The Last Season (P.S.) by Eric Blehm
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Book Reviews of The Last Season (P.S.)
Book Review: A compelling human wilderness story!!
Summary: 5 Stars
A very strong story that gives you a sense of wilderness as well as a great human story. Randy lived his life his way - for the sierra. Well written by Eric Blehn.Book Review: What Happened to the Ranger?
Summary: 5 Stars
Investigate the disappearance of a seasoned backcountry ranger known for finding others who get lost in the Sierras. This page-turner will keep you riveted.Book Review: Fascinating Mystery of the Missing Wilderness Backcountry Ranger
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a fascinating true story about the sudden and mysterious disappearance of backcountry ranger Randy Morgenson in the Sierra Mountains somewhere near his assigned area. What is remarkable is the detail about Morgenson and the lives of the backcountry rangers who live isolated for much of their summer assignment up in the high country living in primitive cabins alone many miles away from hard surface roads and permanent camps and seperated from each other by 20 miles or more by rough trail in the mountains. What is particularly mystifying is that Morgenson was a highly dedicated and seasoned mountain ranger with 28 years of experience. Knowledgable about aiding and saving the misfortunate on the trails and in seruous cases, recovering bodies. Morgenson suddenly disappears in July 1996 and a focused manhunt in the wilds of the mountains takes place without a clue as to his diappearance. The bulk of the center of the book is a detailed biography of this virtual mountainman and of his very supportive wife and fellow backcountry rangers. By learning of his dedication and virtual obsession with the mountains it seems more unbelievable that something could happen to Morgenson. A highly personal look at the man and his family, his wife and the rangers he served with, his marriage begins to fracture in spite of the faith of his wife to endure long periods with him away and as he suddenly disappears there are some questions that are never quite answered until most of the mystery over time is solved. I had wished there were more maps as the pages turn to help focus on how the landmarks fit geographically and at times the long deviations from the search can be disruptive but it also made me read more frantically to find out what happens next. A very interesting book and a tremendous view of the hardlife but dedicated rangers who work in rough country isolated except through the ocassional contact with a hiker/climber, delivery of stock supplies and the radio contact that relied heavily on the condition of the radio and its batteries.Book Review: Good read, maybe a bit too long
Summary: 4 Stars
I found the story of missing seasonal High Seirra ranger Randy Morgenson to be interesting as a mystery, biography, and education piece on a rugged and beautiful part of our country. It is not a survival book like Into Thin Air, nor is it as much a page-turning mystery as Into the Wild, but all in all I thought the book was good, and the author clearly put a lot of work into his research. The descriptions of the terrain are excellent, and Blehm paints a very thorough picture of the life of this conflicted man whose deepest love affair was ultimately with the mountains. Blehm enlightened me on the role of park employees, I had no idea how isolated their lives are, and I was appalled at the treatment of seasonal rangers by the government and wonder if this book resulted in any changes. I hope so.
From a critical eye, I felt Blehm went too easy on Morgenson's personal shortcomings, and it seemed like some of the people interviewed for the book struggled to rationalize what were obviously less than stellar opinions of the ranger. There are a lot of "we never got along that well, but....." type comments that Blehm glosses over in trying to place Morgenson on perhaps too high a pedestal. The author also never stops introducing new people to the story, almost to the book's end, and does it in haphazard chronological order. It became confusing enough I ignored most of them to focus on the key people. The writing on the rescue efforts also became redundant; I asked myself a few times "didn't he already talk about this?" I think 50 to 100 pages less text could have cured almost all of these shortcomings.
All in all, The Last Season is a good book, and worth reading. Unfortunately there were too many distractions to keep me on the edge of my seat as much as I would have liked, but I still enjoyed it.
Book Review: Can't read this one slowly!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a book whose chapters alternate between bringing the story up to date from Randy's childhood and the search-and-rescue (SAR) mission for him. Usually, books like these are stronger in one or the other of the two venues but both alternating stories were incredible - fast-paced and page-turners!
I just had to turn to the end and find out how it ended. And usually I then no longer have the patience to wade through the book but The Last Season was different. I wanted to read it all! And quickly. I wanted to read everyone's theory as to what happened and now I can sleep peacefully with my thoughts untroubled as to what probably happened to Randy (though some people might still have problems with the incompleteness of the "mystery')
I literally saw the mountains, I was there as I read. I actually woke up in the mornings and read some more!
Imagine a park ranger who quotes poets and philosophers, who is a naturalist, who gets along with colleagues and the public, and is a photographer to boot. I felt right at home!
Keep your eye on the author, Eric Blehm! He waded through such an incredible amount of material and never even knew Randy Morgenson but I feel as if I know Randy through Eric's work. What a labor of love. Surely, much good will come out of this book - better communication between the frontcountry and backcountry rangers, more professional consideration for the 24/7 job of the backcountry rangers. . . .