Hiking Mt. Cheam, Chilliwack, BC

Mt. Cheam summit

I sat on the patio of my in-law's house in Agassiz, BC on a late August afternoon drinking a beer.

"You see that mountain there?" my father-in-law said. He pointed to a great grey hulk of rock that jutted up into the sky, dominating the view from the deck. "That's Mt. Cheam and we are going to climb it tomorrow!"

The view from the patio

"Great!" I replied. This announcement came at the end of about two weeks of hiking and camping we had done through Jasper, Wells Gray and the Fraser Canyon. Still a little sore from the Tikwalus Hike we had done only a few days before, I was not sure if I was up to another relentless uphill slog. He was pretty keen on the idea though so I could not refuse.

The following day we hit the road for the trail head. We took my Jeep Grande Cherokee as he had learned that to get to the trail head, you must first negotiate about 20 kilometres of forestry roads, of which the last 10 kilometres was pitted with something called "water bars". I had never heard of them before but he informed us that apparently when the forestry roads are abandoned, they go along with a backhoe and carve out these depressions to allow the water to flow across the road without washing the road out all together. Some were apparently deep enough to "turn a Volkswagen on its roof and drive over". Needless to say he had decided we would not be taking his Ford Explorer, but rather my Jeep. He would "never take his Ford down a road like that!" I agreed but in the back of my mind realized that I still needed to use that Jeep to drive the 1200km back home after this vacation all the while pulling a trailer. But, that's what Jeeps are made for right?

The trail head with Lady Peak in the background

So off we went bright and early the next morning. We got to the much anticipated forestry road and came across our first water bar almost right away. I stopped and got out to take a look. Not too bad if I took it slow, and so we made our first crossing. After our initial success my nervousness eased and we carried on. They were all pretty much the same, some a little worse than others but taking it slowly we only bottomed out once.

"How many of these water bars are there?" I asked after the first kilometre.

"Oh, my friend says about 25 or so," he replied. Turns out there actually around 111 according to my wife and son who were counting as we plugged along.

Monkman Pass Memorial Trail

Suspension bridge at KM7 over the Murray River

At times hiking along the Monkman Trail you can see where the "highway" pushed its way through the bush over 80 years ago. The walking trail is a narrow strip flanked on each side by smaller trees and undergrowth. If you imagine hard enough you can picture an old Model T truck being pushed, pulled and dragged along this route in an effort to prove a highway to the BC interior could be built from the Peace Country.

We had cached our backpacks in the bush near the junction of the trail that lead down to the camp site at Devil's Creek and decided before we started heading back to the trailhead to take a walk up to Monkman Lake. We hoped for some clear skies as the last couple of days had been pretty cloudy and rain fell periodically, not enough to drench us, but it was enough to keep a general dampness about. The mountains around us were enveloped in a layer of mist most of the week and had made us hesitant about a planned day hike up to the Monkman Tarns. Instead we had chosen to spend a day exploring the waterfalls in the area, as this was the main attraction that had brought us out here.

View to the south from the limestone ridge around KM10

One of the markers along the trail

At Monkman Lake

Tikwalus Heritage Trail, Fraser Canyon, BC

At the Tikwalus Trail Head

Around us the cedars towered so high their tops were lost in the canopy that blocked the midday sun. We sat in the coolness on a bench constructed from logs. In front of us an information sign had been posted detailing the history of this portion of the trail. The "Lake House" it read, once the site of a cabin that had been used as a resting stop for gold miners trekking through the Fraser Canyon in search of their fortunes. Up on the rise across the little stream was a level spot with a pile of stones at one end. This was the place where the cabin had stood and the stones were remnants of a fireplace. Who would think to put a cabin here in such a remote a spot? In those days I suppose all these places were remote, This one maybe not so much, situated on what was a major route in 1858 and a good source of water about a 100m away in a small lake, hence the name. The story also told of a native girl who had seen her spirit bear around here. A white bear that emerged from the forest and vanished. She tried to follow it but did not see it again. This place is eerie, steeped in history, a sacred place to natives but ancient even before they discovered it.

The Chief Pahallak Viewpoint

Behind us the trail stretched back about 4km to the Trans Canada Highway, not far from the old Alexandra Lodge. The trail goes up a few stairs and then crosses a nice footbridge that had been built by the Hope Mountain Centre volunteers. From there it rises steeply into the forest. Information signs along the way offer a reason to stop periodically and get your breath back.

Ace Doubles F-145

Serial Number: F-145

Published: 1962, Ace Books.

List Price: 40 cents

Condition: Very good. Very good cover condition. Pages are tight to spine. No creasing on spine. Handwriting on first page and water stain on top corner.







The Seed of Earth - Robert Silverberg

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky

Next Stop The Stars - Robert Silverberg

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky













Next Stop the Stars contains the following short stories by the same author:

1. Slaves of the Star Giants - Copyright 1956 by Royal Publications Inc.
2. The Songs of Summer - Copyright 1956 by Columbia Publications Inc.
3. Hopper - Copyright 1956 by Royal Publications Inc.
4. Blaze of Glory - Copyright 1957 by Galaxy Publishing Corp.
5. Warm Man - Copyright 1957 by Fantasy House Inc.

The Seed of Earth is dedicated to Robert Bloch

NOTE:  The spine is a pink and blue color as opposed to the normal white and blue for this series.

Ace Doubles D-421

Serial Number: D-421

Published: 1960, Ace Books. Paperback Original

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Very good. Very good cover condition. Pages are tight to spine but do not want to bend them back fully. Very little creasing on the spine.

Dr. Futurity - Philip K. Dick

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky

Slavers of Space - John Brunner

Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Hiking Plans for 2015

Overlooking Yale, BC en route to the Spirit Caves

The plan for this year is to get in several hikes in various locations. Due to my operation last year I was unable to do any hiking until a hike down to Eaton Falls near Grande Cache toward the end of the summer. Considering a year ago today I went under the knife for my surgery for a perforated bowel, I am thankful that I am at the point I can consider doing some serious hiking this year!
I am in the process of building a group of people that would be interested in doing some of this hiking as I believe there is of course safety in numbers and since our encounter with the grizzly bear a couple of years ago I am reluctant to hike alone or even as a family. This may seem a little absurd to some but it is still the state of mind we are in.

So planning for 2015 I have the following routes in mind:

• Eaton Falls in Grande Cache day hike
• Grande Mountain in Grande Cache day hike
• Mt. Hamell in Grande Cache day hike
• Stearn High Country Loop 2 day backpack
• Wells Gray Provincial Park day hikes
• Spirit Caves in the Fraser Canyon day hike
• Tikwalus Trail in the Fraser Canyon overnight backpack
• Monkman Trail to Monkman Lake in Tumbler Ridge, 7 day backpacking trip

We have begun training already, mainly indoor track work at the Eastlink Centre and I have made

At the foot of Lightning Ridge, Grande Cache

one bicycle ride into work this year already, which is about an 8km one way ride. This has started to get the leg muscles built up. I still have a good size scar down my abdomen from the operation and have been slowly building up those muscles with crunches. The shorter day hikes at the beginning of the year should help me gauge how much I can handle leading up to the final Monkman Trail expedition which we are planning for September 5.

Ace Doubles D-509

Serial Number: D-509

Published: 1961, Ace Books.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Readable. Very good cover condition. Pages are tight to spine but do not want to bend them back fully.

The Beast Master - Andre Norton

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky








Star Hunter - Andre Norton

Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Ace Doubles D-507

Serial Number: D-507

Published: 1961, Ace Books.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Readable. Very good cover condition but they are weak at the spine. Pages are very tight to spine.

Meeting At Infinity - John Brunner

Cover Art: John Schoenherr









Beyond the Silver Sky - Kenneth Bulmer

Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Notes in the Margin

One of the aspects of collecting anything is the perceived assumption that the thing being collected should be in some type of pristine condition to make it more attractive. Though this is true to some degree, I do not always hold true to that ideal. In fact one of the things I enjoy about my collection of Sci Fi books and a few magazines is imagining what they were like in their new condition as they sat on a shelf somewhere waiting to be purchased. I imagine the kid many decades ago looking at the ads in the magazine or comic and wondering about if those things for sale were really as cool as depicted and wonder how many times someone may have decided to part with their money and take a chance. So I was pleasently surprised to find some handwritten notes in the margin of a November 1959 edition of Astounding Science Fiction that I bought this weekend at the Fort Langley antiques mall. It also ties into being a long time fan of the Canadian Football League. These notes were written on the exact date of November 26, 1983 and for some reason the author decided to jot down that he had made a $25.00 bet on the BC Lions to win the Grey Cup the next day. I thought it was strange that the person would choose a 1959 copy of Astounding Science Fiction to make this note. Further to this revelation the author also revealed that they had never placed a bet on the Lions before. Of course my interest was piqued so I immediately looked up the results and saw that BC had actually lost the 1983 Grey Cup to the Toronto Argonauts. However as I was flipping again through the magazine I saw the person had made notes the next day that they had lost the money.

So what would make a person right a note to self in a magazine I wonder? Was it a note to future readers? A moment caught in time inspired by the fact they were reading a science fiction magazine? Do you have any opinions or perhaps you were the one who made the note!

Ace Doubles D-471

Serial Number: D-471

Published: 1960, Ace Books.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Readable. Very good cover condition, pages are very tight to spine. No visible creases may never have been read

The Secret Martians - Jack Sharkey

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky









Sanctuary in the Sky - John Brunner

Cover Art: Basil Gogot

Ace Doubles D-491

Serial Number: D-491

Published: 1961, Ace Books.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Readable. Very good cover condition, pages are very tight to spine.

The Big Time - Fritz Leiber
Magazine version copyright 1958 by Galaxy Publishing Inc.

Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Appeared in two parts in Galaxy Science Fiction, March and April 1958





The Mind Spider and Other Stories - Fritz Leiber

Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)







The Mind Spider contains the following short stories by the same author:

1. The Haunted Future - Copyright 1959 by Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. (Magazine title: Tranquility or Else! - Fantastic Science Fiction, November 1959)
2. Damnation Morning -  Copyright 1959 by Ziff-Davis Publishing Co.
3. The Oldest Soldier - Copyright 1960 by Mercury Press Inc.
4. Try and Change the Past -Copyright 1958 by Street & Smith Publications Inc.
5. The Number of the Beast - Copyright 1959 by Galaxy Publishing Inc.
6. The Mind Spider -  Copyright 1959 by Ziff-Davis Publishing Co, appeared in Fantastic Science Fiction, November 1959

Notes: Fantastic Science Fiction November 1959 was a special Fritz Leiber edition

Ace Doubles D-431

Serial Number: D-431

Published: 1960, Ace Books.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Readable. Good cover condition, pages are tight to spine.

Lost In Space - George O. Smith
Copyright 1959 by George O. Smith
Copyright 1954 by Better Publications Inc.
By arrangement with Thomas Bouregy & Co.
Cover Art: Ed Valigursky





Earth's Last Fortress - A.E. Van Vogt
Copyright 1960 by Ace Books Inc.
Magazine version entitled Recruiting Station appeared in Astounding Science Fiction and is copyright 1942 by Stuart and Smith Publications Inc.
Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Ace Doubles D-375

Serial Number: D-375

Published: 1959, Ace Books.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Readable. Fire in the Heavens ok. Masters of Evolution has pages falling out. Covers are in good shape.

Fire in the Heavens - George O. Smith
Copyright 1958 by Thomas Bouregy & Co.








Masters of Evolution - Damon Knight
Copyright 1958 by Thomas Bouregy & Co.
Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Ace Double D-249

Serial Number: D-249

Published: 1957, AA Wyn Inc.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Unreadable. Poor, pages falling out. Covers are in good shape however with slight creasing.

The  Cosmic Puppets - Philip K Dick
First published by Satellite Science-Fiction magazine 1956, Renown Publications Inc.
Cover Art: Ed Valigursky







Sargasso of Space - Andrew North (Andre Norton, Alice Mary Norton)
Copyright 1955 by arrangement of Gnome Press Inc.
Cover Art: Emsh. Note: The artists name has been incorporated into the control panel on or over the astronaut's left shoulder.

Hike to Cutbank Falls

On the weekend I took a little hike with the Junior Forest Wardens club to Cutbank Falls. The trailhead is located about 45 minutes south of Grande Prairie, just after you cross the Cutbank River. We parked out vehicles in the rather large area off the highway.This is a pretty easy jaunt through the trees that follows ATV trails. The trails are pretty rutted due to the heavy use of off road vehicles. There is a rather long hill about halfway to deal with but apart from that the trail is pretty straight forward and we had and number of small children that were able to make the whole trip with no major issues.
Once at the river you are treated to a nice view as the Cutbank River splits into two separate waterfalls. On the day we went it was pretty cool with some flakes of snow blowing about in the air. In the summer I believe people come down here and go swimming in the river below the falls.
On the return trip we picked up a few bags of garbage and beer cans. I can see why quadders aren't too keen on helmet laws. Probably makes it too hard to drink while tearing through the bush.
As I said above. It was a pretty easy trek with a daypack and some sandwiches. It would be interesting to go at different times of the year to see the river in its various forms as the seasons pass.

The Foulest of Murders

The Foulest of Murders: The Story of Grande Prairie's 1918 Unsolved Murder of 6 by Wallace Lloyd Tansem

Picked up this book at the Grande Prairie Farmer's Market a few weeks ago. I am always interested in local history so when I saw this and discovered there was an unsolved murder from the early part of the 20th century I just had to read it.

The book was published after the death of the author who had been researching this topic for a number of years. It is not so much a story as a collection of facts and transcripts of legal documents, police reports and newspaper articles revolving around the murders. At the time of the murders in 1918 it was big news as it involved two incidents. The first near Clairmont in which a man and his nephew were killed and their cabin burned to the ground in an apparent attempt to hide evidence. The second incident occurred three or four miles north-west and involved the death of four trappers who were in the process of moving out of the area to seek fortunes further south.

Hike Into Willmore Wilderness: Conclusion

It was now Wednesday. After the terrific storm of the night before and the warnings we had received from other travellers about the weather possibly turning, we decided that we would
pack up our camp and move back up the Mountain Trail to the campground at Seep Creek. This would put us about 10km closer to the trail head.  Once we got there we would set up camp, spend the night and when we awoke the following morning we would evaluate the weather. If it was nice I would go on a solo hike with one of the dogs up the Seep Creek trail while Harold remained behind with the other dog whose feet were not fairing so well. If the weather was bad we decided we would just pack up camp and head back to the cars. It seemed pointless to sit in the rain all day Thursday just so we could go to bed wet and hike out on Friday.
We packed up and headed out shortly before noon. The trip was mostly uneventful. We again crossed the various creeks. We stopped again at the patrol cabin where we ran into another group of hunters on their way out on horse back. This group also had a chuck wagon. They were pretty friendly folks.
We took a break at Carson Creek campground, which is well used by outfitters and the like. It was empty while we were there but I had no doubt that it would see lots of activity over the next few weeks.
We met one fellow on his way out to hunt carrying just a backpack and a rifle. He said his pack was about 50 pounds. If he shot something his plan was he would butcher the sheep out there. Then he would stash his camping gear and walk the 20 or so km back to his vehicle with the carcass. He would then have to walk back the 20km to get his gear and then walk back to his vehicle again. He said he was used to it as he was a pretty avid hunter and a “young buck”. We wished him well and then we parted ways.
We reached Seep Creek campground. I wasn’t too impressed by this camp as it was in the trees which blocked any good views of the surrounding area. The creek was a fair walk away as well. Again the clouds were threatening. One minute it was raining the next the sun was out. the weather just could not make up its mind. We spent the evening chatting and eating, alternating between sitting by the fire pit (without a fire) and ducking for cover under the tarps. When darkness fell the clouds cleared off and the stars came out. I decided it was too early to sleep so gathered up what dry wood I could find and built a fire. We sat around for a bit then turned in.
At 3 am I was awakened by the sounds of rain on my tarp. Fed up with it all I secretly hoped it would continue so we could pack up and leave. The rest of my night was snatches of broken sleep. At one point I heard a rustling around the camp site. As I peered into the darkness with my headlamp I caught the reflection of animal eyes. It was one of the dogs who had decided to go for a walk. Once I discovered it was  the dog, I actually relaxed enough to get a few winks when I was awoken again by Harold looking for where his dog had gotten to. He then wandered off into the woods to answer the call of nature. Next time I awoke it was to the sound of Harold who had apparently gotten disoriented in the dark. I had seen his headlamp flickering around in the woods a couple of times but had just assumed he was going about his business.
Eventually 5:30am rolled around. In the gloom of morning and amid the rain, I decided to get up, put on my rain gear and have breakfast. I made some coffee.We decided we were heading home. In between showers we packed up our bags and hit the trail just as the clouds cleared off. We rolled our eyes in the sunlight and decided “Screw it, we’re leaving”.
It was actually good we did pack up when we did because not long after the clouds rolled in and a steady stream of rain fell on us the whole way back. This compounded with the muddy trail chewed up well by horse hooves
and another couple of river crossings, made for a wet slog back. Fortunately, when you know that at the end of the trail there are dry clothes and a truck with a heater your spirits stay pretty high even for 8 or 10 km.
 We got back to the vehicles about 11 am. I had a bag with some dry clothes, deodorant and running shoes. I changed quickly in the outhouse. The parking lot was full of horse trailers and vehicles. As I pulled out the Fish and Game officers were pulling in with their horse trailer. They would be in the area for a while keeping tabs on the hunters.
At Highway 40 Harold and I parted ways, he back to Edmonton and myself to Grande Prairie. I planned a stop in Grande Cache for some Chinese food but when I got there found the restaurant had just closed after the lunch hour. I found a steak house and pigged out on a cheeseburger and onion rings followed by a slice of cheesecake.
I would regret that decision later that night as I awoke in my own bed and ran to the bathroom to spend a few minutes dry heaving. It takes a bit for the stomach to re-acclimatize after eating processed / dried food I guess. While I sat in the chair recovering I flicked on the TV. On PBS there was a show called “Night of the Grizzlies” about some bear attacks that happened in a park in Montana in the 60’s.

I was glad I hadn’t seen it prior to my hiking trip.

Hike Into Willmore Wilderness Part Four

Once again we awoke to clear blue skies. I got up and ate the last bagel I had packed so it sort of marked the passing of time. I had brought along three bagels as part of my food supply and ate one each morning toasted over my MSR Pocket Rocket stove. Along with this I was having a package of instant oatmeal and some instant coffee. I enjoy starting the day off with a good breakfast. Generally when I'm hiking I have a hot breakfast and a hot supper.
Lunch is not really an official event. I like to refer to it as second breakfast or elevensies in honor of Lord of the Rings! During the day we are usually on the move so I graze on dehydrate fruit, granola bars and chocolate bars. All-Bran bars were also a staple of my diet for this week of hiking. I decided on this trip to forgo trail mix. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis earlier this year. Apparently it is aggravated further by things like nuts and seeds. Last year a bout of stomach cramps landed me in the emergency ward the night before I was to go on a three day hike. In the back of my mind I was worried about a recurrence on this trip which would have been compounded further if we were several kilometres in the bush. Thankfully I had no stomach problems. Trail mix is a good weight to calories ratio however I am not taking a chance on stomach troubles.

The plan for the day (Tuesday) was to hike to Eagle's Nest Pass and take in some of the sights. Harold said there wasn't much to see overall, but we would go anyway just to follow the Mountain Trail further into Willmore Wilderness. The trail went through the pass which was basically a couple of rock faces and then a long descent to Rock Creek where there was a small campsite where we rested. It was still early in the day so we decided to walk further along the trail until we came into a large open valley where the Starlight Range bordered to the west. We stopped here and rested again for a bit.

As we were sitting there a couple of horseback riders approached from the direction we had just come. It was a guy and his daughter on their way further into the park. Sheep hunting season was going to be starting on Saturday and they were on their way in to set up camp and scope some possible hunting sites. They were pretty friendly and they rode on. We were ready to turn back and make the hike back through the pass to camp.

As we came through the pass a rainstorm blew in, not too intense but enough to make us don our raincoats. The rain was soon over however. We ran into four more hunters on horseback as we got closer to our camp. They didn't seem as talkative so we just let them pass. By the time we gotr to camp the sun was out and hot. I washed up in the creek again and cooked up a Mister Noodles for supper along with the last of my beef jerky.
Throughout the week we had been sort of neighbors with a couple and their dog. They weren't camped with us but they were somewhere close by. As we sat by our fire the man came over and asked us if anyone had been in our camp at all. We said we didn't think so as everything was in order when we got back. He said it looked as though someone had been in theirs while they were out day hiking. There were horse prints around the site and someone had unzipped their tent door and left it open. Unfortunately when the rain had blown in earlier that day it had gotten into their tent and their stuff was wet. I thought that was very unusual to happen way out here. Most people you would think would be respectful of each other's property. You need to have a lot of trust in your fellow hikers and so on as generally you leave your camp set up when you go on your day trips. There is no place to simply lock up your gear!
Once again a thunderstorm blew in about 9pm. This was by far the most intense. A couple of mounds of hail several inches high built up at the corners of my shelter and the lightning so loud you could swear it was striking only a few metres from the camp.
The nightly bouts with nature's awesome power were becoming a little tiresome. Nothing left to do again but turn in for the night. The guy we had spoken to earlier in the shadow of the Starlight Range had told us the weather was going to turn for the worse by the end of the week.
Regardless, this was our last night at this camp as we had decided we would make our way back toward Seep Creek the following day and do a day hike from there on Thursday before heading back to the trail head on Friday.

Hike Into Willmore Wilderness Part Three

Monday morning greeted us to clear blue skies and our main goal of the day was to hike up to an unnamed lake on the ridge line above our camp. I taped up my blistered foot with some gauze and duct tape and put on a fresh pair of thick socks over top a pair of lighter ones. We would be leaving our gear at camp and travelling with light packs with only a few essentials (rain gear, snacks, water, first aid etc.).
The trail was well used by both humans and horses and the climb took us about an hour through the trees. There were countless varieties of mushrooms along the way and I took a lot of pictures. I am really interested in plant identification but I am only just getting into it. As far as mushrooms go I know absolutely nothing. I never even realized how many varieties there were until this trip! There were many I have never seen before.

We eventually broke out of the trees on to a plateau that looked toward the scree slope descending from Cathedral Mountain. From this angle we got our first glimpse of the lake that was down in a valley. There was a stream flowing over a waterfall that descended toward the lake. We skirted the ridge line that rose between the slope down to the lake on one side and on the other an alpine meadow stretched toward the base of the scree slope. We stopped to drink out of the creek and eat some food all the while taking in the magnificent view of Cathedral Mountain. In front of us the lake stretched and beyond that were more mountains in the distance.
One of the things I like to do after a good hike is lay down in the grass and let the sun beat down on me. This inevitably leads to the nap monster creeping up and so I took the opportunity to doze for a little bit.

The wind started to get a little cool so I decided to go for a walk. I followed the ridge line up for a while to get some better angles of the the lake and the valley. We had toyed with the idea of hiking down to the lake but I wasn't too keen on the idea as my foot was still a little tender. I was quite happy to take in the views. From my vantage point I could look back across the meadow toward the foot of Cathedral Mountain. A person could follow that along and get right to the base no problem. At least that's how it looked. Experience tells me that some of those easy looking routes are not so easy once you start trying to actually do them.I scanned the mountainsides looking for signs of mountain goats or big horns but saw nothing. A few falling rocks attracted my attention but nothing came of it. I did see a marmot running about on the slopes.

Dark clouds started coming over the mountain top so I made my way back to where Harold was still dozing and suggested we should head back before getting caught in the rain. Just then thunder boomed around us again. We made our way back down to camp. The rain never came until about 7 when another terrific storm blew in, this one more intense than the night before and a little hail mixed in.
Looking back I think this day hike was the highlight of the week. It was a pleasant hike and the views from the top were just reward for the effort put in. It just goes to show that: Yes, places such as Jasper and Banff offer fantastic scenery but there are so many places with equally stunning vistas.
You just have to be willing to look for them!

Book Review: Men For The Mountains

"Men for the Mountains" by Sid Marty is a recollection of his days as a warden in Canada's national parks. Sid gets his first summer gig as a patrolman. He learns the hard way about the ins and outs of horseback riding in some of the more memorable and hilarious stories from the book. He is given an area of responsibility in Yoho National Park. He lives in a small cabin heated by a wood stove and draws water from a nearby stream. As the years progress he eventually gets on as a full time warden and the book is filled with  stories about his dealings with bears, camp cooks and horses. There is a very interesting chapter on what it takes to fight a fire on a mountainside in Jasper National Park using volunteers composed mainly of hippies and Vietnam era draft dodgers. It really is amazing to see the methods that are required to bring a fire under control under such extreme circumstances and the type of men it takes to see the job through.

Throughout, there is a constant theme that the warden should not be in the townsite sitting in an office but should instead be out in the park, patrolling the back country, maintaining the trails and keeping tabs on the wildlife and the people who choose to interact with that environment. There are other stories he tells of wardens in the early days of the Park Service. Ones that spent winters holed up in patrol cabins waiting out blizzards in mountain passes. Another of a warden who falls off his horse and survives several days under a tree as grizzly bears prowl about waiting for him to die. The stories depict the life of the pre-centralization wardens. No one gets into that type job for the money, it is purely for the love of nature and the lifestyle.