I read Miki Collins' Riding the Wild Side of Denali in one sitting on a cold November Yukon morning and dreamt about it for many days to follow. If you'd like to taste real adventure and feel the cold crispness of life on the Alaskan trail, grab this one! Here, Miki relates the empassioned tales, sometimes hair-raising, sometimes hilarious, that she shares with her twin sister Julie as they embark on their wildest dream (or folly!!), yet : that of utilizing Icelandic Fjord Horses on their remote trapline at the base of Mt. Denali, AK. If you'd like to find out what it takes to convince a bush pilot to fly a horse that would like to join him in the cockpit of his small plane, or want to read true tales of a modern day trapline, ran by two women, huskies and Icelandic Fjord horses, this is the book for you. Humour, respect for the animals, images of human determination and the natural beauty of the alaskan wilderness are the gifts Miki Collins will leave you with. Whether you are a wilderness, adventure or horse lover or dream of the North as the last frontier, you'll love it. It would also make a great gift for teenage girls: the Collins are true models of women becoming all they can be.

"Ring of Fire" is a wonderful book that captures the
diversity and atmosphere of the physical "Ring of Fire," the
Yellowstone caldera touching Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, "that
volcanic ring of fire that gives the region its hot springs, mudpots
and geysers." In this collection, Editor Bill Hoagland brings
together essays, poetry, and short fiction by 36 writers who share the
Ring but bring to it their own emotional, historical, and political
voices.

Too often, Western Literature focuses on the work of
established writers--and in doing this, it misrepresents the
independent, populist spirit inherent to the West. "Ring of
Fire" works against this literary trend, including materials from
well known authors such as Tom McGuane ("Fishing the Big
Hole"), Greg Keeler (Poems), and Mark Spragg
("Greybull") while giving equal attention to pieces by
relative unknowns, such as Susan Marsh ("Beyond Thunder
Mountain") and Burt Bradley (Poems). Laura Bell's "Two
Ocean Pass" is a revelation--and, I suspect, we'll be hearing
more from her. Moreover, "Ring of Fire" is the product of
the independent Rocky Mountain Press.

All of the writing here is
shaped by the land--and not all of the writers agree about the issues
embedded in it. These are pieces on subjects that touch the lives of
those who live in the West: wolves (Gary Ferguson' "The
Yellowstone Wolves: The First Year"); land management
(C.L. Rawlins' "On Spread Creek"); and wildlife (Paul
Schullery's "The Bear Doesn't Know," Patrick Dawson's
"Why We Kill the Yellowstone Buffalo," and Geneen Marie
Haugen's "A Relationship of Substance"). Moreover, the
writers represented here have a variety of careers and backgrounds:
Some have lived in the Ring all their lives; others have moved here
for whatever reasons. The end result is a range of perspectives as
diverse as the landscape itself.

I would make two suggestions--both
minor. First, more short fiction might strengthen this collection.
(For example, Julia Hoskin's "Personal Effects" is a fine
story that leaves the reader wanting more). The prose here is heavily
weighted toward the essay. Second, "Ring of Fire"'s cover
made me wish there had been photography included, a visual supplement
to the stories, essays, and poems.

Hoagland's background as a
published poet is much in evidence here as seen in the beauty of his
selections--and some of his poetry has been included--and "Ring
of Fire" has tremendous coherence. From the variety of voices
and perspectives, this ring of fire creates a unity that is uniquely
western.

This book is great, especially if you're a hiker, but whitewater rafters wont find info in here on Cataract.

an excellent resource full of detailed maps, full color photographs, and detailed explanations of the geological features of each area of the Park. It will greatly enhance your exploration of the park.

Sometimes I need to stop reading a book for the night but decide to read one more chapter. Then I find myself sliding into the next chapter, and the next, etc. This is one of those books. The Rock is well written and it covers the subject. On occasion it does wax purple as though the author prefers poetry to prose and the theme of the apologetic white man who tries to defend and bond with the aboriginal has become hackneyed, especially given the attitudes of the aboriginals themselves toward other cultures and toward wild animals. Yet this attitude and no other seems to satisfy the demands of today's marketplace.

After penning Boulder Climbs North and South, magnificent achievements in their own right, Rossiter moves north to the high country and catalogs more than just the classics. With every section of the high peaks covered in full detail including topos and pictures of each route, the climbing guide portion of the book is thouroughly covered. In addition, the author's comments and history keep this book from becoming a stale reference.

I was very impressed with this book. It is very descriptive with photographic route maps, and easy to read topos. This book covers all the crag areas in Rocky Mountain National Park. I liked the book because of its ease of route finding. For anyone planning to visit RMNP for climbing purposes, I recomend getting this book before you go. It is the same book sold at the local climbing shops around the park.

A meticulously researched, beautifully written treasure, filled-with fascinating photographs, plans, drawings and paintings as well as apt quotations. Even includes a map of plant associations and lists of the different species as well as places to picnic, golf, ride and play ball to be found in Washington's planned city wilderness. A fitting tribute to the positive impact of the Olmsted family of landscape architects on the nation's capital.

A thorough history, well written and spiced with anecdotes, this book shows the surpising rapidity with which the settlers in the area adapted to its greater value as a tourist mecca than as a ranching or mining prospect. It then dramatizes how the Park Service learned to negotiate the competing claims of wilderness lovers, water needs of ranchers, and vehicle visitors to provide an acceptable experience for all the varied lovers of the Rockies.

My husband designs roller coasters, and I wanted to get a book for our son who, someday, is going to be riding them! (He's 7 weeks old today :) This is a great book for kids who may be a little scared of roller coasters, and who need to know exactly what happens from waiting in line to getting back in line after the ride is over! Easy read and great pictures!