Although a work of fiction, Never Summer is based on real events. The novel breathes life into one of the most colorful episodes in Colorado history, the epic battle over Bowen Gulch. In this action-packed tale, a handful of gutsy activists take on the state's powerful logging industry. The young hero, Tom Lacey, just out of college, finds himself torn between the work he has grown to love and a dawning awareness of issues bigger than himself. The delicate intersection of real history and the imagination makes for a powerful coming-of-age story, embellished with an exquisite love affair and some hilarious hi-jinks. The events are set in the late 1980s, before cell phones and the consolidation of the US media; giving the story a nostalgic appeal.The novel spares no effort to accurately portray the state's ecology and the logging culture of the day, down to the smallest details, against a breathtaking natural backdrop.

Discover 69 wilderness areas--including seven new ones--showcasing everything from mountains to canyons, rushing rivers to desert landscapesA comprehensive guide to Colorado's wild areas Totally updated and revised Includes 74 maps and 90 photosMuch has changed in the landscape of Colorado's wilderness designations since the first edition of this book appeared in 1992. At the newly designated Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, visitors peer into the depths of this narrow canyon that drops 2,000 feet to the Gunnison River below--and some choose to follow rugged backcountry routes down to the inner canyon. A trail in Spanish Peaks Wilderness, established in 2000, leads up one of these twin sentinels that rise above the edge of the high plains. Nestled at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and standing up to 750 feet high, the dunes of the newly enlarged Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve are the tallest in the Western Hemisphere. Other recent additions to Colorado's protected lands include the Castle Peak Wilderness Study Area, Bull Gulch Wilderness Study Area, San Luis Hills Wilderness Study Area, and Demaree Canyon Wilderness Area. Colorado is one of the nation's primary adventure-travel destinations, and both visitors and locals will find this book the most all-inclusive reference available to the state's wildness areas. From the state's high peaks to its spectacular canyons and deserts, Exploring Colorado's Wild Areas provides detailed information on seasons, flora and fauna, geology, history and activities.

Includes Flat Tops, Never Summer, Sarvis Creek and Mount Zirkel Wilderness Areas.

Finally, the total experience of hiking Rocky Mountain National Park has been captured in one comprehensive volume, which covers literally every named destination in RMNP and many exciting hikes in adjacent public lands. This book is a must-have for any beginning hiker or avid outdoor enthusiast. It will take you anywhere you want to go in RMNP and its surrounding areas. From fun family hikes to hearty mountaineering adventures, Rocky Mountain National Park: The Complete Hiking Guide has something for everyone. It includes details about every trail within RMNP, as well as at-your-fingertips info highlighting trailheads, elevation gain, distance, and the difficulty of each hike. By far the most extensive and accurate hiking resource available for RMNP, this guide provides the information you need for an enjoyable experience in one of the nation's most popular parks. Book jacket.

Northern Colorado offers an exhilarating blend of recreational activities and beauty from alpine meadows and wild canyons to peaceful forests. There is plenty of room to roam among the thousands of acres of parks and natural areas in Fort Collins, Poudre Canyon, and North Park. Hikes Around Fort Collins has more than sixty-five trail descriptions. Each description includes a map, photographs, and detailed information, making this an indispensable reference for those wanting to explore the natural beauty in this region.

What can we learn from a high-country valley tucked into an isolated corner of Rocky Mountain National Park? In this pathbreaking book, Thomas Andrews offers a meditation on the environmental and historical pressures that have shaped and reshaped one small stretch of North America, from the last ice age to the advent of the Anthropocene and the latest controversies over climate change. Large-scale historical approaches continue to make monumental contributions to our understanding of the past, Andrews writes. But they are incapable of revealing everything we need to know about the interconnected workings of nature and human history. Alongside native peoples, miners, homesteaders, tourists, and conservationists, Andrews considers elk, willows, gold, mountain pine beetles, and the Colorado River as vital historical subjects. Integrating evidence from several historical fields with insights from ecology, archaeology, geology, and wildlife biology, this work simultaneously invites scientists to take history seriously and prevails upon historians to give other ways of knowing the past the attention they deserve. From the emergence and dispossession of the Nuche—“the People”—who for centuries adapted to a stubborn environment, to settlers intent on exploiting the land, to forest-destroying insect invasions and a warming climate that is pushing entire ecosystems to the brink of extinction, Coyote Valley underscores the value of deep drilling into local history for core relationships—to the land, climate, and other species—that complement broader truths. This book brings to the surface the critical lessons that only small and seemingly unimportant places on Earth can teach.

Lace up your boots and sample more than 450 miles of trails in Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Veteran hiker Kent Dannen introduces you to memorable trails highlighting the natural splendor of the Rockies. Each hike description includes detailed information on trail access, best times for hiking, and points of interest along the way. This new edition is fully updated and revised, with special sections on what to wear, carry, and eat and invaluable advice on wilderness ethics and safety. Its smaller size and package, complete with illustrations, makes this guide an indispensable companion to hiking and backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks Wilderness.