When in the summer of 2002 I was researching a resource book that would help me climb the Grand. After reading through numerous reviews on Amazon I was thrilled to hear how highly regarded this book was, and without a doubt it's a single most useful book I have ever owned, besides Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, of course.
If you consider to climb anything in the Tetons, look at this book to guide you through the difficult approaches, its photos are really detailed and offer enough inside information to pinpoint your destination and the routes of ascend.
This is it, buy it and take it with you on all your Teton Climbs ( or take the pages you need to save the bulky weight).

A good climbing guide is a personal friend. You spend hours reading about possible climbs, adventures awaiting for you. There is much pleasure in browsing a climbing guide, remembering the climbs you have made, those climbs not completed due to severe weather or other reasons, and all those climbs you have yet to try. My Teton guidebook has particular value as I always inscribe notes about my climbs: the date, my companions, the weather, route finding tips (or conversely, where I went astray), elapsed time, and other items of interest.

This third edition, 1996, is more than four hundred pages. It is much to bulky and heavy to carry on a climb. But it is a remarkable reference of virtually every climbing route in the Teton Range. The descriptions are detailed and well-written. I have not encountered any climbing guide that is comparable in detail and scope to this work by Leigh Ortenburger and Reynold Jackson.

The number of routes and variations on the favorite peaks can be overwhelming. (The most commonly used route is highlighted.) Route descriptions range from easy scrambles to difficult climbs requiring substantial technical skill on ice, snow, and rock. Numerous excellent black and white photos with climbing routes overlain are scattered throughout the texts. Also, there are many detailed ink drawings of more difficult climbs.

For climbers new to the Tetons, the authors have listed more than 130 of their favorite routes ranging from easy scrambles to severe climbs 5.12 in difficulty, as well as difficult technical ice climbing routes.

The first sixty pages provide an overview of the Tetons that alone is better than most publications on the Tetons. Major topics include a history of Teton climbing, descriptions of great climbs and traverses, details on the national park service policy, and a discussion of the difficulty rating system.

In my view the most helpful parts in this introduction were the sections on Teton weather and climatology and a detailed description of the Teton canyons and approaches. The hints provided by Ortenburger and Jackson can save you countless hours of frustrating bushwacking.

I have used A Climber's Guide to the Teton Range for many years beginning with the first edition dating back to the 1960s by Leigh Ortenburger. In the intervening years a condensed version, an extended version (volume 2), and a second and third edition have been published. This third edition is really quite exceptional and I highly recommend this guidebook to anyone planning to climb in Grand Teton National Park.

I used this book on a 3 week climbing trip where I climbed the Teton 7. On the routes I climbed I never felt as if I was misled or not provided crucial information. This is the best Teton guide book I have seen. There is such a wealth of information in this book that I couldn't imagine one person actually ever completing all of the routes. I chose to ignore one of the warnings in the guide book and did not rent a canoe for the approach to the CMC route on Mt. Moran (I instead walked around the lake). Lets just say they know what they are talking about. The only thing bad about it is that the book is rather large. Copy the pages you need and bring them on your climb.

This book outlines hundreds of different routes up all of the Wind's well-known peaks (as well as several not-so-well-know ones). He did a phenomenal job amassing all of this information. There is enough here for a short lifetime of awesome mountain trekking.

Kelsey held no punches with this one. The information Kelsey gives is mean, lean, and straight to the point. Novices beware, this book makes no attempts to come down to anyone's level. This is both its virtue and its vice. Be forewarned, this book is written for those grounded in that arts of route-finding, technical climbing, and alpine survival. It is not a hiking book. If you are uncomfortable with this, either buy a more toned-down Wind River guide, or pick up a book to build your skills like "Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills" and start psyching yourself up for some world class backcountry.

I bought this book to plan a week-long backpacking trip. It is very similar in concept to Secor's "High Sierra" guide for CA's Sierra Nevada: Adequate description of the trails and off-trail passes, and comprehensive information for climbers on about everything climbable. I am not a technical climber and cannot judge the book's usefulness as a real "climbing guide", but I like to take off-trail excursions, shortcuts, and scrambles. Together with the "Earthwalk" topos (which are excellent) this book was just the right thing for planning a backpacking trip with "side adventures". If you stay strictly on the trail, you might find a pure trail guide more useful, as trail descriptions only make up 10 or 20% of the text. Off-trail travel turned out to be easy in the Wind Rivers, though.
The book has a short and very interesting account of the history of Wind River exploration.

Joe Kelsey has taken the old trail book of Finis Mitchell's and turned it into a Trail and Mountain Guide that leads you to every nook and crany, you would want to go.

Many years before Joe's book, I would hike the Winds with Mitchells book in hand as if I was following an old adventurers pencil notebook. Today, Joe Kelsey's "Wind River Hiking/Climbing Guide" is as necessary as the matches.

Great snapshot of stories of Wyoming's early days and the "entertainment" available to the cowboys and the trouble they got into when they were entertaining. It appears that a lot of research had to be done to find out the details and stories to put into this writing. Fun reading..

Great stories by a great storyteller. Reading each chapter is like eating a bowl of peanuts, before you know it you're done and really enjoyed!

Author, historian, Larry Brown, has written a well researched book on the house's of illrepute popular on the western frontier.

Patricia McLinn's Wyoming Wildflowers miniseries continues with MATCH MADE IN WYOMING, bringing together two quite unlikely characters. Indeed, they have nothing in common except a mutual friend and denied passion.

A searing kiss under the mistletoe proves that lawyer Taylor Larson and ranch manager Cal Ruskoff share a possibility for explosive passion. Despite their attraction, however, it takes their matchmaking buddy Mattie and a rescued dog to bring these fiercely independent characters two together. When they are snowed in together, passion ignites, and the resulting fire threatens to consume them both.

Unfortunately, snowplows to the rescue dampen the flames as Cal resurrects the walls he builds between himself and all others. Indeed, Cal's past has left him badly scarred, and unwilling to risk his heart. He only accepts Sin, the rescued dog, under protest, and allowing Taylor to know of his past leaves him unbearably vulnerable.

Although the plot seems to loose its momentum toward the end, MATCH MADE IN WYOMING is a delightful read with its rich characterizations. The hero's vulnerability makes him especially appealing, despite his tendency to push the heroine away even as they draw closer. Further, the dog threatens to steal the show with his charm and theatrics. Recommended.

Cal Ruskoff might work out on the wide open spaces of Matty's ranch (heroine from Almost a Bride), but he's built a wall around himself that no one can quite breach. At least not until a snowstorm forces Taylor Larson to stay at the ranch. She thinks she's making a hole in this tough man's armor, but in the end, she finds she's simply knocking her head against a brick wall. Cal isn't ready for a relationship, and Taylor is settling for anything less.

In Match Made in Wyoming, Patricia McLinn crafts two people with painful pasts who find a brilliant future together in this second book of her Wyoming Wildflower series!

Small town lawyer Taylor Larsen is everything ranch foreman Cal Ruskin doesn't want to want. . .and everything he needs, even though he's convinced himself the secrets he keeps buried deep in his soul preclude his ever being able to love this warm, generous woman the way she deserves to be loved. But when a mutual friend, a scrawny, abandoned Collie puppy, and a perfectly timed Montana blizzard conspire to throw Cal and Taylor together for a very cozy three days in a very small house, Cal cannot resist at least sampling what life with Taylor could be like. . .and Taylor cannot resist prying apart the shell that Cal keeps clamping around him whenever she gets too close.

This story is remarkable on many levels, not the least of which is the skill with which Miss McLinn tells it. You may think you've read every ranch/cowboy/snowbound story out there, but trust me -- this one is not only different, but proves, without a doubt, that some of the best writing around is to be found in category romance. These characters -- their dialogue, their fears, their complex personalities -- are very real. As a reader, I couldn't help fall under Cal's spell -- a good, troubled, mixed-up man who forces Taylor to confront some of her own demons, even as he refuses to face his own -- even as I completely empathized with Taylor's frustration every time Cal retreated into his cave, as well as her determination not to let him get away with it! There's a lot of subtle -- and not so subtle -- humor here, the lovescenes are at once tender and sizzling, and the emotions and fears of both characters wrap themselves around the reader's heart and don't let go. This is one of those rare books -- for me, anyway - - whose characters truly stay with you long after the final page. A keeper for sure!

I read "Summer Skies" first but this one should be read first. The Randall brothers are a good bunch of guys without too many hangups to brood over. They just need the perfect women for them to show up and whip them into shape.

I also bought "Randall's Riches" about the next generation and look forward to more coming out in this series this summer and fall. (2002)

This is the first of two books in a long series about the Randall family and, principally, the desire of Jake Randall to marry off his younger brothers. Wyoming Winter deals with Chad and Pete and both books are very enjoyable. One of the best parts of these books is that characters from the first novel feature in the second and I am sure that this will be the case in "Summer Skies". I have just ordered Summer Skies as I cannot wait to see how the other two brothers get married off.

Big tip: if you are pregnant and feeling fat, bloated or unloved, you are just going to love the second book, Cowboy Daddy

Is it possible to fall in love with a character I think it is. This is the case with Wyoming Winter I loved this book I purchased it from my local bookstore and didn't get the chance to read it right away but when I did I found myself staying up til 2 in the morning just to finish it. I was excited that Judy Christenberry decided to reissuse the Randall Brothers series because I have been looking for the books for some time now. I have read "Cowboy Come Home" the story of Randall cousin Griffin first not realizing until it was to late that there were other books in the series. This a light hearted read and will without a doubt have you laughing out loud at some the characters descriptions and interactions. I recommand it and "Summer Skies" to any romance reader.

The title sums it all up. The book is indeed useful, you can find all sorts of neat features by using it, but it really is a bit simplified. Perhaps it's just me, but it was GREAT for my kids (8 and 11) who are both, well, they read. Anything. As long as they can catch it.

This was the text for part of our Field Camp. I was fortunate enough to have the Dr. Fritz as my personal guide to Yellowstone National Park. I still use the book as a reference in my personal studies of U.S. Geology. It is must for anyone traveling to Yellowstone with even the most remote interest in Geology.

I'm a nerd. I was left with nothing to read in the cold nights. I was also having trouble sleeping. I thought this book would help.

Yes it put me to sleep because reading about rock and millenia of dirt moving is tiresome.

But what I absorbed made me look at yellowstone in a new way. The book was quite clear-and I could see and easily understand how Americas greatest monument to beauty was madeof millions of years.

It's like seeing the Louvre after taking an art class. The paint on canvass comes alive with history and meaning.

So too if you read this.

A hiking guide by the "elder statesman" Wind River mountain man. One of the highlights of this short book is the autobiographical sketch. Finis Mitchell has hiked the Wind Rivers since 1909, taken 105,345 pictures and has scaled 244 peaks. The book provides short descriptions of numerous hikes, gives directions to trailheads, and, for fishermen, describes the fish species that the lakes along the trails contain. Scattered throughout the book are poems and sayings by Mitchell. Only 144 pages long, the book lacks details found in other Wind River trail guides, but nonetheless is a gem.

Finis Mitchell is the real thing; a true nature lover who hiked the Wind River Range so many times, that he can actually give you landmark by landmark directions to hikes, fishing and scaling peaks. He has a no-nonsense wisdom paired with a poetic nature. The story of how he stocked many of the lakes with trout is fascinating. Very clear routes to Gannet and Dinwoody Pass.

Finis Mitchell (Author) is known as the ultimate authority on the Wind River Range (Wyoming). He began exploring the Wind Rivers as a teenager (1920s), later worked as a guide and outfitter there, planted most of the lakes with fish. Book is small (fits in backpack). Has maps (including USFS/USGS references), photos, very detailed written descriptions of trail systems in Wind Rivers. Marvelous detailed accounts of how he planted hundreds of lakes with Fish back in the 30s. Great detail on which trails are best for which purpose, etc. There are other, fancier, newer-style books on the Wind River Range, but only this book is written by a man who literally walked every single inch, scaled every peak, fished every lake in the entire range....the book is sort of a novelty item as well, in that it is actually printed in what looks like his original typewriter font...the maps are hand-drawn, but are actually more reliable in some ways that actual USGS maps of same area. FANTASTIC BOOK...A COLLECTORS ITEM..AND A VERY USEFUL TEXT AS WELL.

I read a library copy of this book several months ago and now I am thinking about buying a copy for my own library. I thought it was a bit uneven but parts of it have stuck with me. I want to go back and reread it. I found similarities between this book and the nature writings of Amish author David Kline.

When a book comes along that speaks with a voice that gives the reader an emotional understanding of the west, it quickly moves to the top of our "must read" list. "Windmill. Essays from Four Mile Ranch" by David Romtvedt is such a book. It is a book that makes the reader feel that you are there...experiencing a real understanding of what it means to live and work in the west.

Calling Romtvedt's experiences "essays" is appropriate. They are separate stories...but more than merely stories. They appear to be unrealated chapters, but the thread that weaves throughout is an understanding and appreciation of living in the west. Those who live, or have lived in Wyoming and the west (and we mean LIVED in the west, not just had a residence there), will share the kindred spirit of which Romtvedt writes.

Often, when reading these essays, we had to put the book down momentarily to absorb the words, and the experiences behind the words. The words paint pictures of the landscape, the heritage, and contemporary life near Buffalo, Wyoming. Romtvedt allows us to peer into his very personal thoughts and experiences. He lets us know that there is beauty in the "mundane", for what we may first perceive as mundane can been experienced on so many levels. The only limitations to our experiences are those we impose upon ourselves. In Windmill, Romtvedt shows us that it is possible to experience the beauty of the west through something as common as a windmill, as distant as the thunder rolling across the plains and as close as ourselves.

Through this book, we are able to experience the beauty of simple words and the complexity of the west. Romtvedt draws us into his world and shows us how easy it is to open ourselves to an awareness of life around us. Whether intended or not, he almost seems to defy us NOT to increase our awareness as we share his awareness of his world.

Occasionally, the pictures painted by the words are enhanced with charcoal drawing (or pencil drawings) by Gregory Truett Smith. Those pages don't detract from the word pictures, but rather make us wish there were more of them.

The following passage from the book shows the beauty and meaning of simple things:

"One June night as I was coming down out of the Bighorns with my friend John Lane, we saw a light we didn't recognize off to the northeast. UFOs maybe, or a giant city that had been built in our two-week absence from civilization. We stopped our truck and got out. In the stillness, we saw the Northern Lights - long shimmering bands of yellow and white pouring down from the top of the world, then racing back up.

We stared. After a few minutes, we heard the rumbling of thunder from the southeast, and, turning, we saw lightning - jagged fierce bolts, some running up and down, some back and forth across the sky. We turned from one light to the other.

Next came singing. It wasn't the long howling singing of wolves - the last Bighorn wolf was shot in 1939. Rather, it was the singing of coyotes - short bright yips very close to laughter. There were so many singers that the song took on a quality that seemed familiar, human.

Sheep need to be protected from coyotes but I can't help but feel sympathy for the clever dog. Coyote will find a way around every impediment - traps, poisons, guns, trucks, snowmobiles, airplanes. When night falls, no matter how hard the day, Coyote begins to sing. Coyote's song is 'We are here; it is now'."

Romtvedt's words are simple. They invite us to share personal experiences. They invite us to be open to personal experiences of our own. The book quotes poet Lew Welch when he made an observation to a friend:

"...to the mountains the trees are just passing through".

This not only shows us OUR place; but shows how important it is for we mere mortals to appreciate our place in the world around us. Romtvedt expresses that appreciation. He shows us how simple that complex appreciation can be...and, in many ways...how vital it is for us to cultivate that appreciation.

If the contemporary west has a voice, it may be the voice of David Romtvedt. If it is not HIS voice, "Windmill. Essays from Four Mile Ranch" shows us that, without a doubt, he HEARS that voice.

The Wyoming Companion

In his essays on his small town, the local economy, the local culture, being a nonhunter, death, sheep, and weather, Romtvedt indeed conveys a sense of place and simple wisdom. Recommended for regional, large public, and academic libraries. LIBRARY JOURNA

Ed Hardy has written an engaging book. Drawing from some of his life experiences, both as a youth in the Fingerlakes region of New York and as a journalist and newspaper reporter, his portrait of a dysfunctional family was engaging and humorous even if it sometimes hit too close to home. I found myself hoping, for the authors sake, that the familial relationships portrayed in the book were purely fictional. Discerning readers should enjoy the change of style vs. the sometimes overblown and gimmicky fiction on many of the best seller lists. It was a difficult book to put down. I'm looking forward to Mr. Hardy's next novel.

Geyser Life is simply one of the best contemporary novels I've read in the last five years. It was engaging, entertaining, thought-provoking, and funny, a thorough pleasure that I lead me to feel sad when I had finished because I wanted the experience to continue. I was extremely impressed by Hardy's ability to manage several different first-person voices in the novel, each of them a distinct character, each one interesting in its own way. I have recommended this novel to people I know, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a excellent novel that is both readable and intelligent. I can't wait for Hardy's next work.

I found this first novel really interesting. The characters were familiar but not like those in other books. I loved the structure and plot, both of which kept me reading. I learned something about families, including my own, from the ways in which the sister, brother and father related to each other. I would recommend this book highly.

Tramp is a great addition to the Lilly Bennett series. This is the kind of book you can easily read on a rainy day. It holds your attention until the very end.

Lilly Bennett continues to solve the mystery while cutting a swath thru food and drink, clothes and parties, that most of us only dream of. Her catty insights and tongue in cheek comments are delightful. But, there's something different about this Lilly. I'm not going to say what, see for yourself. It's still a great series and I'm really looking forward to the next one.

Lilly Bennett was born to wealth and privilege. However, the vibrant Lilly is too intelligent of an individual to settle for a jet set lifestyle. Instead she has spent two decades working for the Santa Biancan police force. To avert a potentially nasty scandal, she resigns from her job as Chief of Detectives when she is caught in a compromising position with a married State Supreme Court Justice. Lilly returns to her home town of Round-Up, Texas to accept the position of U.S. Marshal. She also opens up a private investigation firm.

Her current case evolves around the death of Cyrus Vaile, a wealthy business-person, who bought and financed the local repertory theatre. Before the wealthy individual overdosed from excess digitalis added to his specially blended tea, he hired Lilly to learn what happened to the $20 million endowment he bestowed on the theatre that mysteriously disappeared. Not soon after Cyrus' death, an attempt is made on Lilly. That incident is followed by the death of an individual who ate poisoned mushrooms at a theatre party. A sabotaged catwalk falls onto the stage, injuring many of the performers and killing one person. It would be obvious to even the most obtuse person living inside the Beltway that someone is after individuals associated with the theatre group. Unless Lilly can find the culprit from a host of potential murderers, more death will follow.

The protagonist speaks with a brutal honesty that, though a bit brash and colloquial, perfectly fits the character. This makes the novel ring true. The cleverly constructed storyline is populated with an eccentric and colorful cast of scoundrels. Each one of them could easily be the villain. Tramp is a witty who-done-it that makes for fun reading.

Harriet Klausner