Ranger Confidential by Andrea Lankford
Honestly I wasn’t sure I needed to read another National Park book despite Audible.com and Good Reads highly rated recommendations. Those Audible monthly credits are precious.
Upon the first 10 minutes of listening to Lankford’s account, I was hooked. Most of her 12 year career was based in the Grand Canyon. After last year’s Rim to Rim to Rim hike, I was mesmerized by her descriptions of the Grand Canyon National Park.
Lankford intersperses personal stories of high drama rescue attempts, first responder dilemmas and idiotic tourist behavior with eloquent descriptions of the various National Parks and stories of many other rangers.
Very quickly you will remind yourself “Say Thank You” to a ranger next time those men and women in green pass you by. They have a thankless job that hardly pays for the risk they take daily to keep our National Parks running well.
Lankford fills this travel book with interesting stories that teach great lessons.
If you plan on hiking a glacier at Denali, plan on packing out your poop. You probably won’t get away with BASE jumping in Yosemite. Definitely watch out for rattlesnakes when free climbing and keep a lid on your alcohol consumption in the great woods.
There are moments of hilarity alongside plenty of love stories, for each other and the land. I caught myself rooting for the underdog in ranger school and weeping at the end of the book.
It’s an unexpected story of bravery and courage, fortitude and hospitality.
This outdoor adventure book gets an A+. It has grit, comedy, love, death, suspense and familitary.
Next time you are hiking in one of the USA’s 423 national parks, give a big smile to the ticket booth ranger and say “Hey Thanks.”
A Quick Note! If you love to be active AND read, consider an annual membership to audible.com. First month is free. If you like it, $14.99/month.
Related Links:
Explore one or all of the USA’s 423 National Parks with an annual pass ($80/year)
Hike the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim. We did it and loved every minute, well almost every one.
Explore a National Park in an RV or sprinter van.
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