Yellowstone is
not only the first and oldest national park in the
world, but it also attracts more visitors than
any other in the country. Even so, over 99.9% of
them, as Tim Cahill points out with evidence to
support the astonishing number, never venture beyond
paved roads and fenced viewpoints. This means most
visitors never see the wonders he describes in Lost
in My Own Backyard: A walk in Yellowstone National
Park.
Yellowstone really is Cahill's backyard
-- he lives in a Montana town near the park -- but
he's quick to point out that it's also America's
backyard. With his trademark blend of fact, opinion,
and wry humor, he discusses topics like the reintroduction
of wolves into the park and the practice of "discovering"
and naming natural phenomena like waterfalls. He
also provides a quick timeline of geological history
to explain Yellowstone's unique status as a hotspot
with enough potential to end civilization as we
know it.
Best of all, however, is Cahill's
well-honed ability to take his listeners with him
as he explores Yellowstone on day hikes and longer
backpack trips. He hikes up the side of Mount Washburn
marveling at fumaroles, mudpots, and other geothermal
oddities. He searches for -- and finds -- the vast
petrified forests described by early explorers.
He walks through weird rock hoodoos in the Goblin
Labyrinth. He goes on a midnight quest to see a
"moonbow" in a waterfall. Every step of
the way, Cahill's vivid descriptions leave no doubt
as to why early explorers...[Read
more]
