From Publishers Weekly
Far-ranging grizzlies, elk and wolves don't know where the parks and preserves established to protect them end and much less hospitable public (and private) land begins. Thus, environmentalists have focused on creating wilderness corridors along which animals—mammals, birds and even fish—can migrate from one seasonal "island" habitat to another. Canadian wildlife biologist Heuer gives a harrowing, humorous, engagingly personal and unabashedly polemical account of his 2,100-mile trek along one such potential link, from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to Watson Lake in the Canadian Yukon, along what activists hope will become the Y2Y (Yellowstone to the Yukon) corridor. Heuer hiked, skied, snowshoed and canoed his way along Rocky Mountain ridges, across icy rivers and through near-impenetrable forests; he encountered heart-stopping beauty and soul-soothing calm, as well as harsh winter storms, clouds of voracious mosquitoes and fierce opposition from logging and mining interests. He also found signs that the grizzly—the animal most vulnerable to the creeping incursion of logging roads, oil pipelines and suburban sprawl—was somehow hanging on. Heuer's journey is exciting, and his passionate vision of a network of protected pathways connecting two mostly pristine wilderness areas is inspiring. Photos, maps. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


National Geographic Adventure
[Heuer] is an engaging guide to both the idea and the terrain.


Blue Ridge Outdoors
It's a wonderful paean to the natural world-wrapped up in the tale of a grand adventure.


Book Description
Walk wild Route Y2Y with wolves, bears, the author, his dog, and other creatures on one of North America's last migratory corridors.


From the Publisher
·Karsten Heuer walks with North American mammals from Yellowstone to the Yukon (Y2Y) to document the animals that use this natural corridor and learn its importance ·Preserving the Y2Y corridor has become one of the most critical environmental issues of our day ·Awarded 2003 Wilburforce Foundation Conservation Leadership Award ·Grants will fund a multi-city author tour for lectures and presentations related to the Y2Y initiative Walking the Big Wild is the story of Karsten Heuer's extraordinary 18-month journey of hiking, sking, and paddling across 2100 miles of mountains, forests, and rivers from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to the Canadian Yukon. Accompanied by occasional human companions and a remarkable border collie named Webster, Heuer encountered immense challenges: storms, avalanches, floods, and grizzlies. At the end of the journey, Heuer proved that there is nearly continuous wilderness that can support wildlife along the length of the Rockies-and is salvageable if the right decisions are made now.


About the Author
Karsten Heuer has worked as a wildlife biologist and park warden in Banff National Park in the Rockies, in Inuvik in Canada's far north, and in the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. With his wife Leanne Allison, he recently completed the "Being Caribou" project, a 1000 mile journey traveling on foot with the migrating Porcupine Caribou herd in northern Canada and the U.S. Heuer was awarded the 2003 Wilburforce Foundation Conservation Leadership Award.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Accompanied by a Remarkable Border Collie Named Webster, Karsten Heuer set off on a grand adventure: to move through the land as a bear or wolf might, 2,200 miles along the spine of the Rocky Mountains. There were times when the journey felt like a meditation, and times when the scale of the trek overwhelmed him. He lost one girlfriend, found another, and kept hiking despite the suspicions of hunters, ranchers, and miners. He faced ferocious storms, avalanches, and raging rivers. And then there were the grizzlies...

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Far-ranging grizzlies, elk and wolves don't know where the parks and preserves established to protect them end and much less hospitable public (and private) land begins. Thus, environmentalists have focused on creating wilderness corridors along which animals-mammals, birds and even fish-can migrate from one seasonal "island" habitat to another. Canadian wildlife biologist Heuer gives a harrowing, humorous, engagingly personal and unabashedly polemical account of his 2,100-mile trek along one such potential link, from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to Watson Lake in the Canadian Yukon, along what activists hope will become the Y2Y (Yellowstone to the Yukon) corridor. Heuer hiked, skied, snowshoed and canoed his way along Rocky Mountain ridges, across icy rivers and through near-impenetrable forests; he encountered heart-stopping beauty and soul-soothing calm, as well as harsh winter storms, clouds of voracious mosquitoes and fierce opposition from logging and mining interests. He also found signs that the grizzly-the animal most vulnerable to the creeping incursion of logging roads, oil pipelines and suburban sprawl-was somehow hanging on. Heuer's journey is exciting, and his passionate vision of a network of protected pathways connecting two mostly pristine wilderness areas is inspiring. Photos, maps. (Jan. 20) Forecast: The extensive coverage of Heuer's trek in newspapers along his route suggests the possibility of solid regional sales. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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