Wyoming Books

Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park

Lee Whittlesey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Morbidly Interesting, and a Personal Note 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

The last decade has seen a slew of books dealing with deaths in the national parks. The authors assure us that they publish these volumes to warn visitors of the dangers they face in the parks. The reality of course is that many in the literate public are fascinated by death, especially in unusual or exotic circumstances, and these books cater to that morbid demand. Nonetheless, they make for interesting reading and serve as a cautious reminder that visits to the wilderness, while safer than certain neighborhoods in major metropolitan areas, still contain very real hazards. This volume by Lee Whittlesey, was one of the first in this genre, and is still one of the best.

From grizzly attacks to death by poisonous gasses and murders, Whittlesey exhaustively covers all known deaths in Yellowstone from before the founding of the park to 1995 when the book was published. For me the descriptions of people falling into the hot springs were by far the most riveting, and the most grusome, portions of the book. Cooked alive, the victims of these accidents rarely died quickly, but often instead lingered on for many hours, a pretty horrific way to go. Whittlesey also catalogs the many mistakes victims and some lucky survivors made to help visitors to the park avoid similar fates.

One thing that sets this book apart from others in this genre is that Whittlesey, in addition to experience as a park tour guide and ranger, is a lawyer. This background shows itself in various ways. The book includes, for example, extensive discussion of court cases that resulted from fatalities in Yellowstone and how they have influenced park management. It also shows in the author's broader philosophy about the deaths in the park. True accidents, he argues, are rare. For the most part, people who have died in the parks were, he argues, actually negligent when it came to their own safety and sometimes the safety of others. This attitude towards the victims shows itself throughout the book, and most of the time Whittlesey makes a pretty convincing case.

But not always. When discussing the 1986 death of William Tesinsky (by mauling from a grizzly bear) Whittlesey notes, "Bear 59 was a semi habituated bear, ... But she had never even approached a human aggressively." This is not entirely true. I should know, because I was chased by Bear 59 on June 20 of that very year while hiking (alone) between the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River and Yellowstone Lake. Indeed, it was my report to the Lake ranger station that led to the temporary closure of that trail, and the bear's eventual relocation by the Park Service. At that time, Bear 59 had two cubs and a large person walking nearby was, as the ranger explained to me, considered a threat. But 59 no longer had the cubs with her when she killed and partially ate the unfortunate Mr. Tesinsky. No doubt, as Whittlesey says, he was too close for 59's liking while trying to get the perfect photograph. But the retelling of this story, that follows the park's official report which I saw a few years later, is interesting in that it does not mention my earlier encounter with 59. Whittlesey the lawyer argues that, much as we don't want to admit it, negligence is more common than accident. He forgot to add that humans, including park rangers, might sometimes unintentionally omit certain bits of information that do not fit their preconceived notions.

(I asked a ranger about what had become of my incident report during a 1998 visit to the park. She said that it had not been included since the bear had not actually come into physical contact with me. I understand that answer, but it certainly does undermine the claim the bear had never before shown aggressive tendencies. In my case, I was unaware of her existence till I saw her charge out of the woods, two cubs at her heals, and easily 50 yards away.)

Editorial Review:

Intriguing stories of how people have died in Yellowstone warn about the many dangers that exist there and in wild areas in general.

The Solace of Open Spaces

Gretel Ehrlich

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Everything in nature invites us constantly to be what we are. We are often like rivers: careless and forceful, timid and dangerous, lucid and muddied, eddying, gleaming, still." Whether she's reflecting on nature's teachings, divulging her experiences as a cowpuncher, or painting vivid word portraits of the people she lives and works with, Gretel Ehrlich's observations are lyrical and funny, wise and authentic. After moving from the city to a vast new state, she writes of adjusting to cowboy life, boundless open spaces, and the almost incomprehensible harshness of a Wyoming winter:

"When it's fifty below, the mercury bottoms out and jiggles there as if laughing at those of us still above ground. Once I caught myself on tiptoes, peering down into the thermometer as if there were an extension inside inscribed with higher and higher declarations of physical misery: ninety below to the power of ten and so on."

After experiencing the isolated life of a sheep herder, she writes, "Keenly observed the world is transformed. The landscape is engorged with detail, every movement on it chillingly sharp. The air between people is charged. Days unfold, bathed in their own music. Nights become hallucinatory; dreams, prescient."

Ehrlich's gift is one of subtle precision. She writes beauty into the plainest of thoughts and meaning into the simplest of ideas: "True solace is finding none, which is to say, it is everywhere." --Kathryn True

Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler's Companion to the National Park

Janet Chapple

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Must Have Book If You Goto Yellowstone 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book was amazing! I received it almost a month before I was going on a 5 day adventure to Yellowstone. I planned my whole trip using this book and it was amazing the things I saw and learned. Yellowstone has little sign's that will point you in the right direction but this book sent you places that most people have never seen! While out on my adventure I showed and recommended the book to many people. They were all amazed at the things in this book and went right to the Yellowstone bookstore and purchased it. I found that 5 days was not enough to view everything in this book and Yellowstone.

Editorial Review:

The first and oldest national park in the world can be appreciated and enjoyed mile-by-mile in this comprehensive travel guide. Along with fascinating facts and anecdotes, readers will learn of Yellowstone's geyser basins, out-of-the-way hikes, flora and fauna, and its mountains, rivers, and lakes. Easy-to-understand scientific explanations and diagrams complement detailed travel tips ranging from escaping and avoiding crowds to picking the right season to go camping. This revised edition includes 270 pages of road logs and enhanced information for senior and disabled visitors and tips for visiting the park with children. With fully revised geological, historical, and practical information, this guide is the perfect companion for anyone planning a visit to Yellowstone National Park. Further information can be found at http://www.yellowstonetreasures.com.

Frommer's Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks (Park Guides)

Eric Peterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

We used a different guide 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

We bought this book, but ended up using other guides. It is a fine reference for some people, but I'd recommend:
Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler's Companion to the National Park (Great for more in-depth research)
and
National Geographic Road Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks (NG Road Guides) (Quick roadside reference)
instead.

Editorial Review:

Frommer's Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks is packed with all the facts, tips and descriptions you need to have perfect park vacation, in a pocket size guide:

• The most memorable park experiences, from Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs, to Snake River raft trips.
• Great places to stay in and near the parks, ranging from historic lodges to family-friendly motels—plus a complete campground guide for each park.
• A fully illustrated nature guide to help you spot and identify bald eagles, bison, wildflowers, and more.
• The best hikes, from ranger-led interpretive walks to challenging backcountry overnights.
• What to see and do outside of the parks: rodeos, chuckwagon feeds, IMAX nature films, an elk preserve, Jackson Hole’s bars and boutiques, and more.
• Detailed, accurate park and trail maps

Photographing Yellowstone National Park: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them

Gustav W. Verderber

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Save time; take better vacation snapshots 5 out of 5 stars.
24 of 24 people found this review helpful.

Gustav Verderber was right on the money about everything in this book. If you only have a week to explore, save yourself some time and follow his instructions. He has mapped out when the rainbows appear on the falls, gives advice on where to photograph wildlife. Some of the trails he mentions in his book have since been closed due to erosion or wildlife management but if you talk with the Park Ranger Service (not Xanterra!) you should be able to find a comparable walk to capture the images.

The book may be beneath the experienced photographer but for an amateur who just wants better vacation photos and does not have the luxury to spend a year in the park getting them, this is the perfect guide!

Editorial Review:

Expert photography advice the author provided to visitors to Yellowstone when he served there as the Kodak Ambassador in Yellowstone National Park.

This guide is designed to allow the average visitor to comfortably manage the vast abundance of subjects within Yellowstone National Park and to answer the crucial questions of what is worth photographing and how to do that in a way that will result in postcard-perfect photos of the park's landscapes and wildlife. An appendix provides a suggested itinerary to plan a visit to each district. No park visitor should be without it.

Spectacular Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks (Spectacular National Parks)

Charles Preston, Jim Robbins

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Editorial Review:

Spectacular Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks captures the breathtaking landscape and wildlife of one of America’s most renowned regions. More than 275 photographs—from some of the country's best nature photographers—recreate the adventure and grandeur of this area that combines the world's greatest collection of geothermal features, some of the West's most spectacular mountains and its best wildlife viewing areas. This unique large-format book offers guided tours—in words and pictures—of Yellowstone and Grand Teton, with thirty-six pages of foldouts, each more than three feet wide, designed to illustrate the wide-open expanse of these national park gems. Yellowstone was set aside as America's first national park in 1872. Since then, interest in the park has grown dramatically and today, more than 3 million people visit the two parks annually. Grand Teton National Park, home of the majestic mountain range, was preserved as a national park in 1929. This book offers stunning photographs of every corner of the 2.2 million acres that make up these parks, including such treasures as Lake Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, and the world's most famous geyser, Old Faithful, as well as rainbow-colored geyser basins of the north Mammoth country, and herds of buffalo and elk on the wide plains of the Lamar Valley. Sit back and behold the beauty of the Grand Tetons at sunset, the breathtaking vistas over the Snake River, or the refreshing waterfalls off the Bechler River trail. Whether it’s boating on Jackson Lake or a hike around Grand Prismatic Spring that you desire, Spectacular Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks takes you deep into the parks' many gorgeous landscapes in every season of the year.

Photographer's Guide to Yellowstone and the Tetons

Joseph K. Lange

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great for Novice Photographer 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book to take along on a vacation trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons in mid-June 2007. I found it to be a great source to take photos of often photographed natural icons at different views and angles as well as some shots that the average traveler would not know about without this book. For instance I would not have known about the great shots that can be taken of the Mormon Row Barns with the Tetons in the background without this book. Perhaps more seasoned photographers may know about these different places but I for one would not have had a clue. I would have ended my vacation with the same shots of Yellowstone and the Tetons that everyone else has. The book took me off the beaten path where I got some great shots and expierenced the pleasures of getting away from the main road.

Other valuable information was the instructions on what time of day is best to shoot a certain shot, tips about exposure, and valuable tips about using filters that made my pictures stand out.

The book was concise, accurate, and very easy to follow and understand for an novice like me.

Editorial Review:

Photographers from around the world can find a wealth of wonderful images at Yellowstone and Grand Tetons national parks: dramatic geysers, glittering waterways, majestic mountains, unique wild animals. Now they can make the most of their visits to the parks with the help of the expert information in this first-ever guide to Yellowstone and the Tetons especially for photographers. Where and when to go, how to find the best shots, what equipment to take and techniques to use, park rules and regulations, how to avoid the crowds-all illustrated with brilliant colour images. A must-have for anyone who wants to take great pictures in the parks.

National Geographic Road Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks (NG Road Guides)

Jeremy Schmidt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Must-Have Guide 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I just returned from Yellowstone and the Tetons. I used this book throughout my trip. It is clear, easy to use and well-written. The left hand page is a map of a short distance, say 14 miles, the right hand tells you about the sights. I used it in conjunction with a more detailed book (Moon guide), and found both useful in tandem. The only drawback is that it assumes you are entering the park from the West Entrance, so I had to use stick on notes to guide myself backwards by numbering the stick-ons in the order of my route. It was no big deal and hardly a reason not to buy the book. Two thirds of the annual 3 million visitors enter via the west, so you can understand the authors' reasons.

Editorial Review:

New and updated editions of these popular, low-priced guides—the definitive companion for road trippers—offer drivers side-by-side map and text commentary on the scenery, wildlife, geology, and history of the most spectacular and popular parks. The revised and updated series offers travelers user-friendly guides that follow the major roads within Yellowstone and Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, and Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks.Volumes in this series have sold more than 100,000 copies since its inception, proving their appeal to visitors. Now, with new and updated information, these guidebooks are sure to be a staple for every road tripper who wishes to experience the best of these beloved national parks.

Wyoming Atlas & Gazetteer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Very Informative & Helpful 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This atlas is a great book to have on hand while driving through Wyoming, especially via the backroads. It's a must-have for any traveler and resident.

Very Nice Atlas 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This was very well made, for an atlas. The format and legend was easy to understand, and it certainly helped my not so great navigational skills.

As only DeLorme can do! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

DeLorme has done it again! Stellar mapping and attention to detail make this a grand publication. Two thumbs up!

Great for getting around! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Delorme atlases/gazetteers are valuable references especially if you are traveling the back roads. Compared to a regular road map, there is much more detail to find your way just about anywhere in the atlas coverage area. If you need a lot of detail, you can then purchase topographic maps. Special features are also noted. Get one of these for any state where you plan to explore off the beaten trail. I already have atlases for five states, and the collection will surely grow in coming years.

Editorial Review:

EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about a State! These Atlas & Gazetteer Books give you detailed geographical information, GPS grids, complete travelways for fishing and hunting areas (indexed by type of game), hiking, canoeing... even seaplane routes, for Pete's sake! Large 11 x 15 1/2" soft cover books, most topographical (see below). Select State, as available in the Shopping Cart below. *Note- Florida, Maine, Michigan and Ohio are Non-topographical maps (elevations not shown) but with same information otherwise. Atlas & Gazetteer