The Last Season
by Eric Blehm
Overview
From the Publisher
In the spirit of Jon Krakauer's bestselling Into the Wild, Eric Blehm's The Last Season examines the extraordinary life of legendary backcountry ranger Randy Morgenson and his mysterious disappearance in California's unforgiving Sierra Nevada.
The granite spires of the High Sierra have historically been a refuge of inspiration and adventure for the likes of John Muir and Ansel Adams, as well as for the pioneering rock climbers of the 1960s. But these mountains are as perilous as they are beautiful: here is where the Donner Party was trapped and where scores of unlucky hikers must be rescued every year. The Last Season tells the inspiring, poignant story of Morgenson, who, over the course of twenty-eight summers living alone in this craggy wilderness, became a celebrated ranger in the National Park Service's most adventurous unit. For the solitary, introspective Morgenson, who grew up in Yosemite Valley and as a young man honed his mountaineering skills in the Himalayas, this was more than a job -- it was a calling. He became fiercely devoted to preventing outside forces from encroaching on the wilderness he loved.
My thoughts
Wow. Just wow. They say this book is destined to become a classic. I would believe it. The writing is incredible and Eric Blehm should be proud of all he poured into this book. The research is unbelievably detailed. The format of the book, starting early on with the disappearance of Randy Morgensen and describing those who joined his search party, then backtracking to different times in Randy's life, was absolutely brilliant. I was on the edge of my chair, even though I was dreading what I feared would be the outcome. No spoilers here - you'll have to read the book to find out how the story ends - but it was a book I couldn't put down.
No one who knows me would call me an environmentalist but I have to admit a weakness for our National Park system. One accidental trip to Yellowstone many years ago made a believer of me and changed my life. I can't imagine anyone caring more for the park than Randy Morgenson. I believe his writing. I believe that listening to the thrush was more thrilling to him than successfully completing a search and rescue attempt that saved lives. When he talks about a flowering meadow, I'm transported right back to Yellowstone so many years ago and I can almost smell the flowers. I stand in awe of Randy Morgenson.
Major, major kudos to Eric Blehm for his super job in writing this book. The story is incredible - the telling of it superb.
Favorite Passage
"The meadow isn't here to make a comfortable campsite for you," he wrote, "so don't circle rocks upon it and build your fire there. Nor is it here to provide feed for your horse's belly. Be respectful. You are on holy ground. Step lightly. Keep your imprint, your intrusion, your 'use' to the barest minimum."
