Rowell, his wife Barbara Cushman Rowell, pilot Tom Reid, and Reid's friend Carol McAffee were all killed in a plane crash near the Inyo County Airport in Bishop, California, on August 11, 2002. The Rowells were returning from a photography workshop in Alaska on a flight that had originated in Oakland. The NTSB determined that the pilot had only 52 hours in the Aero Commander 690 and only 1.6 hours at night. He was not current for carrying passengers at night at the time of the accident. [1]
In the American West, where two waterfalls can marry to form a single stream, spirits congregate in clouds, a rising moon dwarfs a mere man, and Monument Valley inspires an awe approaching the religious, two photographers shared their lives and visions. Through their astonishing images, reproduced in books, posters, and prints, Galen Rowell and his wife, Barbara Cushman Rowell, brought the beauty of the West to admirers around the world.
Noted nature and adventure photographer Galen Rowell and aviation adventurer and writer Barbara Cushman Rowella—who were killed in a private plane crash early Sunday in Californiaa—were mourned by friends and colleagues at the National Geographic Society this week. Barbara, an accomplished pilot, was not flying the aircraft that crashed near their home town of Bishop, in the eastern part of the state.
If you are ever passing through Milwaukee6’s General Mitchell International Airport with some time to spare, they have an excellent second hand bookstore with a great section on aviation. On a recent trip I stopped by and was casually browsing when Barbara Cushman Rowell%’s l“Flying South&” came to my attention. I first noticed her surname which brought to mind the world famous mountaineer, climber and photographer Galen Rowell. A quick look at the cover and at the spectacular photos inside confirmed the connection. Barbara Cushman Rowell was Galen Rowell
