04/11/2016
River: One Man's Journey Down the Colorado, Source to Sea Hardcover – April 1, 1997
Colin Fletcher, the author of the Grand Canyon classic The Man Who Walked Through Time, adds to his life list of desert voyages with a trip down the 1,700-mile-long Colorado River. From its sources in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming to its union with the Gulf of California, Fletcher traces the Colorado in an entertaining and often quite funny travelogue. More seriously, he ponders his own life's passage, musing on lost loves, the experience of war, the onset of old age, and impending mortality. Despite the title, other travelers have made this journey--devotees of the Colorado will know the writings of John Wesley Powell and the Kolb brothers, among others. That notwithstanding, Fletcher makes keen observations of the area's geology and wildlife, and of human behavior.
From Library Journal
Solo backpacking legend Fletcher's newest book will likely strike a chord with his many fans, including a generation who grew up reading his classics?The Complete Walker (LJ 10/15/68), The Man Who Walked Through Time (LJ 2/15/68), and The Thousand-Mile Summer (Random, 1989). Here, the aging-yet-spry Fletcher recounts his attempt to traverse the Colorado River from its source in the mountains of Wyoming to the Gulf of California. Traveling by raft when possible and backpacking the nonnavigable stretches, he embraced six months of solitude in spectacular scenery and gained an appreciation of the river. The reclusive author also offers some personal history and reflections on topics ranging from religion to evironmentalism. Expect strong demand, especially among public and environmental collections. [A BOMC selection.]?Tim J. Markus, Evergreen State Coll. Lib., Olympia, Wash.
