If you've ever thought being a park ranger is an easy job, filled with lots of hikes, canoeing, camping, that sort of thing ... think again! It can be frustrating (people are, well, stupid), and dangerous (and not so much from the animals), and tragic. Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks, by Andrea Lankford pulls no punches, either with what has happened, or in the language she uses to describe it. It's a compelling read, but maybe not for the faint of heart!

There is a wonderful mystery series set in our National Parks. It's by Nevada Barr, who worked in several of them and used her experiences in her books. My favorite is Superior Death, which opened with a tourist dive to a shipwreck (with the warning there were bodies), only to discover more than what was expected. The race in front of a fire in Firestorm left me breathless and just reading about being underground in Blind Descent sparked my claustrophobia! Start with Track of the Cat.

Two books now that combine hiking and history! Both are trail guides to Washington State, both offer the requisite directions for getting to trail heads, etc. but I would rate them just a bit differently. For more of the history of the area you'll hike in read Hiking Washington's History, by Judy Bentley. This was a great armchair read! There are descriptions of the trails and 'what happened when' that gave a wonderful sense of times past. For less history, but more on the actual trails ... when is the best time to hike them, a difficulty rating, who can use the trails (hikers, bikers, horsemen), and a nice breakdown of 'waterfall' or 'scenic view' trails, those best for families, etc. then go with Hiking Through History, Washington: Exploring the Evergreen State's Past By Trail, by Nathan and Jeremy Barnes. Both are worthwhile reads.

Reading Hermit With Dog