"The Grand Sporting Tradition Continues. Ruffed grouse hunting is to bird hunting what fly fishing is to fishing - the pinnacle of the sport. Grouse hunters are a diehard lot consumed by chasing evasive birds through impenetrable thickets ... Grouse hunters everywhere will relate to and enjoy this intimate look into 'ruffin' it in Idaho'."--

The Last Wild Road is a raucous, gripping, sometimes terrifying, often hilarious, and deeply meditative journey through the heart of the outdoors in the modern world. Collected from more than 20 years of hunting and fishing cover stories, columns, and adventure tales written by T. Edward Nickens for Field & Stream, this book is a road trip that takes in a huge sweep of the North American landscape—blackwater rivers in the wilds of eastern North Carolina, deserts and prairies of the American West, remote tundra of northern Canada, and the wildest rivers of Alaska. Along every rutted road and rough trail, with a rod, gun, and pen, Nickens meets unforgettable characters—old French-speaking Cajuns at Louisiana squirrel camps, a one-armed fly-tyer in the ancient Appalachians, Pennsylvania brothers who lost their father in a hunting accident decades ago and return to the scene for a powerful, poignant encounter with history. He explores remote wilderness waters to chase trout and ducks, but finds rich meaning, too, in the familiar and close-to-home: fishing with his children, plumbing the forests of local farms, and butchering deer in his basement as a thanksgiving for the gifts of the outdoors. When it comes to hunting and fishing, writing often falls into the categories of where-to-go, the how-do-it, and the-what-to-bring. This book embarks on the question of “why.” Why does the pursuit of game and fish, and the travel to the wild places where they thrive, bring meaning and clarity to living in the modern world? Why do we laugh more, and live more deeply, far from the sidewalk? If you’ve ever felt that way, you’ll find yourself in The Last Wild Road.

Overshadowed by California’s better-known and more iconic, scenic landmarks, the north state watershed of the Sacramento Valley offers a spectacular variety in its own claim to natural wonders. This corner of the Golden State teems with breathtaking waterfalls, rare wildflowers, ancient botanical zones, stark mountain ridges, steaming volcanic activity, gold rush history, and premium birdwatching. Included here are trails to explore the new Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Sierra Buttes region, the Sierra foothill wildlife areas, the Big Bend area near Red Bluff, the vast trail systems of Redding, the magnificent bird refuges across the valley floor, and more.