Whether four-legged animals or two-legged humans, trails are followed and retraced by an assortment of creatures through the centuries on the easiest paths through the landscape. They were always on some type of mission whether looking for forage, food, water or ports of call. Humans, from the 16th through the 19st centuries are most always on some military or commercial enterprise between destination points. The Old Spanish Trail was used for both purposes: Spanish traders from at least 1795 to the railroad surveys of the early-1850s. Commercially, hundreds of mules left Santa Fe carrying woolen goods for the Californios. In return, thousands of horses and mules were herded back to New Mexico and then up the Santa Fe trail to Middle America. Trail of Many Tales relates the history of the trail in south central Utah by combining first hand accounts, tribal lore, works of history, archaeology and state of the art scientific methods. Come on along and learn how large groups of animals were herded by not so many men and the identification of their trails, some 1,000 feet wide, that still can be isolated on small sections of the overland route.

"Tales from the Medicine Trail" offers readers an adventure into the healing practices of ancient and modern cultures. This is blended with actionable health remedies, such as teas for tension, meditations for migraines, and poultices for pain. 32 color photos.

Rush Walters, a slave turned freeman, struggles to get his life on track after leaving his master. A hardworking and honest man, Rush ventures to a new place to start over only to find himself entangled in an illegal operation run by a gang in the community he has settled in. Quincella Adkisom has Rush, amid all his troubles with the law, run-ins with the gang, and failed relationships, determined to live the life he has always dreamed of, a life of peace and fulfillment, love and inspiration. Adkisom cleverly portrays the era that Rush finds himself in, the time in where a slave is only a freeman by title. The Trails of Many Tails engages the reader in a roller coaster of emotions as we are kept on the edge of our seats to see how Rush finds the life he dreams of. Will Rush Walters find that dream of his, or will it turn into another nightmare?

During the 2020 pandemic, one thing held true: Scores of people headed out for a day hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT) as if being in the woods, immersed in beauty and mystery, immunized them against an invisible enemy. The AT became a hospital for souls locked up in quarantine, needing to breathe, stretch, and be grounded by the earth beneath their feet. For decades, the AT has been a sanctuary for seekers, the tired and the lost; those hungry for renewal, the broken and the grieving; and those who want to face and answer questions they have lugged around with them in invisible backpacks. Questions like, what is next for me? Is there a God? Should I live or end it all? How can I liberate my life from what weighs it down? How can I forgive God? This book pays tribute to all those who dare such a grueling and soul-satisfying adventure. It tells the tales of those on a pilgrimage through insightful conversations and encounters, exploring and revealing what angels the hikers are wrestling with in the wilderness, angels who call out to name them again. This collection unveils the spirituality of any such journey in sometimes humorous, sometimes heart-wrenching portraits. Tales from the Trail explores the longings within us to lose our life, only to find it.

The Appalachian Trail was beautiful, evil, demanding but forgiving. It taught us the importance of individuality, luck and determination. The best lesson, however, was the value of each person who hiked it, maintained it, and provided trail magic to the random anonymous hiker. We're all family on the Trail. Shared hardships act as a bond. This book offers observations of the same experiences from a variety of viewpoints complete with the good and bad memories. From a married couple, a father-son team, sisters, a hostel owner, a Marine who just finished his military career, a retired orthopedic surgeon, an Australian long distance hiker, young, middle-aged and senior men and women.....all have their stories to tell. If you like fun, adventure, raw emotion, and honesty you'll find it all in these chapters. Because each author can't tell their whole story they must condense their trail experience to events most meaningful to them. As you will see, we all suffered, rejoiced, were disappointed, and rewarded almost daily during the many months we hiked through the "green tunnel." OUR TIME ON THE TRAIL CHANGED US, EACH AND EVERY ONE.

At 14 years old, Roni McFadden was already headed for trouble. When her mother divorced Roni's abusive step-father, whatever closeness existed between mother and daughter disappeared. The only thing that Roni had left in her life with any meaning was her little horse Sparol. When she met an old cowboy who lived down the road, she saw they shared the same love and respect for those magnificent animals. More importantly, that old cowboy was an adult she could trust. Under his guidance, Roni evolves from a girl stumbling along treacherous and twisted paths to become a strong young woman who knows where she is going, how to get there, and that she will have help along the way. "Ride along with young Roni as she discovers the lessons of the ancient spirits of mountains, deserts and horses - a wonderful coming-of-age tale in a magnificent setting." -D.H. Eraldi, author of "Settler's Chase" "A powerful personal journey so well written, you become a part of the story before you realize it." -D.B. Jackson, author of "Unbroke Horses"

Ghosts! Curses! Hoaxes! Unsolved mysteries! Paranormal events! Take a walk on the creepy side of North America's National Parks! Andrea Lankford, a 12-year veteran ranger with the National Park Service, has written a thoroughly investigated yet often tongue-in-cheek guidebook that takes the reader to the scariest, most mysterious places inside North America's National Parks. Lankford shares such eerie tales as John Brown's haunting of Harper's Ferry, the disembodied legs that have been seen running around inside the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center, and the "wailing woman" who roams the trail behind the Grand Canyon Lodge. Lankford also uncovers paranormal activities park visitors have experienced, such as the chupacabra that roams the swamps inside Big Thicket National Preserve and the teenage bigfoot who rolled a park service campground with toilet paper. She also reports on long-forgotten unsolved murders, such as the savage stabbing of a young woman on Yosemite's trail to Mirror Lake, and the execution style shooting of two General Motors executives at Crater Lake. The witnesses to the supernatural occurrences are highly credible people-rangers, park historians, river guides, and the like-and each tale has factual relevance to the cultural or natural history of the park. Haunted Hikes provides readers with all the information they need: for each hike: a "fright factor rating" is listed along with trailhead access information, detailed trail maps, and hike difficulty levels. Most of the haunted sites included in the book can be reached by the average hiker, some are wheelchair accessible, and others are for intrepid backpackers willing to make multi-day treks into wilderness areas. Intriguing photographs of many sites are included. Haunted Hikes is sure to satisfy readers looking for those spine-tingling moments when you begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe, we are not alone.