When Rick Lamplugh reports for work at the historic Lamar Buffalo Ranch on New Year's Eve, he has one goal: to learn as much as possible about the ecology of the Lamar Valley and how wolves fit in. He has three frigid months to explore on skis and snowshoes, to observe with all his senses, and to listen to and talk with experts.
Lamplugh's writing takes you with him as he watches winter-hungry elk and bison migrate to the Lamar Valley to graze. As wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions stalk the grazers while eagles, ravens, and magpies wait to scavenge. As the snowy backdrop brings this saga of death and life into sharp focus and makes it unforgettable.
A literary blend of facts and feelings, In the Temple of Wolves celebrates nature's stark beauty and the importance of wolves, while revealing Lamplugh's inner battles with his own human nature.
After living and working for three winters in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, Rick and his wife Mary long to go deeper into Yellowstone. Finally they trust Yellowstone's pull, leave the security of their Oregon life, and relocate to Gardiner, just outside the park's north gate. Their year of immersion begins.
Deep into Yellowstone takes you along as Rick and Mary cross-country ski, hike, bicycle, canoe, and backpack through four seasons of Yellowstone's grandeur.
Along the way, Rick explains important controversies: the outrage over the removal of grizzlies from the endangered species list; the dispute over hunting park wolves along Yellowstone's border; the debate about whether wolves help or harm the ecosystem and the economy; the fight to stop the slaughter of park bison; the overuse of the park; and their community's battle to prevent gold mining right on the park's border.
If you want to visit, learn about, or protect our nation's first national park, this book is for you. Deep into Yellowstone will give you a stronger love for the park's grandeur, a deeper knowledge of the controversies threatening the park, and a clearer picture of how to protect Yellowstone.
