Eric Blehm never got to meet Randy Morgenson, the man whose life would later become Blehm's obsession.
While hiking the John Muir Trail in 1993, Blehm visited Morgenson's cabin at McClure Meadow hoping to visit the legendary backcountry ranger. But all Blehm found was a note saying Morgenson was on patrol, and the hiker didn't wait around. He had mileage goals to meet.
"Later I found out Randy had a name for people like me: trail-pounders," Blehm said in a telephone interview.
Morgenson had reason to deride "trail-pounders." The son of a prominent Yosemite naturalist, he spent 28 summers in the High Sierra developing a mountain sense that was nothing short of mystical.
When hikers or climbers would get lost in remote corners of Kings Canyon National Park, it was Morgenson who invariably knew where to look. And no one, in both thoughts and deeds, defended the wilderness with more passion.
So when Morgenson disappeared from his remote station in July 1996, leaving a vague note as the only clue to his whereabouts, officials mounted one of the largest search and rescue efforts in park service history.
Blehm spent eight years researching Morgenson's life for his second book, "The Last Season."
The former editor of TransWorld Snowboarding did more than read diaries, review documents and interview friends, family andco-workers. He also walked morethan 300 miles in Morgenson's footsteps searching for any trace of the missing ranger.
"We would use the main trails and passes to get into the mountains, then go cross-country over routes Randy would use," Blehm said.
The result is a multilayered part-biography, part-detective story that weaves Morgenson's unflinching wilderness ethic with the murky circumstances behind his disappearance. (This is a spoiler-free zone.) Equally revealing are Morgenson's own writings, excerpted from decades of log books.
"If Randy could teach us anything it would be to walk slowly and smell the wildflowers," Blehm said. "Don't be such a trail-pounder."
Here are nine other outdoors-related books that made for enjoyable reading in 2006:
The Lost Men: Volumes have been written about Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance. Kelly Tyler-Lewis is the first to reveal what happened to Shackleton's supply team, marooned two years in Antarctica.
Shattered Air: On July 27, 1985, lightning killed two hikers and injured three others on Half Dome. Bob Madgic traces the lives of the victims to give us a riveting account.
No Shortcuts to the Top: Few of us will ever know what it feels like to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks — without supplemental oxygen. Luckily, we have Ed Viesturs as a tour guide.
Condor: How the California Condor recovered from the brink of extinction isn't just a fascinating tale of survival. In the hands of John Nielsen, it's a microcosm of the American environmental movement.
The Essential Grizzly: By studying a wide range of human-grizzly encounters, Doug Peacock argues the existence of wild and occasionally dangerous animals is vital to modern man.
Angels in the Wilderness: When Amy Racina tumbles down a ravine and breaks both her legs during a solo backpacking trip in a remote sliver of the Sierra, her chance of survival looks bleak.
Haunted Hikes: Need a spooky story for your next campfire?Andrea Lankford collects all the spine-tingling tales from our national parks involving ghosts, curses and gruesome crimes.
A Hike for Mike: Months after his brother-in-law commits suicide, Jeff Alt convinces his wife, Beth, to join him on a 218-mile backpacking trip along the John Muir Trail to raise depression awareness.
The Explorer King: Until now, the adventures of 19th century Sierra explorer Clarence King were known only through his own writings. Robert Wilson paints an admiring portrait.
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