Ranger Randy Morgenson knew the mountain paths better than anyone,
yet mysteriously one day he headed out on a routine patrol in his home territory in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, and was never heard from again. This is a fascinating tale of a man who dedicated - and some would say gave - his life to the backcountry lands he protected. The story is full of intrigue and well worth reading. We'll try to give some of the highlights of Randy's life, the circumstances around his death; the rest you'll have to find in the book. If you like outdoors adventure stories, you won't be disappointed...
The book - available from Amazon
The Last Season (P.S.)
Eric Blehm's painstakingly researched account of the disappearance of Ranger Randy Morgenson, a ranger with 28 years of experience in the California mountains of Kings Canyon National Park.
Release Date: 01/30/2007
Amazon Price: $10.79 (as of 12/23/2009) 
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Quotes from the back...
A selection of quotes from the back cover...
- "This is a first-rate detective story, but it is an even better love story - an account of the love for wild places that animates some of us, leads us up ever deeper in and higher up" - Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature
- "At the heart of The Last Season is an inquiry you needn't have left pavement and hot showers to appreciate. It delves into the character of a man, the story of a marriage, the compromises that make our lives work, and the outcomes of one man's refusal to make them. I couldn't put it down." - Jordan Fisher Smith, author of Nature Noir
- "This is the legendary tale of Randy Morgenson, an unsung witness of wilderness devotion, a true conscience and disciple of the backcountry, whose last wish may well have been to pay of a debt to the mountains and meadows he protected." Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place
A glimpse into Randy's life...
Morgenson grew up playing as a boy in Yosemite National Park, where his father operated a park concession. He was destined to the job as a National Park Ranger, honing his knowledge of the natural
environment over many years.
Like many of his coworkers, he preferred the solitude of the trails to living among others, but he relished his opportunity to educate, help, and even rescue those who came to visit him. In the backcountry, he was on his home turf. Randy had fought hard for programs that preserved the landscape, for the role he played in the Park Service to be preserved, and for those around him to understand his passions.
But from the beginning of that last season, Randy seemed preoccupied, worried about the events in his life outside of the Park Service and his beloved mountains. When he packed up for a routine backcountry patrol on June 21, 2006, he left his usual note requesting fellow hikers not take his personal items and food from his hut as he was out on patrol. Randy was then out of radio contact and after several days his fellow rangers realized he should have checked in. This began a massive search and rescue mission for one of their own. Randy had seemingly vanished...
environment over many years.
Like many of his coworkers, he preferred the solitude of the trails to living among others, but he relished his opportunity to educate, help, and even rescue those who came to visit him. In the backcountry, he was on his home turf. Randy had fought hard for programs that preserved the landscape, for the role he played in the Park Service to be preserved, and for those around him to understand his passions.
But from the beginning of that last season, Randy seemed preoccupied, worried about the events in his life outside of the Park Service and his beloved mountains. When he packed up for a routine backcountry patrol on June 21, 2006, he left his usual note requesting fellow hikers not take his personal items and food from his hut as he was out on patrol. Randy was then out of radio contact and after several days his fellow rangers realized he should have checked in. This began a massive search and rescue mission for one of their own. Randy had seemingly vanished...
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
Bear cub in Giant Fo...
Monarch 01
Monarch 03
Monarch 02
VIew from Sequoia Na...
Giant Forest car par...
View into Kings Cany...
Giant Forest car par...
View from Kings Cany...
Kings River
automatically generated by Flickr
Planning your own visit?
If you are interested in visiting the land Randy loved so much, these books may also help you plan and prepare.
Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 12/23/2009)
Kings Canyon National Park
Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 12/23/2009)
Compass American Guides: Yosemite & Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks, 1st Edition
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 12/23/2009)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, CA - Trails Illustrated Map # 205 (Trails Illustrated Maps)
Amazon Price: $11.95 (as of 12/23/2009)
Have you read the book....
or visited the parks?
If you've ever hiked in these parks, I'd love to hear about your trip there. Perhaps you have hiked by Mt Morgenson, as one of the local peaks is now unofficially called...
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by PatriotAlpacas
Hi there, I'm Tasha. I live in northern Massachusetts, where we have a small farm with alpacas and chickens. I am particularly interested in topics o... (more)
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