Customer Reviews

Lost in My Own Backyard: A Walk in Yellowstone National Park (Crown Journeys)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Lost in My Own Backyard amalgamates renowned and perpetually witty author Tim Cahill with one of his favorite haunts: Yellowstone National Park. "Part of the joy of walking in Yellowstone is that it is still, for the most part, a wilderness, which means that it is untamed, which in turn means that it is not impossible to get hurt, even if you follow all the rules. Thus the wilderness that is Yellowstone Park affirms our mortality. That is why walking its trails makes us feel so damn alive" (16).

Cahill, in Lost in My Own Backyard, cleverly and humbly connects with the reader by admitting that he is neither a biologist nor a geologist. Instead, he confesses, "I am more interested in suggesting ways to think about the park and its significance. I'm especially interested in the exhilaration anyone with a heart feels while walking Yellowstone Park" (138). He encounters wiki-ups, "deliciously creepy nights" in the Goblin Labyrinth, bugling elk, lovelorn bull moose attempting to "shag" the frigid females, two-minute-old grizzly tracks, among other adventures.

The book is written in three parts-"The Trails: Day Hikes," which are fun, informative, and often hilarious; "In the Backcountry: Three Good Backcountry Trails," where Cahill admits to his "hopeless sense of direction." He is hired by National Geographic Adventure magazine along with his longtime friend, Tom Murphy, to write up backcountry trips; finally, Cahill conspicuously chides The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and Their Discovery, listed in the last part of the book, "A Selected Yellowstone Bookshelf," where he lists a selection of books that he uses and some that he's clearly not particularly fond of: One in particular presents Cahill with "certain philosophical problems" (128).

Lost in My Own Backyard is written from a madcap adventurers perspective. Cahill unleashes yet another humdinger of a book.

Tim Cahill's "Lost in My Own Backyard" is more serious than his previous books, but is nonetheless both light-hearted and enjoyable. Cahill takes a breather from his normal globe-trotting ways to focus on a slice of the great outdoors, Yellowstone Park. The world's first national park is just 50 miles from Cahill's home in Montana, so it's no surprise that this 2.2 million-acre park is the subject of a classic Cahill travel book.

Whether you've been to Yellowstone or not, you'll appreciate the author's perspective. He takes a stab at describing the natural wonders of the park - geysers, basins, wildlife - while also including some history and philosophical musings about previous explorers.

"Lost in My Own Backyard" is light reading, and I mean really light reading. Some of the shorter essays (3 to 4 pages long) hardly do justice to the day hike or back-country adventure that Cahill purports to share. And when you reach the end of this book an hour or two after you've started reading it, you'll feel like the book hasn't even begun yet. But I suppose that's the sign of a great writer covering a great subject. The material draws you in and the author's style is a pleasure to read on any subject.

Moments after opening the cover, readers are pulled from mundane lives across the globe and transported to one of this world's most fantastic hotspots: Yellowstone National Park. Who better than Tim Cahill to serve as guide and hiking partner?

From a bizarre winking spire in the Hoodoos to falling asleep at a grizzly picnic, Tim never fails to weave a wonderful tale. Included in a selected bookshelf appendix, a list of Yellowstone books of every stripe and shade will enlighten the curious and transform the uninitiated. While you may be disappointed that this book is so quickly over, you won't be let down by its quality.

In defense of Mr. Cahill less than lengthy book, this Crown Journeys offering is just one of an entire series of walking books, all of them brief. I doubt Tim had the option to plow beyond a contracted word count. That's fine with me. If he had given us the natural history of every flower on Mount Washburn, or any other feature in the park, this diminutive read could have easily mutated from a collection of cool essays into a two score set of encyclopedia.

Take it from a guy who has worked in park. This book is a great, albeit brief, introduction to Yellowstone.

Lost in My Own Backyard enhanced my brief stay in Yellowstone. It informed without being heavy-handed and gave me an idea of some of the areas within the park that I know I'll never get to. The realities are expressed with humor, ("Whenever a creature makes an appearance near the road...there will be a traffic jam of hopeless proportions"). Cahill points out some of the sites that are off the beaten track, such as the petrified tree, that can be fun to see. His description of the Artist's Paintpots, however, failed to inspire in real life.
Lost in My Own Backyard doesn't pretend to be a guidebook. It's rather like sitting down with a whimsical uncle and looking at his photo album of Yellowstone National Park.

As a huge Cahill fan and as a former Yellowstone park employee, finding a book by Cahill on Yellowstone was a thrill in itself. Althought it's been 30+ years since I roamed the backcountry of the most beautiful spot in America, his book brought back the smell of the paintpots, the hissing of the geysers at midnight, and the sounds a bear makes outside your tent at night. To think he lives just outside the park makes me extremely jealous but having his book take me back, makes me extremely grateful.
I never thought of the Park as the top of the world's largest volcano, but his book points out the obvious. I am now reading some of the books mentioned in his bibliography on the history of the park. Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park
My only complaint would be that it's way too short and I finished it too quickly. But at least I have one more Cahill to read Hold the Enlightenmentfor my next Adventure Travel fix. So Thank You Tim!

Cahill's "Lost in My Own Backyard" is a different kind of book: rather than commenting on the sights and smells, the first short essay, entitled "Mount Washburn," describes current theories of the historical development of Yellowstone in terms of a catastrophic volcanic eruption, and observes "we're all just potential puffs of steam anyway, and the earth is might beyond our imagining." The book as a whole most closely resembles a cross between a travel narrative and a guidebook. Though it contains elements of the common guidebook (such as describing specific trails and hikes), the perspective is most often completely different from a standard trail guide. In fact, Cahill includes an appendix of excellent books on Yellowstone (include trail guides) that he considers essential for enjoying the park. I agree; they would be an indispensible addition to Cahill's book for anyone looking to explore the backcountry of the park.
The first half of the book - nine short essays - discuss short to moderate hikes in Yellowstone National Park with a twist: rather than the usual discussion of trail markers, precise distances, and the names of various peaks and viewpoints, Cahill focuses on the geological, thermal and ecological wonder of Yellowstone. His writing is a wonderful blend of humor, meditation on the natural beauties of the park, and half tongue-in-cheek yet deadly serious warnings about the dangers of the park and its wildlife.
The final three essays of the book are longer and discuss backcountry journeys Cahill and some of his neighbors have taken through Yellowstone. These more closely resemble common travel narratives, though they still maintain their guidebook-like feeling at some points.
This book is clearly a winner. Though Cahill frequently protests (in the words of Ferdinand Hayden) that "No language can do justice to the wonderful grandeur and beauty" of Yellowstone, his writing manages to capture something of the spirit of the natural wonders of the park, as well as the adventure of backcountry exploration. His writing is crisp, clear, and not particularly long-winded, which makes it a joyful relaxing read. Be warned: Lost in My Own Backyard may inspire you to go and get lost in America's backyard as well.

This book is a series of essays prompted by walking trails in Yellowstone. Thus, the subtitle is a misnomer - - this book discusses a bunch of walks, not just one. The title is a misnomer, too, as he's never "lost" in a real sense. But this book does involve some "getting lost" in a metaphorical sense. Cahill also wanders off topic a lot, usually in a pleasant way, which is a more literary way to "get lost."

Cahill writes each essay after hiking a trail. Each is idiosyncratic - - sometimes he talks about people he meets, sometimes wildlife or other sights, and sometimes general issues about Yellowstone. For example, a day hike on Mount Washburn sparks a geology lesson about the park. It also leads to musings about how Cahill's younger self was much too cool to go to any of the obvious tourist attractions in the park, including the trail up Mount Washburn.

He wanders "off topic" in such fashion a lot. For example, his essay on the Norris Geyser Basin was originally prompted by a hike to the basin but ends up discussing the joys of driving the Grand Loop Road. (Talking about driving a road is a bit out of place in a series of books about walking, but there it is.) Other essays concern the history of the park, the geology of geysers, the role of fire in the ecosystem, wheelchair-accessible backcountry campsites, and brief discussions of wildlife from squirrels to wolves.

He also writes about three extended trips in the backcountry. These are closer to trip reports, and describe more of what he and his companions do on these hikes. You don't learn that much about the trails, but you already knew that you should buy a hiking guidebook for that. He does give some Pretty Big Clues about an unnamed waterfall that you could "discover" if you want to. Oh, it's about 30 miles from the trailhead, which might be an obstacle.

The essays are pleasant diversions but none of them really have a big idea or compelling point. The book is also quite short, and could be devoured in an hour or two on the beach - - or, more appropriately, after dinner while visiting Yellowstone. Cahill's a talented writer, so I enjoyed the read but was still hungry after the meal.

I have been to Yellowstone. I have used numerous hiking guides. I have even, in my fascination, read some books on the history and geology of the park.

Having used the Lonely Planet Yellowstone as a primary guide for an overview, I was pleased to find that the man--Tim Cahill--who had written the delightful introduction to that book has written a small book of his own on some of his adventures in the park. More than just stories, this book is a resource on multiple levels.

This coming year, I hope to be taking a BUNCH of people with me on a road trip to our nation's great "backyard." When I think about trying to get people fired up for such an adventure, the stories and enthusiasm of this book help me to get a little more enthusiasm. It further helps me to know where to begin to describe the awesome VASTNESS of wonder to be found in Yellowstome.

More than that, this book, with its list of further Yellowstone resources in the back, is a gold mine for those looking for Yellowstone resources. When Christmas rolls around, I will be sorely tempted to give this book as a gift to many who are thinking of going on the trip next year.

Until then, you should check this book out. And more than that, you should REALLY check Yellowstone out. Theres is no place like it on earth!

I bought this book because I've read every other thing Tim Cahill has written, and loved it. For folks looking for a great companion read while in Yellowstone, this is your book. This is weight in your pack you will not regret. Diehard Cahill fans may however, have difficulty adjusting to the different style of writing employed here. Make no mistake, this is a guidebook rather than his usual collection of humorous essays.

I totally enjoyed the book, being a big Cahill fan, but was disappointed at the shortness of it for the price.