Colorado Books

From the back cover of the 1991 edition:

"If we don't take seriously books like 'Beyond Oil', we shall some day have a hard time explaining to our children what went wrong." - Richard D. Lamm, governor of Colorado 1975-1986

"We need books like 'Beyond Oil', which lay out in a solid and unemotional way the information needed to begin planning a permanent and truly regenerative future." - the late Robert Rodale, founder of Rodale Press and godfather of organic farming

The belief that the United States can increase its per-capita material standard of living and its population ad infinitum is a myth that arose from more than a century of economic success. Though U.S. material wealth has increased tremendously, it was created by the extensive depletion or degradation of nonrenewable and ecological resources, a process which is accelerating.
_Beyond Oil_ asserts that the link between resources, energy use and economic activity is far stronger and quite different than most experts believe, and that dependence of vanishing resources implies that either the population or per-capita material standard of living must stabilize, or both.
The most thorough blueprint available for our energy future, _Beyond Oil_ is the result of one of the most ambitious computerized assessments of future U.S. energy supplies ever conducted. This study incorporates thousands of geological, social and economic statistics to project probable energy, economic and agricultural outcomes well into the next century. Many divergent opinions from opposing experts give the reader a wide overview of energy supplies and a basis from which to evaluate _Beyond Oil_'s remarkable findings.

Having ridden in Utah, Colorado for over 30 years, this book is an excellent comprehensive guide to the best places.

This is a great book if you are going to Colorado and need to know where to hunt big game. It profiles spots the authors scouted themselves for elk, mule deer, antelope and whitetails. It includes 3D topo maps, directions, local hunting history and stories, and hunting advice. There are over 500 public land (free hunting) spots in the book, and it lists specific drainages, meadows and ridges to hunt. I was successful in my elk hunt going to their spots, and so were my friends. I actually called one of the authors, Guy Collier, at 303-280-9615 and he gave me more information.

Handy book strictly for the birds

January 30,2006


In case the raucous whistling and chirping that rattles your window in the pre-dawn light hasn't awakened you to the fact, it really is migration time.
For thousands of songbirds headed north for the summer, the Grand Valley is perfect place to be each spring. The area acts as a magnet for scores of different birds, a half-way house of sorts for those winged travelers either going farther north or heading up into the high country.
Many of the winter visitors, those who spend the summers on Grand Mesa but prefer the valley's temperate winter climes, loaf around, loathe to leave the insect-rich area and in staying add their voices and bright colors to the rainbow of feathers flitting around the valley.
It's a perfect time to be a birder or to learn about birding (aka: bird watching). Grab one of the many field guides (some are better than others), perhaps a CD that plays distinctive bird songs, call up your favorite experienced birder and take an early morning walk.
Some suggested places include the Riverfront Trail from the Redlands power plant to and around Connected Lakes, the Grand Valley Audubon Society's Nature Center on Dike Road, any of the many trails crossing along the base of Colorado National Monument (taking time to peer at the feeders in the backyards of adjacent homes), and the state Wildlife Viewing Area on D1u20442 Road.
There's one item you might find particularly handy for birding. It's a soft cover book titled "Birds of Western Colorado Plateau and Mesa Country."
At 1 pound, 13 ounces and 224 pages, this isn't your average pocket guide to birds. While the book boasts the dramatic realism of former Western State College art professor Don Radovich, it doesn't have the detailed descriptions or the fancy arrows that point out distinctive plumage or the close-up head shots sometimes key to proper identification.
Face it: Most bird books can be too general.
After doing the easy work, that of identifying a bird, the trouble begins when you try to decipher when and where that particular bird it may appear in a tree near you.
That's where "Birds of Western Colorado Plateau and Mesa Country" fills an important niche. The book offers an abundance of information on where and when you might find 374 species of birds and is greatly enhanced by Radovich's paintings of the birds in their real-life habitat.
"It fits a number of niches, actually, including for someone who wants information on a bird's relative abundance in western Colorado," said Robert Righter, calling on a cell phone from a birding trip to Wray. "It's a primary source for going out and finding a number of species."
Righter is one of the four co-authors of the "Birds of Western Colorado," along with Rich Levad of Grand Junction, Dexter Coen of Naturita and Kim Potter of Rifle.
All are experienced and respected birders, and the book, published by the Grand Valley Audubon Society, has been received with much acclaim from serious and casual birders across the state.
The book "arrives at the right moment to facilitate a new era in western Colorado ornithology," wrote Bureau of Land Management biologist Ron Lambeth in the book's foreword.
"This book could be used for identification, but once you get a feel for birding, any field guide will tell you that information," Righter said. "Your usual field guide can only tell you, say, what a magpie looks like. With this book, you'll be able to figure out where to go."
It's up to the bird watcher to either know what the birds look like or to have someone or something at hand that will aid them in the initial identification.
"It's probably not so much for the beginning birder, although a beginner can certainly benefit from this book," said Rich Levad of the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory in Grand Junction. "But it will tell you when and where you can find stuff in this area."
There's a section of 29 of the better birding spots around the Western Slope, including many close to home (it's not unusual to see 100 different species in a day along the Colorado River) and those farther away (Brown's Park is great for ospreys).
There also is a section on where and when to see some of the region's most sought-after birds, including Gunnison sage grouse, peregrine falcons and the elusive black swift.
"If you're looking for a specific bird, the book offers clues on how to find it," said Levad. "It's a lot more specific than most birding books on which birds are here."
Maps showing a bird's range along with seasonal and elevational occurrences add to the book's appeal.
Proceeds from the book's $29.95 price go to the Grand Valley Audubon Society's Nature Center.
Information on purchasing "Birds of Western Colorado Plateau and Mesa Country" is available at www.audubongv.org.

Blood On The Wind: The Memoirs Of Flying Horse Mollie, A Yampa Ute, is an eye-witness account of the events of 1880 when U.S. Army troops expelled the Yampa Utes from Colorado and compelled them to reside on a Utah reservation. Flying Horse Millie was a teenager at the time and tried to come to terms with the overwhelming forces that seemed designed to drive her people's traditional way of life into extinction. Now in her nineties and with a dozen books and several awards to her credit, author Lucile Bogue's account of Flying Horse Millie, her fears for the future, her disappointments in the adults who failed to protect her, her sadness in the face of loss, and her eventual personal maturity and assumed responsibility for the well-being of her tribe's next generation is an invaluable contribution to Native American studies and a compelling read for anyone who enjoys a riveting memoir of an ordinary life in extraordinary circumstances.

I recently bought the book, and love it. The Book is about the boys of the 1929 basketball team in Joes, Colorado. My Great, Great Aunt Eula Browning(90 years old now) is featured in the book as well as her husband(deceased) Creed Browning. It's exciting to read a little piece from the beginning of basketball, and to read that someone in my family was a part of it.

Anyone wanting to know more about the history of the Grand Canyon and river running in general will love this book. The Kolb brothers are truly amazing people. Their courage, vision and entreprenurial skills made them unique individuals in the history of the Grand Canyon. The writing style is sometimes difficult to get through it is well worth your time because of the wonderful history it reveals.

If you are ever on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, take time to visit their studio. It is like taking a walk back in time. Also, I highly recommend seeding the video they shot of their riving running exploits. Although it is very grainy you still get an idea of what an accomplishment it was to both run the river and make a film of doing so. Lots of fun!!

Breaking Reality is a magnificent book. It is transcribed from Tilak's talks. He sees our world with such clarity that it will melt your heart when you read this book. It will open your eyes to the wonders of your life and that so often go unnoticed. The is one of the greatest personal development books within our lifetime.

Teicher's book is exciting to read. We have "Eye Contact" where "the answer is lonely." We have "One to Another: A Creation Myth" in 13 sections with boy, samurai, & clown, & "Why is your mouth so weird?" We have "Ten Movies & Books" which slayed me when it came out in La Petite Zine (preview it there if Amazon won't let you see it here) because of its keen use of lyric via staggered tercets and its bangin' close. We have an epic "Poem to Read at My Wedding" which doubles as an homage to Ammons, & triples as an Ars Poetica ("It's getting a bit long / for a wedding poem, / isn't it?") Go on, pony up & purchase.

Insightful due to a discerning look into the hardships and misfortunes encountered by the emigrants along the Overland Trail (not to be confused with the Oregon Trail) and heartfelt because of the feelings portrayed in reminisces and diaries of these pioneers in south-central Wyoming.
The Bruning sisters cover the 1860's Overland Trail from its beginning in Julesburg, Colorado to its convergence with the Oregon Trail at Fort Bridger, Wyoming. Originally established as a stage, freight and mail route to Denver, the trail soon turned into a migratory path for westward emigrants headed north along the Colorado front range and then into Wyoming. The authors give an encapsulated history of each stage stop along the way with resulting events of the times. Indian hostilities and depredations played a major role on the Overland Trail.
There are wonderful renditions of the authors growing up in the homesteaded area where the Overland Trail crossed their ancestors' land at Sulphur Springs, Wyoming. The diary of Ann Robertson Leap of her experiences during the winter of the early 1930's is fervent and deeply felt. Many rare and extraordinary photos accompany the text.