Jim Desmond spent thirty-three years managing and protecting our nations natural resources. As a forest ranger, campground supervisor, wildland firefighter, and natural resources manager, Jim reveals this firsthand account of events he witnessed during his career. He shares personal observations and experiences, providing insight into the career of a public servant. Jim intertwines the events of his early years of searching for direction, the highlights of his early career, his eventual life-changing spiritual experience, and his subsequent rise to a successful career in management. His life and personal experiences are a human-interest story of spiritual and professional growth.
There are canyons all over the planet, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona is not the biggest. Yet because of the spectacular colors in the rock layers and fascinating formations of boulders, buttes, and mesas, it is known as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Starting with a brief overview of how national parks came into being, this book covers all aspects of the canyon--how it formed, which early native people lived there, and what varied wildlife can be found there now. A history of the canyon's end-to-end exploration in the late 1860s and how the Grand Canyon became such a popular vacation spot (5 million tourists visit every year) round out this informative, easy-to-read account.
Mike Fowler struggles with the agonizing disappearance of his father in a top-secret military mission. But that could all change after Mike stumbles onto his dad's puzzling journal, which leads Mike and his friends to a hidden canyon.
Lavishly illustrated with the full-color imagery of America's leading landscape photographers -- yet bargain priced! Each title includes captions and a concise essay on the natural and human histories of the subject.
From geological origins and ancient peoples to high-tech industries and world-class golf resorts; from Spanish missions and mining boomtowns to ranching, tourism, and Navajo Code Talkers; from Monument Valley to the Tonto Basin to the Mexican border ... all celebrate the beauty of this majestic state!"--Back cover.
Long before the countless numbers of explorers, prospectors, railroad men, and entrepreneuers came to explore and exploit the Grand Canyon, the canyon had a place in the lives of many of the Southwest's American Indian people." From the Forward.
This story is about one group of National Park Service seasonal workers, the wildland firefighters. The North Rim of Grand Canyon had for the longest time an elite and historic fire crew known as the "Longshots," made famous in Stephen Pyne's book, "Fire On the Rim". This takes that story and continues on with the emerging national fire policy during the '80's. Many stories have been written by rangers and firefighters in the past. Many of those are good to excellent retellings of the job and what it entails. This is not that type of story. This includes those types of happenings and people, but exposes a vulnerability in the young, grab life by the balls person that portrays a certain niche of individual, best exhibited by this quote, "Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist." (Emerson). The Longshots were a trusted and relied upon crew in the paramilitary organization of wildland fire. Their reputation preceded them and they willingly lived up to the billing. To be a Longshot was an honor and a highly sought after position. Leadership, self-sufficiency, intelligence, as well as hard, sustaining teamwork was expected of each member. They worked hard and they played hard. It comes with laying your life on the line and bonding with your brethren. The other park and concession employees had much respect and admiration for the Longshots and loved them when in station. During the '80's, they received the unofficial title as the, "Fun Bunch," due to their highly positive outlook, their friendliness to all, elite status yet curbed egos and passion for life. They knew how to have a good time and enjoyed themselves wherever they were: on a fire, running a chainsaw, or in the saloon. Part of this story is of that circle around the sun known as nineteen eighty-six, the last season of the fabled "Longshots." Although this story is somewhat about fire management back in its infancy, it is also about a community of people fashioning friendships and forming lives in the isolated land known as the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
Gold...silver...precious gems...the stuff dreams are made of. This is the story of a hoard of just such valuable metals and stones, whose journey begins in the year 1311, when the Knights Templar were prosecuted. A small band of valiant knights escape with the hoard and the turbulent journey begins. It's 2525, and enter Mary and James McGoldenck, a young couple from Laramie, Wyoming, who fall in love with metal detecting and rock hounding, and because of those activities, trek all over Wyoming seeking buried treasures. Enter a villain from Louisiana, Jean Pierre LaCroix - drug dealer, money launderer, human trafficker, murder - these are just a few of his methods of making money. Follow Mary and James as they deal with deadly encounters, ambushes, difficult terrains, a mysterious American Indian, Thomas Light Horse, who shows up out of nowhere, and an old rancher named Chester Wilcox, who owns the ranch that holds Crashed Wagon Canyon.
Set on the banks of the Rio Grande River in the old New Mexico Territory, Simon ran his infamous resort-brothel which brought him his tainted fortune and perceived power over the people of Taos. It was virtually impossible to stand up to this sadistic tyrant and his ruthless band of thugs. Even the church, who exercised a strong degree of power and influence in those developing years of western expansion, could not influence his depraved course. He was an ambitious man with the amoral attitude of the local rattle snakes that were indigenous to the region. Each of the numerous visitors passing through, who enjoyed the relaxation and pleasure of his sinful stop of gratification, had a story to tell, but Canyon of Sorrow concentrates on the dark and tragic way that one man touched so many, and his devious actions through might and control resulted in a horrific conclusion that is talked about to this day.
Explore the wide open spaces of Arizona with this guide to roads less traveled and awe-inspiring sights less seen. Backroads of Arizona guides you into the heart of Arizona's sun-shiny beauty and fascinating history. In this thoroughly updated edition, you'll find twenty-five driving tours and adventures that take you off the beaten path to stunning landscapes and breathtakingly beautiful vistas. Marvel at the multicolored hues of the Painted Desert and the jaw-dropping majesty of the snowcapped San Francisco Peaks. Wander into a sky-high forest of regal ponderosa pines and quaking aspens near Flagstaff, scan the deep blue waters of Lake Havasu on the western border, and feel dwarfed by the incredible Grand Canyon. With scenic drives in all corners of the state, Backroads of Arizona offers insight into Arizona's rich history, from the Spanish conquistadors seeking the legendary cities of gold to the Wild West shootout at Tombstone's OK Corral. Thanks to the maps and directions to the Grand Canyon State's unique scenic, historic, and cultural attractions, you can explore prehistoric cliff dwellings, hike to see a mountainside of cacti in bloom, or get your kicks on Route 66. This second edition includes new routes along timeless roads, with fresh images and pithy stories of what can be found along the way. Discover something off the beaten path, and make memories you'll never forget.
When a California couple on vacation in Arizona hear about the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine, they get swept up in tales of lost treasure, mysterious stone maps and unexplained disappearances.They decide to go exploring in the rugged Superstition Mountains and wind up facing unexpected and deadly consequences.
This hiking guidebook covers all the canyons on Cedar Mesa (SE UTAH) except Natural Bridges NM. This book is not for beginners to canyon-country hiking. None of the usual material on prehistoric residents, the flora or the fauna, the rules and regulations, etc, is included. Instead this is intended to be a light-weight and small hiking-guide with only the core information (and skip the rest). The necessary topo maps are listed inside. No specific locational directions are included to any prehistoric places (rock art, ruins, or artifacts). Few GPS locations are listed-only those necessary for clarification.
When Eugene MacCarthy attempts to take over the ranches & land around Santa Rosa, New Mexico, in his move to rule the territory, he enlists the aid of the Hart gang after their raid on a bank in Colorado. Arson, rustling & double-cross follow in quick succession, with suspicion thrown on Frank McCoy, owner of the Lazy A.
When the Foster twins travel to far off Colorado from Little Rock, to assist their great uncle to save his horse ranch from the greedy grasp of an unscrupulous and dangerous land grabber, they find their greatest adventure. The trip into the mighty Rocky Mountains meets with danger, intrigue, and the discovery of the most unusual group of people ever found in the great and mysterious mountains of the west.
Following in her father’s footsteps, Withanee Andersen begins the expedition of a lifetime when she and her comrades embark on a trek from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley, tracing the rugged path her father, Jim Andersen, traversed forty-three years earlier. With hopes of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, Jim led the first documented walk from the highest to lowest point in the contiguous United States in 1974. He lived, albeit just barely, to tell the tale to his daughter, sparking a desire in Withanee to retrace his steps in his honor. In 2017, she took on the incredible task of recreating Jim’s legacy trek of 131 miles with the help of divine intervention, ice-cold beer, and her parents, who were following along as the support party. Walk of Ages humorously relates the parallel journey of an epic adventure told from two perspectives–a daughter’s difficult quest, and a father who supports her, through it while recalling his own experiences from four decades earlier. Throughout this momentous odyssey, readers will realize how a once-in-a-generation adventure leads to life-changing transformation, and that the bond between father and daughter knows no bounds.
The author relives adventures he experienced in 1940's and 1950's California as the son of a conman who served six prison terms and was married five times. Ranging from humor to serious, we go from Midnight the nanny goat baby-sitter to nearly driving the pickup off a cliff and getting the truck off the train tracks seconds before a freight train roared by, and a most unusual birthday present.
The ultimate access book for the Bankhead National Forest and Sipsey Wilderness in northwest Alabama. Combining the best aspects of a user's manual and a coffee-table book, Alabama's Canyons was produced by a photographer-writer-illustrator team that knows the forest intimately. Anyone who loves the outdoors will relish the images of some 400 miles of limestone canyons, old-growth hardwoods and abundant waterfalls. Those who find their way there will enjoy the detailed directions to dozens of destinations. A comprehensive map of the wilderness offers details of trailhead and off-trail parking and hiking access to many forest features. Individual hiking and water routes are explained in watercolor illustrations by the author. Two pages are devoted to GPS waypoints to popular destinations and helpful information on using a GPS in the forest.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.