Sky's Witness: A Year in the Wind River Range

by C.L. Rawlins

A naturalist describes the flowering plants, the ways of the animals, the history of the Shoshoni, the effects of the twentieth century on the landscape, and more

Genres: Adventure, Nonfiction, Travel, Nature

326 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Nav · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We go to the mountains not to find who we are but to forget what we have become”

[Rolf Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lyrically and lovingly written account by the author of his trips into the upper reaches of the Wind River Range in Wyoming in all seasons collecting snow and water samples for the U.S. Forest Service for acid rain studies in the late 1980's and 1990. By winter he and a partner would ski (leather boot era telemark gear) out to remote snow collectors and formally weigh and measure snow and bring enough back for study that their packs were huge and heavy. Rawlins writes at length about what he sees, the topography, the geology, the snow and the plant life. He hits the trifecta; he knows what he is writing about, he loves it, and he is a good writer. A description of a hard day skiing upwards might be a stepping stone to musings on government, the environment, the quirks of his partner, his own foibles, up to the broadest discussions of philosophy.

My mother was a natural speed reader, and leveraged this power into a voracious consumption and collection of books. When she died I gave away most of her books, but this one caught my eye in no small part because I hiked for seven days in the Wind River Range in 1995 just a few years after the book was published. I am glad I stopped to ponder, and then take this book.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

An account of a year of collecting snow and water samples in the Wind River Range by a man with much experience in the backcountry and working in this area. Travel is mainly on foot or by ski. Besides describing his experiences in evocative language, he adds his thoughts on a number of related areas from climate change to plant reproduction. Very well written and fun to read.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for the 3rd time this January 2015. This is a fabulous book by Mr. Rawlins. The prose is wonderful, the natural history is informative and the conservation ethic is impeccable. Most importantly it chronicles my favorite wilderness, the Wind River mountain range.

[Janet Mahlum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate it when I wait too long after I finish a book to write the review because I can never remember what I wanted to say. Arg! and I was just about finished and lost every thing but the first sentence. Okay, so it's a 4+ but I reserve 5 for books I think everyone should read. I don't think this book would appeal to everyone like it did for me. I have backpacked in the Winds and cross country skied for 60 years or more so this book resonated for me. One of my brothers and I discussed a winter backpacking crosscountry skiing adventure, but we never got one in. This book is part journel, part science (geology, meterology, botany, chemistry etc.), part history, part music, part poetry. The author is a poet and much of the "prose" in this book reads like poetry. The one thing that bothered me was that not once but twice the author declared that the molecular structure for water is HO2. Chemistry is my weak link so the second time I did look it up. Water is H2O. I think that anyone who enjoys getting out and away from people will enjoy this book.

[James Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a number of reasons, I don't think this book would appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, I loved it. It is well written and has accounts of many adventures as well as personal stories and vivid descriptions of the wilderness. Today, 30 years later, we now know the concerns about air quality were well founded and, unfortunately, a harbinger of things to come. I found the writing very original in style and engaging. The work he did was arduous, to say the least. Yet he did the work and found joy that only he could explain.

"However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names." - Henry David Thoreau.

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucky author C.L. Rawlins gets paid to work year-round in the Wind River Mountains. In the winter he snowshoes and skis into remote locations to gather snow samples and measurements. Likewise, in the warmer months he collects water samples and measurements from lakes. I was hoping this would be a little more passionate, philosophical, and personal than it turned out to be. I guess I was hoping for a Wind River version of Desert Solitaire. Instead, it seemed like the author was trying just a little too hard to be excessively poetic and eloquent -- at least for my tastes. The writing is excellent though, and overall this is a very enjoyable book for anyone who loves the wilderness, and especially the Wind River area.

[David Kessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most complete review of what the seasons are like in the Winds.
My most favorite place to backpack is the Winds and C.L. Rawlins visited as a hydrologist the Winds all year round. He would ski in and read the snotel markers. He has visited and visited these mountains and has wonderful stories.

[Vicki Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I searched for this book for four years...then I found it in a little old and musty used bookstore in New Hampshire..what a wonderful surprise. If you enjoy reading about life back in the mountains, specifically the amazing Wind River Range, this is great book..however now I've recommended it...where will YOU ever find it?

[Asarum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part lovely, part interesting, part tiresome egotistical rant. Nice to read while actually in the Wind River Range though.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story of a year spent working in the Wind Rivers.

[Mills College Library]

508.7876 R259 1993