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The following article appeared in The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, CO) on August 27, 2005 Free books, bane of outdoor writers Most times, the books slip in with the mail, unbidden and unsolicited, finally stacking up over the rickety metal cabinet that's already full of unread volumes until the teetering piles threaten to tumble to the floor. But sometimes the mail brings gems: words and photographs and philosophies of life worth sharing. That's what the better books are, a display of emotion as seen through a camera's eye or the mind of someone hoping what they have to share is worth the effort of sharing. Here are a few of the more-notable tomes to hit this reporters' desk in the past six months or so: "Access Anything: Colorado, Adventuring with Disabilities," by Craig P. Kennedy and Andrea C. Jehn, (Fulcrum Publishing, 2005, $15.95, softcover). People living with disabilities have struggled at times when it comes to planning or carrying out a vacation, mostly because of access problems. Unfortunately, sometimes those places marked "handicapped accessible" aren't, simply because they were designed by an able-bodied planner who has no idea of what it's like to use a wheelchair or a walker. Now comes Kennedy, a Steamboat Springs resident and paraplegic, with a well-written and extensively researched book for disabled travelers and tourists around Colorado. His book opens many opportunities for wheelchairs users and people with other mobility impairments in what's known as the adventure travel business. "I found there's a lot of cool stuff that the disabled community can do today that they could not do five years ago," Kennedy said. "Yet because most people with disabilities don't know about these new opportunities - from skiing to mountain biking to health spas - they think these great experiences are closed to them." The book is organized by geographic and major metropolitan areas but, in one of the book's few shortcomings, it says little of the accessibility of Grand Junction except for a brief mention in an article about Powderhorn Ski Resort. Skiing, downhill skiing especially, gets a share of attention in the book, but the authors say very little about Nordic skiing, which is extremely popular among wheelchair athletes. Inexplicably, nothing is written about Winter Park Resort's Ski for Light program, one of the nation's premier skiing events for the blind, visually impaired and mobility impaired. But there are so many good things in this book - from listings of horseback rehabilitation programs to accessible hot-air balloon rides to truly accessible fine dining across the state - that the book has received glowing reviews from the disabled community. "Overall it's an excellent book," said Dana Liesegang, a Grand Junction resident, disabled Navy vet and active skier, rafter and biker. "I'm excited about trying some of the adventures." "Skywatch West: The Complete Weather Guide," by Richard A. Keen (Fulcrum Publishing, 2004, $24.95, softcover). We've been paying attention to the weather for decades, and some of this summer's weather has been the most interesting seen in years. If you've ever wondered about the predictable and unpredictable cycles of weather that grace the American West, this book will not only open your eyes but your curiosity as well. This is a revision of the 1987 book, but so much has happened in the intervening years - five El Niños, the summer of fire, years of drought - that Keen, with nearly 30 years of weather forecasting experience, has plenty of new material to share. Included in the book are weather facts and tips, lists of weather resources and easy-to-read explanations of technical weather data. There's even a brief (and repeatable) explanation of why the sky is blue. Weather forecasting, as are so many other pursuits that deal with nature, remains as much as art as a science. "Skywatch West" helps to clear up some of the mystery. "Valley of the Dunes," by Bob Rosinski and Wendy Shattil, text by Audrey DeLella Benedict, foreword by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo. (Fulcrum Publishing, 2005, $19.95, softcover). The 18th Century Spanish explorers might have been the first Europeans to see the sand dunes clustered at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains lining the east side of the San Luis Valley. Although those first explorers were more interested in gold and spreading the Gospel, the stories and rumors spread quickly about the immense mountains of sand, and the tales continue to this day. Rosinski and Shattil, two of the West's most-talented and prolific photographer/artists, offer a year's worth of images of the Great Sand Dunes and their immediate environs. Designated a national monument in 1932 and then given national park status in 2000, the Great Sand Dunes have attracted the mystic and the mysterious for more years than written history recounts. In his thoughtful foreword, Sen. Ken Salazar recounts how his family ties to the San Luis Val ley go back more than 400 years. "The Great Sand Dunes ... are unlike any other place on earth ... the most breath-taking and glorious places in the San Luis Valley," writes Salazar. The images by Rosinski and Shattil, along with Benedict's sometimes haunting lyricism, are sure to pique your interest in, and fascination with, this glorious natural heritage. (c) 2005 Cox Newspapers, Inc. - The Daily Sentinel Record Number: 10C46B15E0244580 |
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 With Jim at the Life Is Good Headquarters
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Copyright Access Anything. All rights reserved. |
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