HikeArizona.COM

Grand Obsession: Harvey Butchart and the Exploration of Grand Canyon. It's available in Phx at REI, also online at pumapress.org or amazon.

It's taken a combined total of 17 years between Elias Butler and Tom Myers (who co-wrote the book Death in Grand Canyon) to produce the history of Harvey Butchart, Grand Canyon's accomplished explorer. The authors wrapped Butchart's story around the history of foot exploration in the Canyon and it's a big book - 460 pages, 170 images.

Included are chapters on Colin Fletcher, Butchart's air mattress floats on the Colorado (through both Glen and Grand Canyons), butte-climbing, rim-to-river routes, the fallout of Butchart's obsession within his family, and profiles and stories of other extreme hikers such as Robert Eschka, who hiked from Moab to Lake Mead and back along the Colorado in 1983 before committing suicide, and others such as George Steck.

Butler and Myers appear at Burton Barr LIbrary in downtown Phx on April 8, 2008, 7pm.

joe bartels wrote:Very cool that Dale attended!

No doubt! I had a chance to talk to him for a bit, before the librarian kicked us out.

I kept looking around for people I know; where were you? Did you leave right away?

Yeah I scooted out as that lady seemed determined to clear the room in 0.5 seconds. Considering I already have a copy of the book, figured it was best to get out of the way.

I picked up a used copy of Grand Obsession last week, it's so damn good! I'm only halfway through but it's already topping the list of my favorite reads. Dreamt all night about the Canyon last night

I finally got around to reading it last fall. It was a fascinating portrait of a complicated man. He accomplished so much, but the same traits that made it possible also took a heavy toll on others. I really appreciate the research that went into it.

big_load wrote:but the same traits that made it possible also took a heavy toll on others

yet to suggest that one not pursue their dreams for another would then flip the table