"Men For the Mountains" By Sid Marty

[BrianF]

Just re-read this gem. Sid Marty is an excellent writer who was also a Ranger/Warden in the Canadian Rockies. Funny and well told adventures in rangering, history of the Warden service and an indictment of the Parks Canada policies at the time (he had to leave the service after this book came out). Recommend it highly, especially to our ranger friends. He also wrote a companion to it called "Switchbacks" and a more journalistic book called "The Black Grizzly of Whiskey Creek" about a series of bear attacks in Banff before the Park figured out their garbage and bear policies: all of them good reads but "men" is the best.

[Hetchy]

I read this book after the CDT while I was hanging around in Waterton Lake Alberta, Canada. The story was so compelling I read the book cover to cover in two days. The life and work of a backcountry Warden(Ranger) in Canada. How he starts out not even knowing how to ride horseback or throw a hitch on pack stock but is "thrown right into the fire" from day one! The fascinating stories of SAR work. The conservation aspect of the job. Dealing with the public. Men for the Mountains and The Last Season have really opened my eyes to these amazing folks I always took for granted. These folks are just people like us that must not only deal with every level of Human kind but also a buerocratic structure that sees only dollars and makes no sense. There are some hilarious stories of the various old time rangers.
I always thought I would like to be a Backcountry Ranger.. After reading these books I am not sure I have what it takes.
Anyhow, This is a superb book! Very much recommended!

[Shawn]

Always one to look for a good book, I started searching online to buy a copy. Oddly, the entire book is available online via "Google Books". Go figure.

Thanks for the recommendations.

http://books.google.com/books?id=iP7tje ... &q&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[maverick]

Thanks Brian, I love anything to do with bears, especially if it is non-fiction.