Blow Sand in His Soul: Bates Wilson the Heart of Canyonlands

Rear cover notes: "Bates Wilson was a force of nature, like a river. Or a flash flood. And the course he carved through the desert landscape is still apparent today. Though he never received a high school diploma, Bates became one of the most respected men in the National Park Service. Canyonlands National Park today stands as a testament to his singular love of place, his ability to transcend political partisanship, and his damned good dutch oven cooking. Anyone who ate with Bates in Canyon country was made a believer in its worth and beauty. Anyone who ate with Bates became his friend. He was admired by a certain young ranger named Edward Abbey, and developed a life-long friendship with Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall. This is the man responsible for the enduring wildness of the Needles, Maze and Island in the Sky. This cowboy-cum-diplomat is the Father of Canyonlands."