Numero Uno

On a depressing day, the day after election day, my main man-scholar, George Cotkin, sent me notification that I had won the big prize.  And here it is: Top Books on the 1970s

The Original Story

I didn't post anything about this when it originally happened.  That's because my family and I did a lot of follow-up interviews from interested journalists.  In any case, the story that prompted all that was about outsiders going to Ferguson back in mid-August.  I post here the original (and in my mind the best) story that prompted all that followed.

Outsiders in Ferguson

Having Completed the Continental Divide Trail

Yes, that's right.  From Mexico to Canada through the great spine of the Divide and the most lovely Rocky Mountains, Vicky (aka Mama Moab) and I have traveled the entirety.  Our son Jay (aka Captain Underpants) has completed Colorado and New Mexico.  He was busy this summer doing very important trail work in the Grand Teton National Park.

We took literally thousands of photographs.  If you want to see more and hear more about our travels, please go here: Vicky and Jay Blog.  But I decided to post one of my favorites (hard to choose from) here:

It's no Ansel Adams, I admit.  But it shows Vicky in the far right corner, the grandeur of the Northern Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, and was taken close to our ending (we had to loop back here due to snow).

We completed this trail as follows: We took mountain bikes on the Grand Divide Trail through New Mexico.  We hiked Colorado on foot on the CDT and the Wind River Range on foot.  We hiked from Chief Joseph Pass to the Canadian border on foot.  We "filled in" the rest by bike, doing the Grand Divide Trail through the Wyoming Basin area and southern Montana.

I have decided that what this place needs is a good history book -- a history of what happened under your feet (or your bike wheels).  There are some rich stories and characters to populate such a book.  And in the future, I hope to write that.  In the mean time, a book on the history of punk rock is percolating and getting closer to reality.

For now, celebrate with me those last vestiges of wild lands that we have in the lower 48.  Thank goodness for those who had enough foresight to protect all of it.

When Rabbits haunt you...

Here's a fun (and longish) story about Jimmy Carter's struggle with the "Killer Rabbit" episode of his presidency.  Yours truly stars throughout.  Enjoy:

Killer Rabbit Story on WNYC