Wyoming Books

This is useful book but it could have been a lot better. It includes a good selection of short hikes and the maps are adequate but given the size of the book it could have included a lot more detail. The trail descriptions are brief and dry and don't tell you much about the areas you will be going through or what you are likly to see. Contrast this with Day Hiking Yellowstone by Tom Carter which includes much more interesting detail about plants, animals, geology and history in a much smaller book. Still, Stone's book is well worth getting because it includes a few hikes I haven't seen elsewhere. Example: A trail with a good chance of seeing Moose in the wild within easy walking distance of the motels of West Yellowstone.

Growing up in the fifties and sixties and watching every western broadcast one gets a stereotyped view of the men, women, and landscapes of the frontier western U.S. Were shootouts that common? Was the calvary always the rescuer? Were women rare, loose, and strong? Was the storekeep a coward? and so on...
This book reveals some hidden secrets, confirms some visions, and debunks some myths. But, surprisingly, the recollections highlighted in this slim volume do paint a not unfamiliar picture, one that continues to fascinate most of us.
Reading the words of someone who actually was there, and did that, makes for a fun read and one that enlightens while enriching some of the boomer generation's most cherished childhood memories.
We find out that Calamity Jane was probably less beautiful than any movie version but tough enough. We learn that the calvary served different purposes, not just to eliminate Indians. Indians, much as we always expected, were both assimilated and removed, proud and angry. Really bad guys were as plentiful as really smart and courageous men of purpose and morals. Those men of legend, it turns out, were compilations of the less colorful men who actually did build the west. Now we realize how interesting those men were. Something like confirming that Gabby was more factual than Roy but we still want Roy's life.
Since John Hunton lived into the 1920's, we also learn men survived to tell the tale of one of the most challenging times, environs, and events of our history. Their spirit is ingrained in out cultural DNA and it's nice to know that ordinary doesn't mean boring.
Add this book to your library of real history written by real people and secured for posterity by men with foresight and respect. Then, when watching TV Land, keep a sharp eye out for men in the background who actually built the towns without pity. They are the ones we should get to know and respect even if we can't buy their lunchboxes.

Just recently I visited Brooklyn, NY and picked up "An Elephant In Wyoming" by local author, Matt Mihovich. This quick and engaging read is the story of one man who documents his very personal & solitary journey...a journey all of us will take. The points of reference weaved so artistically into the story are so specific to a generation that I could not help but chuckle at what I thought were memories meaning something to only me. Mr. Mihovich keeps the reader turning the pages as his hero bears his soul and seeks to make sense of his life in a flipant rear view observation revealing satisfaction and also with confessional style regret peppered with stark confusion of why he did certain things the way he did. This creative and insightful book will stay with you in a reflective sort of way for a very long time.

For approximately a decade, the western was a mainstay of the commercial television networks and the western novel is still a very popular form of light reading. However, neither really presents the west as the way it was, or when it does, is not taken seriously. For years, I have been astounded at the public perception of Kitty Russell on "Gunsmoke." From the first episode, we see the girls working in the Longbranch escorting men up and down the stairs. It should be obvious to any sensible adult that they are prostitutes and Kitty is a madam of the sex industry. Nevertheless, she was always perceived favorably by the viewing public, which collectively wished that the series would end with Matt and Kitty getting married.
This book is an attempt to present some of the outlaws of the American west as they truly were. Due to the presence of the gold fields, one of the wildest regions of the west was centered on the Black Hills of South Dakota. Outlaws converged on the region, trying their hands at robbing the stagecoaches that transported money and gold. Engebretson digs deep into the records of that time in an effort to present an account of the battles between the law and the outlaws that is factually correct.
The most striking thing that repeatedly occurs is the outlaw breaking jail without major consequences. Nearly every single one was arrested and placed in confinement, only to break out and continue their criminal careers. The trials of the men often concluded with an acquittal, even when the evidence against them was strong. From the newspaper clippings of their escapades, you can see some of the aspects of the public fascination with those who robbed from the rich. If you read them carefully, it is possible to discern the seeds of what has become the modern perception of what life was like in the west. Some of the outlaws were lynched, many were killed in their line of work and others became respectable and started normal lives.
The most bizarre end came to an outlaw known as "Big Nose George." After he was lynched in 1881, the top of his skull was cut off and a death mask made. Even more grotesque was the removal of some of his skin by a Dr. Osborne, who had it tanned and turned into trim for his medicine bag and a pair of shoes. The death mask and the shoes are on display in a Wyoming museum. The top of his skull ended up in the hands of Dr. Lillian Heath, who used it as a doorstop and the infamous Dr. Osborne was elected governor of Wyoming in 1893. If this is not a case of the truth being much better than the fiction, then I have never seen one.
I personally prefer the historical accounts of the American west to those where poetic license has turned them into distortions of what really happened. This is one of the best accounts of one of the wildest places in the west and I commend Engebretson for making what was clearly an enormous effort to get his facts and stories right.

My mother worked in the garment industry in PA her entire life and this book tells me the story of how that happened. My mom was a staunch supporter of the ILGWU and now I know why. I highly recommend this book to anyone who had family that worked in the early days of unionization. It's a wonderful depiction of some very courageous women and men.

This is from the same publisher I've used for several multi-week trips (including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming). While I usually look at 2 - 4 guide books before or during the trip, this one seems to get used most often while actually driving. I have found it's format very useful. I like it since it let's you see at a glance what sort of things are in a given area of the state and what might be worthwhile going out of the way to visit. Very few of the "highlights" or "must see's" were wrong (well, OK, the Purple Cow restaurant in Montana should NOT rate as a "must see" - that's the only dud I've found).

There are only two significant negatives: it can miss some sites that would be worth seeing and it's not very good on camping information. But how could they possibly cover EVERYHTING in a book this size (for more depth, the "Moon Handbook" series of travel books can't be beat). In other words, they don't always list _all_ the good restaurants, just a couple. They might only mention one or two camping grounds, when there are several nearby that are as good or better... but it's an excellent starting point.

Two minor points: They tend to be a little on the "happy" side in their reviews and sometimes a little more directions (besides the address) are needed since you can't always have _detailed_ maps for every area in the state.

The series tends to be a little more positive than the "Moon Handbook" or "Hidden" guides tend to be. I suspect part of it is that they don't have room to cover the "bad places" to visit, but part is a little more just being nice (i.e., they don't mention the parking is bad or you have to pay separately for drinks).

On the other hand, it does have a couple of good recommendations for contacts / outfitters for outdoor activities related to a given town/area. It also has useful, but brief information on the restaurants, hotels, and attractions.

This is the fourth Harry Starbranch mystery and all four are excellent reads. There are several strengths: good mysteries, evocative Wyoming scenery, small town life, and a folksy hero. It would be fun to hang out with Harry, drinking, listening to country music, taking in the vistas, and shooting the breeze. These books deserve more success, and I hope Gregory Bean keeps them coming.

This is the perfect book to use while planning a trip to Wyoming, especially Yellowstone National Park. It gives all the details about what to expect at different times of the year and where to find your personal type of adventure. The book is divided into the state's different regions and is easy to understand. The author also gives ideas for getting the most from your visit. The maps are easy to follow and directions are spelled out clearly throughout. In each section there are easy reference guides in the margines to help find what you are looking for quickly and easily. The "Hidden" name comes from areas that are intriguing but not usually found by tourists. The book also details where parks and recreational areas are, where to find lodging and aproximate costs, as well as where to eat at each locale. Every part of the state is covered, including history, current economic status and points of intrest. It would be difficult to find a book with more detail and information as Hidden Wyoming.

Who has not been at least somewhat "awestruck" by their first view, either in person or in a photograph, of the Grand Teton mountains, the rare view of majestic mountain peaks unobscured by intervening foothills? This "grand view", of course, should make you want to see more, and this map, while perhaps not perfect, is an excellent way to explore this National Park.

First of all, it should be durable, since it is printed on latex-coated stock, much better than the usual paper maps to take to the "field" with you. And, even though it is based on USGS Topo maps from the 1950's & 60's, "shrunk" from scales of 1:24000 and 1:62500 to 1:75000 (a nice scale for a hiking map), "cultural" features have been updated to 2001. Also, labels were replaced for legibility from the quad maps, and the contour interval was "standardized" at 80', whereas it was at 20, 40 & 80' on the original quads (kept at 40' on the upper tier of 15' quads).

On the opposite side of the map are contained "location" maps of each area of the park, and detailed descriptions of 33 different trails, ranging from less than a mile and level, to 20 miles and better than a 3700' elevation gain, and a little bit of everything in between. Included are accessibility by horse, skis, or boats, trail length, possible wildlife sightings, and plants and trees to be found in the area. Plus, some nice black & white photos are included. All in all, a lot of information, that should keep you busy through a long visit. There is also a list of precautions for this high mountain area, such as unpredictable weather, bear encounters, etc. It might be added that since most of us aren't used to hiking at an elevation of 6500' and up, that the easier trails be attempted first, until you have a chance to acclimate.

Even though most of the trails are shown on both the topo and location maps, apparently some were not around in the 60's, and consequently are not shown on the topo map, such as Flagg Canyon and Sheep Mountain trails, and most of Signal Mountain and Blacktail Butte trails. Also, only the beginning and end are shown of the Blue Miner Lake trail (on the area and topo map, respectively), and the first part of the Grizzly Lake/Blue Miner Lake trail, from Red Hills Campground, is missing. Another "oddity" is that the first trail shown under "Moose - Teton Village", Blacktail Butte, is actually found on the location map for "Gros Ventre". Still, these "glitches" notwithstanding, this is a fine map and guide to seeing some great country.

After reading "Killing Is My Specialty" I had to get Carlson's sequel on my recent trip through Wyoming. I found it in a bookstore in West Yellowstone, MT, leaving plenty of Wyoming time to read it.

Between the Horn book and the Lefors book, a mock trial had been held in Cheyenne wherein Horn was acquitted.

Although both books appear to be very well documented, I couldn't help but feel that Carlson may have a bit of bias in favor of Horn and against Lefors. Not being part of the Wyoming culture, it may be unfair to make that characterization, but it's what I felt.

An eminently readable book; not to be read without having read about Tom Horn first; preferably Carlson's account.