Heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness

Book excerpt: Follow author John Fraley as he traces the lives and times of past and present heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, from old-timers like Joe Murphy, to Smoke Elser, and on to the present. Over the past century, these heroes have ridden, packed, and hiked from one end of the Bob to the other, and they’ve helped make the wilderness what it is today. You’ll ride along on horse and mule treks and wrecks, and discover the sport of trout wrangling. You’ll meet the fluorescent hunter, White River Sue, and the black-clad backpacker. You’ll battle packrats, fish-eating deer, tricky bears, and a tree-hugging criminal. Sit back and read about a dog rescue, smokejumper adventures, kids raised in the wilderness, and the first study of grizzlies in the Bob. Witness a tense moose-lassoing rodeo, and meet a backcountry rooster named Bob Marshall, the first live chicken to attempt a traverse of the Bob. The heroes in this book have ridden and hiked hundreds of thousands of miles through the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Now, come along with them and celebrate their contributions, their challenges, and their fun times.