s Island, population 332. …access to Swan’s Island is by the State ferry system out of Bass Harbor.

Thank you, David, for letting me feel like part of your crew and for sharing so much about yourself and life in and around Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. …and for all the good things you are doing to improve visitor’s connection to the park and nature. With my greatest admiration…

Hasselblad 500C medium format SLR camera + Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 lens+ Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 black and white film

~Dan Grenier
2015 Artist in Residence
Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park
http://daniel-grenier.com/

Acadia Pathmakers - Kate

December 31, 2016

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it.” – Irving Penn

Kate oversees the Artist is Residence program at the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park and served as primary contact for all things during my project. …but as a long time staff for the National Park Service, she wears many, many hats. Most notably, Kate is an educator, and after spending time with her, I quickly realized that it is her passion to ensure all walk away feeling more connected to this special place. Given her tenure, I also learned fast that her attention is in high demand at Acadia because quite simply she’s the best. The line of people waiting to speak with her outside of her office serves testament! Kate truly listens and considers what you are saying, which seems to be the rarest of commodities. Yes, she is the greatest of sounding boards. She also quickly provides solutions to issues and follows up to be sure all is okay. She also has given me great flexibility with time, project direction, and learning on-the-fly, ensuring that I was growing with my effort. I’m fortunate to have her as a mentor.

Kate, thank you for listening and providing opportunity. I appreciate all of your time, patience, and guidance and for making my time at Acadia fun and rewarding. Your friendship, inclusiveness, and overall example mean much and more than you could know.

With my biggest smile and utmost respect,

Hasselblad 500C medium format SLR + Zeiss 80mm lens + Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 black and white film

~Dan Grenier
2015 Artist in Residence
Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park

http://www.schoodicinstitute.org/

http://daniel-grenier.com/

Acadia Pathmakers - Gary and his crew

December 11, 2016

"You see something, and you really see it, and then you must spend your life to get other people to see it. And that's been my story all my life." ~June Leaf

This photograph has a group snapshot feel, which falls a bit outside of what I was going for with my project. Still, I believe that it proves to be the most important photograph of the set because it successfully includes Gary, the Trail Crew Superintendent, seen on the far left. Without question, Gary’s long-term vision for the trail system, funneled through the crew and stewarded over decades, equates to that experience, which for many is Acadia National Park - A near-Zen minimal viewpoint connecting people to nature in a most subtlety Maine way. Stewardship and sense and importance of place equate to a relevant chain of history... It seems so obvious to me now, but had not completely occurred to mind until shown via granite, chisel, wood, dirt, rock bar, muscle, never-ending drive, smarts, and ingenuity. Thank you Gary and the Acadia trail crew for all that you do to protect and share this bit of our natural heritage. We are all in your debt.

With the greatest respect,

Linhof Technika large format field camera + Schneider-Kreuznach 150mm f/5.6 lens + Kodak Professional Tri-X 320 black and white film

~Dan Grenier

2015 Artist in Residence

Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park

http://daniel-grenier.com/

Acadia Pathmakers - Chris

July 18, 2016

“Poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.” ~Mary Oliver, A Poetry Handbook

Chris brilliantly serves as a supervisor for the Acadia Trail Crew. Our paths crisscrossed as I made my way between the various group trail projects, and each time we overlapped, he took time to check in to be sure I was ok, and most notably to ask what I’d seen or experienced in the park. On the worksite, he appeared all business, setting up the crews with high wire lines for moving rocks and lining out pathway end course with orange forestry flagging, taking into account visitor experience, ecological integrity, and overall work efficacy for the crew.

Near the end of my time in Acadia, Chris and I had lunch together sitting on flat rocks in a dry stream bed along the Deer Brook Trail. We primarily talked about school, art, and the environment, which most genuinely lead to Chris sharing that he likes to write poetry as much as trail building. I’m guessing that both connect to place, people, and nature, which seems perfect from many angles. Humble, genuine and real, this is Chris. I learned this winter that he is serving as Acadia National Park’s first poet laureate throughout 2016, the centennial year for the park and the National Park Service. Yes, perfect. Congratulations, Chris!

Hasselblad 500C medium format SLR camera + Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 lens+ Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 black and white film

~Dan Grenier
2015 Artist in Residence
Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park

http://www.schoodicinstitute.org/

http://daniel-grenier.com/

Pathmakers - Mike

May 14, 2016

“A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other's lives. It is the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves.”
― Wendell Berry

I met Mike leading a group on the Cadillac Cliffs Path, a spur trail off of the main artery leading to the summit of Gorham Mountain. We made some small talk, and he introduced me to his crew. They were getting ready for break, which gave me opportunity to have all of Mike’s attention. We walked the areas where the crew were working, and he pointed out some specific technical concerns, which seemed primarily focused on getting park visitors safely through the complex mountainside terrain, while ensuring the path would remain stable for the long-term. As Mike talked about his work, his walking pace quickened, and he lit up with excitement. He first described the obvious fun associated with moving large boulders across the landscape using pulleys, wire rope, and other mechanical advantage, and then the physicality tied to dry stone masonry in extreme locations such as this. I can say firsthand that it’s near sensory overload to experience the loud cracks, metal-to-rock sparks, and burning tinder smell left in the air as crew swing sledge onto rock, making smaller crushed material to incorporate into the trail (as means of structural stability and drainage and likely many other uses beyond my understanding). Pretty neat.

Mike then eloquently outlined how the trails at Acadia National Park serve a much larger role than just public enjoyment, having equally important historical and cultural significance. These trails have been here for some time with some paths even pre-dating Euro settlement. In function, all of the crew’s rehabilitation and maintenance efforts equally consider this with the ecological. Mike stated that the crew looks for and studies historic character-defining features when working on a trail, going to great lengths to use similar construction materials and approach to ensure historic integrity as part of their work. …and what struck me was how Mike sees himself, his crew and other colleagues, and their effort and connection as the newest part of the story playing out on this Maine natural area. You know, this is inspirational given today’s collective short attention span.

Lastly, I walked away thinking that Mike is someone exceptional. There’s a confidence about him on the trail that comes across based on what I’m guessing is lots of trial and error, having his hands in the dirt, by building thick calluses with the sledge hammer and rock bar, and by having to frequently make quick and accurate decisions. He is clearly tied to and cares about his crew and the work they are accomplishing in the park. Mike seemed at ease in his surroundings and had grasp of and could articulate a much bigger picture occurring around him. Smart. Yes, he sets a motivating example for sure.

Thanks, Mike, for taking time for me and for the education. You’ve made Acadia National Park someplace bigger for me for sure. Much respect…

Hasselblad 500C medium format SLR camera + Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 lens+ Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 black and white film

~Dan Grenier
2015 Artist in Residence
Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park

http://www.schoodicinstitute.org/

http://daniel-grenier.com/

Pathmakers - Acadia Youth Conservation Corps

April 6, 2016

"It is not bigness that should be our goal. We must attempt, rather, to bring people back to...the warmth of community, to the worth of individual effort and responsibility...and of individuals working together as a community, to better their lives and their children's future." -Robert F. Kennedy, in his 1966 speech "Rebuilding a Sense of Community"

Another photo from the Youth Conservation Corps... And one more reminder that 2016 is the centennial of the United States National Park Service. Get out to visit your favorite park and appreciate!

Hasselblad 500C medium format SLR + Zeiss 80mm lens + Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 black and white film

~Dan Grenier

2015 Artist in Residence

Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park

http://www.schoodicinstitute.org/

http://daniel-grenier.com/

Pathmakers - Roger

March 13, 2016

"The land belongs to the future...We come and go but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it - for a little while." ~Willa Cather, O Pioneers!

Another photograph of Roger that I think came our nicely...

Happy 100th birthday NPS!

http://www.nps.gov

Hasselblad 500C medium format SLR camera + Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 lens+ Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 black and white film

~Dan Grenier
2015 Artist in Residence
Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park

http://www.schoodicinstitute.org/

http://daniel-grenier.com/

Pathmakers - Roger

February 19, 2016

"In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a Leitmotiv." ~ Henry Cartier Bresson

I ran into Roger on the Deer Brook Trail. There was a lot of commotion occurring with some crew running up hill to tie loose ends on a trail section near-complete, while others headed down hill to help align the next big unit of work. But Roger was clearly anchoring the main site, and this left a subtle impression on me. In the middle of all of the bustle occurring around him, he quietly pushed on, aligning boulders with rock bar to create a solid, level walking tread to keep people's feet dry and to help protect the soils along Deer Brook from erosion. All of Roger’s effort came stamped with discreet purpose and his own dependability and placidity. Even with just my short time around him, I could never imagine Roger with much of a complaint. I observed several instances of crew members looking for extra hands to help with their individual tasks. Each time they went to Roger. He always stopped without objection, and with a kind smile, walked over to assist taking measures, to provide some extra muscle moving rock, or to safely guide the specific activity. …and then back again to his own work. The dominant reoccurring theme at Deer Brook was Roger going about business in his own quiet, understated way, which to my eyes was reflected back in the seamless utility and beauty of the crew's trail improvements.

Happy 100th birthday NPS!
www.nps.gov

Hasselblad 500C medium format SLR camera + Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 lens + Kodak Professional Tri-X 400 black and white film

~Dan Grenier
2015 Artist in Residence
Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park

http://www.schoodicinstitute.org/

http://daniel-grenier.com/

Pathmakers - Alex

February 3, 2016

"No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.” ~Ansel Adams

This is Alex. She was one of the first National Park Service trail crew staff I met on the ground in Acadia National Park. After hellos, our conversation quickly turned to photography. She was aware of vintage camera gear and was excited about the opportunity to make a photograph with me. This one turned out great, huh? I really love it!

Spending time with Alex, one quickly realizes that she is smart, determined, and engaged in and driven by her work. Her dedicated spirit is expansive, and she proved to be excited to share and educate me, and surely all others who cross her path, on the importance the foot trail system plays in the park. Alex was also well-versed in the technical aspects of trail building. She near always had a tool in hand, ready-on-the-go, and was deeply involved in crew conversations related to their work detail and approach. I watched her push and pull rock bar using her all, swinging sledge and leveraging rock with pulley and wire rope. No doubt, Alex is a bundle of purposeful intensity, but she also was easy with a smile and close with her colleagues. Shared chuckles, and friendly ribbing, Alex and the crew’s connection was highlighted on down time as they huddled on tarps eating lunch. It was a privilege to experience this wholesome group effort, which Alex was part of.

We traded emails after I finished the field portion of my residency. Alex was anxious to see the imagery we created together, and wanted to use the photograph to help respond to questions others had concerning her motivation, ability and adeptness, and role on the trail crew. She said, “I want people to know that there are women out there working hard, and often times, working harder than most. I want this photograph to express the resilience and dedication of strong working women.” To my mind, she’s more than succeeds on all fronts. And the photo is fantastic too. Thank you, Alex, for being inspirational, and for being that resolute force that is you.

Once more, a reminder that 2016 marks the 100 year anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service. Find your park, and get out and enjoy!

http://www.nps.gov

Linhof Technika large format field camera + Schneider-Kreuznach 150mm f/5.6 lens + Kodak Professional Tri-X 320 black and white film

~Dan Grenier

2015 Artist in Residence

Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park

http://daniel-grenier.com/