Mountain Harmonies : Walking the Western Wildernesses

by Smith, Howard L.

• ISBN13: 9780826331441
• ISBN10: 0826331440
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-02-01
• Publisher: Univ of New Mexico Pr

Summary

Get out of town and out of your car; pay attention to the natural world around you. The experience can be unforgettable. That simple message is the theme of this love letter to the wild American West. Howard L Smith's enthusiastic accounts of his trailside adventures will make you want to take the day off and enjoy your own harmony with the wilderness. Most of the experiences Smith shares took place in New Mexico and Colorado, with some in Wyoming, Montana, and the Pacific Northwest. Some happened deep within wilderness areas, but most unfolded near easily accessible trails and campsites. One need not be in good physical condition to follow in Smith's footsteps. Light walking or mobility through use of a wheelchair are the only requirements. Although this is not a guidebook, it suggests enticing possibilities for expeditions and road trips. Give it to friends to show them how easy it is to enjoy the outdoors. Use it to plan your next weekend trip. Read it afterward to recall the magic of the wilderness and the creatures that inhabit it.

Author Biography

Howard L. Smith is dean of the Robert O. Anderson School and Graduate School of Management at the University of New Mexico.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
La Querencia	1	(16)
The Sacredness of Life
Spirits in the Sandias	17	(12)
Joy in the Bosque	29	(16)
The Spirituality of Place
Bandelier National Monument	45	(13)
Close Encounters of the Furry Kind	58	(14)
A Sense of Community
The Magic of the Weminuche	72	(28)
Illustrations	89	(11)
The Gila Wilderness	100	(20)
Harmony with Nature
Technology Just Doesn't Matter	120	(15)
Rambling along Rainforest Paths	135	(23)
Everything Is Connected
The Red Road	158	(14)
Circumambulating the Giant Strawberry	172
Sources	195