The Rocky Mountains have inspired travelers for centuries. The vast majority of those who visit this vast area might write to their friends, “Having a great time! Wish you were here!” Meanwhile, a few every year invariably find themselves shouting, “Help! I'm in trouble!” And trouble never comes at a convenient time. Search and Rescue: Rocky Mountains gathers the most heart-racing accounts from 1847 to the age of modern rescue technology showcasing the heroism of park rangers, first responders, pilots, and others (some canine) who go out of their way to save people from falling rocks, lightning, boiling hot springs, frigid water, slick ice, wildlife, sudden storms, falls from precipices, or just getting lost. Included in this compilation are the accounts of: Sixteen Grand Teton climbers extracted from a sudden, deadly lightning storm. Brain surgery performed at night during a blizzard. A woman who was rescued three times in four years in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. A record 1800-foot sheer descent to rescue a climber with a leg smashed by a rock falling from the Grand Teton.

Lace up your boots and head into Colorado's rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains to explore this spine of soaring peaks that stand more than a mile above the San Luis and Wet Mountain Valleys. Here you'll discover plunging creeks, gorges cut from chunky conglomerate, and valleys where elk, bighorn sheep, coyote, and cougar live. Climb Kit Carson Mountain, Crestone Needle, or Blanca Peak; hike Black Canyon or Wild Cherry Creek. Wander the Great Sand Dunes National Park, which has the tallest dunes in North America. Local hiker and outdoor writer Lee Hart will introduce you to these trails and many more. Inside you'll find: up-to-date trail information; accurate directions to wilderness trails; difficulty ratings; topographic trail maps; zero-impact tips. Whether you are planning a day hike or an extended backpacking trip, you'll find trails suited to every ability and interest in one of the most beautiful regions of Colorado.

Fourteener mania, the phenomena characterized by a seemingly obsessive drive to summit The List of all fifty-four of Colorado¿s 14,000-foot peaks, is an older tradition than many may realize. Along with intensely positive experiences in climbing is the possibility of the opposite extreme¿to become stranded, severely injured, or even killed, in disturbingly easy ways. This book explores this dark side of climbing. When an accident happens on a 14er, the victim is far from help and in an environment where rescue is difficult at best. The book is full of hair-raising stories of these disasters and resue attempts and also aids in avoiding such disasters.

The authoritative guide to understanding and managing the ecological impacts of recreational activities in wildlands This third edition provides an updated and thorough examination of the ecological impacts of recreational use on wildlands and the best management practices to employ in places where recreation and preservation of natural conditions are both important - and often conflicting - objectives. Covering the latest research, this edition provides detailed information about the environmental changes that result from recreational use. It describes spatial patterns of impact and trends over time, then explores the factors that determine magnitude of impact, including amount of use, type and behavior of use, and environmental durability. Numerous examples, drawn from parks and recreation areas around the world, give readers insight into why certain areas are more heavily damaged than others, and demonstrate the techniques available to mitigate damage. The book incorporates both the first-hand experience of the authors and an exhaustive review of the world’s literature on the subject. Boxes provide quick access to important material, and further resources are referenced in an extensive bibliography. Essential reading for all park and protected area management professionals, this book is also a useful textbook for upper division undergraduate and graduate students on recreation ecology and recreation management courses.

An exciting collection of stories by Kevin Wright, detailing Search & Rescue in the Sangre de Cristos, one of the most extreme mountain groups in the state.

When a small airplane carrying four men vanished in 1968 over the vast skies of Albuquerque, New Mexico a massive official search was launched in the rugged American Rocky Mountains. That official search was called off within two weeks with few leads. That plane and those four men had disappeared off the planet. This spellbinding saga follows the men's wives, families, and friends after they realized it was now up to them and them alone to find their loved ones. These amazing women were joined in their search by a cast of characters as diverse as the New Mexico landscape, including a group of Apollo space program engineers, a bar owner, a stunt pilot, a minister, some of the world's most renowned psychics, and an army of complete strangers. Along the way, they get help from President Lyndon Johnson, a U-2 spy plane, and an American Indian Tribe. The entire search effort ranks as one of the largest in State history, lasting nearly five years. An incredible, true story of how two young hikers in the remote mountains of New Mexico stumbled on the greatest discovery of not only their lives but the lives of hundreds of others. That discovery would change everything, forever, for everyone involved.

As a member of a mountain search and rescue team, Gracie Kinkaid routinely volunteers to put her life on the line. But it’s at her new day job at a residential camp in the mountains of southern California where she finds her life is really in danger… As a volunteer for Timber Creek Search and Rescue, Gracie responds to a call out for a car that’s gone over the side of a treacherous mountain road. The crash, which Gracie quickly suspects is no accident, proves to be one in an escalating and deadly series of events that lead her right back to Camp Ponderosa, a church-owned camp where she works as Program Director. As Gracie probes more deeply into the dark secrets at the camp, she unearths a hidden world of illegal activities, including murder…and finds herself going head-to-head with desperate perpetrators who will do anything to silence her forever.

Lace up your boots and sample fifty of the finest trails Colorado has to offer. This hiker's paradise offers not only rugged peaks and crystal clear alpine lakes, but also historic ruins and magnificent canyons. View the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park, journey to Colorado's highest point at the top of Mount Elbert, hike beneath immense sandstone cliffs in Devils Canyon, or step back in time to North America's largest dinosaur track site. Veteran hiker, Master of Leave No Trace, and outdoor writer Maryann Gaug will introduce you to these trails and more. Inside you'll find: detailed shaded relief maps, GPS waypoint coordinates for each hike, accurate route profiles showing the ups and downs of each hike, tips on equipment, trip planning, and hiking with dogs and children, accurate directions, difficulty ratings, trail contacts, and more. Whether you are a day-tripper or long-distance hiker, old hand or novice, come explore the wonders of our nation's highest state -- on foot!