Fool's Gold: Lives, Loves, and Misadventures in the Four Corners Country

by Rob Schultheis

Telluride, Colorado, is a seven-hour drive from Denver and located in the heart of the Four Corners, the only place in America where four states (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona) meet one another. Known for droughts, cloudbursts, massive snow piles, and 12,000-plus-foot mountains, Telluride is also a place where cultures collide.
When Rob Schultheis arrived in Telluride in 1973, his first home was a tarpaper sheepherder's shack, and Telluride was a sleepy, remote mining town where local families had lived for generations, and where officially extinct wolverines and grizzly bears still roamed the countryside.
This priceless collection of essays will appeal to nature lovers, history buffs, and all who are drawn to the mystery, romance, and drama of the American West.

Genres: Westerns, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the stories that were lives, loved, and misadventures but there were also some honest, graphic, stories of animal abuse by locals. It was distressing to read that there are people who move close to nature just to hurt it.

The library is asking for their book back so I choose to DNF.

[Isla Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a relatively entertaining read. Some parts of the book were a little bland and less interesting but there were some quite funny stories told about various, often eccentric members of the Telluride community (with dialogue sometimes featuring the Western accent). The chapters are quite short and so its a relatively easy read in that respect.

Reading about the history of the area was interesting but I wouldn't say it was a particularly exciting or gripping read. Not a bad read per se but equally it wasn't a very memorable one either - distinctly an alright read.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy books about the adventures of people who live in fairly remote places. Telluride, CO is 9000+ feet up in the Rockies and the author tells stories of himself, the community, and the wacky AND wack-o people who live there. He talks about the wildlife, the hiking, river rafting, and the wonders of nature that surround him daily. His stories range from his rescue of a tiny injured owl while on a hike to descriptions of the hard, dangerous lives of miners at the Idarado mine when gold was king in the Rockies to modern day impresarios buying up thousands of acres for their sprawling ranches and displacing die-hard hippies living in cabins on the land. It's a great overview of a unique area!

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this rip-roaring account of Telluride in the '70s. Definitely not your typical history--much more subversive and off-beat. There are great stories in here. One of my favorites involves a skunk and realtors and a fancy dinner (I think you can imagine the rest). But beyond great, real-life "tall tales," Schultheis' writing is marvelous. I had to look up so many words, and loved to discover their meaning--none of that pretentious wordiness, just precision and wordophilia, if you will. Extreme outdoors + latent & blatant activism + great stories + characters + good writing = Ed Abbey's Reincarnation.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A self-proclaimed "green", Rob Schultheis writes a collection of stories from his experiences and beyond in Telluride, CO.

From the 70's to the present, there were anecdotes which picqued my interest, those that broke my heart and still others that tuned me in.

Written in a humorous prose, this is definitely worth a read.