San Francisco Chronicle: March 15, '06
BOOKS THAT ARE COMPASSES FOR THE SOUL
By Paul McHugh
"Have you ever fantasized about the life of a backcountry ranger, what it's like to be paid to enjoy wilderness and mountain high country, month after month, year upon year?
Be careful what you wish for. Yosemite ranger Randy Morgenson had a sterling pedigree to launch himself into this life. He was raised in Yosemite Valley; his dad was famed naturalist and photographer Dana Morgenson. Though he wound up spending more time in the High Sierra than John Muir ever did -- a full 28 seasons in the most remote locations -- Morgenson more and more came to seem a tortured soul.
He grew socially awkward, increasingly frustrated as a nature writer and photographer, had difficulty with a troubled marriage. Then one day in 1996, while on hiking patrol, he simply vanished.
Part detective story, part sensitive biography and part Park Service procedural, Blehm's book probes the mystery of Morgenson's disappearance. By the time that mystery gets solved, you'll understand a great deal more about the inner workings of our National Parks, search and rescue operations, and what it really takes to spend decades as a high-country hermit. Author Blehm blends his love of the mountains (he was a competitive snowboarder and winter sports writer for years) with serious journalism skills to produce a deeply layered, meticulously researched, greatly entertaining read.
