Tracking the Spirit of Yellowstone : Recollections of 31 Years as a Seasonal Ranger

by Orville E. Bach, Jr.

Octavo, PP.253, B & W Illustrations, Signed By The Author

Genres: Nonfiction

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Audrey]

Would read again, just a lot of stories of his life,

[Joe]

There is a lot of history of Yellowstone National Park here. The book is at times a personal memoir and at times a naturalist's travelogue. Some of the memoir part gets a bit cumbersome-- recitation of the members of every hiking party that spurred a story.

I was surprised at some of the enormous (and frankly, stupid) risks this experienced backcountry hiker records (traveling off trail without sufficient map or directions, failing to carry adequate clothing for the elements).

Notwithstanding the flaws, the book captures a wonderful glimpse of the evolution as a gung-ho young adventurer becomes a more introspective traveler. The author describes his change from a young hiker who would take trips to record visits to new peaks to a life is too short to hurry kind of walker.

A worthwhile read.

[Jody Kyburz]

Good book! Thought about giving it a four, but I decided that it was just a solid, good, middle-of-the-road book, so there you have it! Orville Bach has been a Yellowstone Park Ranger for over thirty years. You can tell that each essay in the book (narrative, whatev) was written separately as the information often overlaps. I enjoyed several of his stories, but by the end of 253 pages, I was full. I admire his experiences, especially in the backcountry. I also admire his willingness to say, "I made a mistake. Almost cost me my life. I've learned from it." He seems like a great interpreter! Would love to meet him...

[Stephanie]

Funny and rambling stories about life as a seasonal ranger in Yellowstone.