Heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness

by John Fraley

Follow author John Fraley as he traces the lives and times of past and present heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, from old-timers like Joe Murphy, to Smoke Elser, and on to the present. Over the past century, these heroes have ridden, packed, and hiked from one end of the Bob to the other, and they’ve helped make the wilderness what it is today.
You’ll ride along on horse and mule treks and wrecks, and discover the sport of trout wrangling. You’ll meet the fluorescent hunter, White River Sue, and the black-clad backpacker. You’ll battle packrats, fish-eating deer, tricky bears, and a tree-hugging criminal. Sit back and read about a dog rescue, smokejumper adventures, kids raised in the wilderness, and the first study of grizzlies in the Bob. Witness a tense moose-lassoing rodeo, and meet a backcountry rooster named Bob Marshall, the first live chicken to attempt a traverse of the Bob. The heroes in this book have ridden and hiked hundreds of thousands of miles through the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Now, come along with them and celebrate their contributions, their challenges, and their fun times.

Genres: Nonfiction

296 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2020

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I’ve had the pleasure of a bird’s eye tour of the The Bob. Author John Fraley received his college education in Montana and spent 40 years working for the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Agency while also teaching at Flathead Valley Community College. He’s blessed with the writing chops of a feature-story journalist. This book is a collection of essays featuring some of the legends who have worked in one way or another in The Bob. The stories are organized seamlessly, starting with packer and outfitter Joe Murphy, who died at the age of 82 in 1972 and ending with Smoke Elser who is still guiding fishermen and hunters into the Bob and regaling them with stories about the geological and human history of the region.

The stories weave a tapestry of honor and respect for the vast Wilderness that gripped the man for which it was named. Bob Marshall discovered, explored, and fell head over bootheels in love with this wild country as a young man in 1928. He fought tirelessly to see that this magnificent big sky country would be protected for future generations. His untimely early death in 1939 preceded the official wilderness designation by one year. Marshall believed that “protected public lands were the perfect manifestation of democracy.” It may be a blessing that Bob Marshall was saved from seeing the rape and plunder of our public lands that have become so common in recent years.

Fraley recorded hours and hours of face-to-face, as well as follow-up telephone interviews with his characters and/or their families. He has great characters to work with and he brings each one of them to life. In addition to descriptive and elegant prose, each essay is studded with high quality black and white images of the men, women, children, horses, dogs, and the landscapes of the Bob. Unlike some collections of stories revolving around a single subject, this book is free of annoying redundancies and time warps. Fraley’s experience with wilderness and packing contributes to the ease with which he peppers the text with just the right amount of backcountry jargon to set the tone without being obnoxious of overdone. Heroes of the Bob is a thoroughly entertaining and enlightening read.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

When presented with the opportunity to learn more about my adopted state I was thrilled. Montana is a state rich in history and I am the first to admit to knowing very little of it. It’s also a very diverse state which encompasses different ecosystems and runs from time zone to time zone. Heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness focuses on one are of this great state but it’s an environmentally important and scenically beautiful one.

I will note that I didn’t read this book like a novel, from cover to cover. I would pick it up between books and read a story or two here and there. As it’s not a novel or a historical narrative it was a pleasant way to fill some spare time here and there. The book shares the stories of the people who fought for and love this magnificent wilderness area.

It’s so very hard to describe how beautiful the Bob truly is and I have only danced around one side of it. Here you can read about the people and forces that led to its protection as a roadless wildnerness. To learn their stories is fascinating.

This is a book for anyone who loves Montana, who loves the wilderness and wants to see some of this country stay wild.

[Jake Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

An instant favorite, as a University of Montana alumnus and lifelong student of the backcountry. John Fraley’s elegant storytelling educates and immortalizes some of the great individuals who have set foot in the Bob. He expertly tells the stories and captures the personalities of the people who have been so influential in the creation of the Bob, the preservation of its wild places, and the pioneers who shared this special place with so many.
This book will resonate deeply with lovers of wilderness history, conservation, Montana’s backcountry, and anyone who values the people behind the protection of wild places.

[Jackson Alvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great, varied stories from past and present legends of the Bob. Some of the stories got lost in minutiae just briefly, but not so much to ruin the read. Frequently had me getting out my topos of the area to see where things were and plan future backpacking trips.