BISMARCK--There are many ways to experience the Lewis and Clark trail for the bicentennial celebration–by foot, by car, by bus, by boat–but not many can experience it the way writer Mary Walker and photographer Ron Lowery do–by air. And since not many can enjoy the beauty of a bird's-eye view, they'll share it with you.

Walker and Lowery began their project of photographing the Lewis and Clark trail June 12. They plan to fly the length of the trail from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back taking aerial photographs that later will be published in a book.

The team is flying in an experimental open cockpit airplane originally designed for National Geographic photographers to fly in Africa and other remote places. Lowery built the plane, called Cloud Chaser four years ago.

The open cockpit airplane was designed to fly low and slow with a seat forward of the wings and landing gear so that nothing gets in the way of a shot. Both Lowery and Walker fly the plane.

"It gives us a feeling like being on a motorcycle because we're out in the open air, and you can feel the dirt, you can feel the air," Walker said.

Walker said they decided to create the book because even though there are many books on Lewis and Clark, few are from the aerial perspective.

She said they are able to get to certain areas by plane that aren't accessible on the ground.

Walker also said the project was born of a "curiosity to see this huge portion of the country that was opened up by Lewis and Clark expedition."

The team has been stalled by weather a few times already. Recent thunderstorms and tornado warnings lower on the Missouri put the expedition on hold for a few days in Missouri and Iowa.

"We're at the mercy of the weather still, even with all of the technology we have, just like Lewis and Clark," Walker said.

Each time the expedition travels to a new area, they set up a base camp with two RVs. Lowery usually takes aerial photographs in the morning and early evening. They began photographing in North Dakota on Thursday along the Missouri between Bismarck and the South Dakota border.

Along with Walker and Lowery are Lowery's wife, Sue, the graphic artist for the book, son Ryan, 19 and dog, Jack.

"Lewis had his dog, so we have to have our dog too, " Walker said.

The Lowery family is from Tennessee, and Walker is from Arizona. The team plans on traveling the trail to the Pacific Ocean and back by the end of the summer.

They don't have a publisher set for the book yet but plan to have it out by March 2004.

(Reach reporter Cathryn Spryncznatyk at 355-8809 or catspry@bismarcktribune.net)