Follow author John Fraley as he traces the lives and times of past and present heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, from old-timers like Joe Murphy, to Smoke Elser, and on to the present. Over the past century, these heroes have ridden, packed, and hiked from one end of the Bob to the other, and they’ve helped make the wilderness what it is today. You’ll ride along on horse and mule treks and wrecks, and discover the sport of trout wrangling. You’ll meet the fluorescent hunter, White River Sue, and the black-clad backpacker. You’ll battle packrats, fish-eating deer, tricky bears, and a tree-hugging criminal. Sit back and read about a dog rescue, smokejumper adventures, kids raised in the wilderness, and the first study of grizzlies in the Bob. Witness a tense moose-lassoing rodeo, and meet a backcountry rooster named Bob Marshall, the first live chicken to attempt a traverse of the Bob. The heroes in this book have ridden and hiked hundreds of thousands of miles through the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Now, come along with them and celebrate their contributions, their challenges, and their fun times.

I never knew a dog could walk 96 miles in two days-especially not across a wilderness AND through a forest fire. Who would have thought that was possible? But I had to. I had a family back home that needed me, so that's what I had to do. Alone in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and separated from his family by a forest fire, can Bandit find his way home? Follow Bandit as he races ninety-six miles across one of the wildest places in Montana. Along the way explore the majestic Bob Marshall Wilderness, learn about wilderness wildfire, and discover why wilderness is a rich legacy for us all.

Hush of the Land chronicles the six-decade quest of backcountry packer and outfitter Smoke Elser to protect wilderness areas not by keeping people away but by leading them deep into the wild mountains of western Montana.