You Hear That?

By Russ Linton on April 30, 2025 • ( 0 )

Kade, incoming! The audiobooks are LIVE!

So far, Devil’s Churn is uploaded and ready to go at seven different distributors. Many of them, are offering a free listen to join their service. Personally, I don’t have a favorite. But choice is what this new phase of the Fort Black Thrillers is all about.

Get your copy at the following stores:

Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Spotify
Hoopla
Libro
Overdrive
Audible

Tyler Darby, the narrator, is a fellow Texan who reached out with a killer sample of the first chapter. I was sold he was Kade from the first listen and passed on his audition to my distributor.

Grab a copy TODAY and tell me what you think! Is he not the perfect voice for Kade?

Nomad Update

In southern Utah, there is no lack for space to roam. Plenty of public lands from National Forests to Monuments. And of course, the Mighty Five.

To date, we’ve seen them all: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Parks. If you twisted my arm and ask for a favorite, I’d say Zion.

Maybe.

We’ re moving just ahead of the tourist season. This put us outside the normal weather too. Zion in February, we still saw days with snow. Then it would warm up to typical spring time temps.

And then came the mud. This made the backcountry (where I like to explore) damn near inaccessible.

Still, a hike into the Zion wilderness proved one of the most memorable I’ve had. However, we had to turn back at the higher elevations. Each step we’d add another pound or so of muck to our boots and kept sinking deeper and deeper.

Capitol Reef National Park was the biggest surprise though. Lesser known, not quite as expansive, but a combination of history and unique geography make this one a gem.

On the edge of the high desert with snow-capped peaks on all sides and the closest you can get to Mars right down the highway (it’s true – they have a Mars habitat simulator about an hour east!) this off-the-radar park easily ranks up there with one of my favorites.

Plus, they’ve got a bakery. The old orchards left by the pioneers along the Fremont River are still operational. And they make some killer apple pie!

Reminded me of Polebridge, Montana. That far-flung outpost in Glacier National Park. We’d make the hour or so drive from our campground just about weekly to grab a muffin or scone there.

Yeah, after seeing the Mighty Five, Glacier is still my top park overall. But the sweeping edifices of Arches and the bizarre formations of Canyonlands have certainly left an impression.

While the parks get all the attention, Utah has a vast expanse of public land to explore and Bears Ears National Monument is one of the most awe-inspiring.

1.3 million acres of pinyon juniper flats, flowing canyons, and rugged mountains. And hidden in countless nooks and crannies are the remnants of the people who came before us.

Cliff dwellings perch above meandering streams. Stone storehouses and subterranean kivas tell of common and sacred rites. Petroglyphs mark not just the passage of another civilization but the steady revolution of our planet over the eons.

Bears Ears is a sacred place to five Native tribes, the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute, and the Uintah-Ouray Ute. It’s one reason the Bureau of Land Management set this massive parcel aside. Not only is it a wilderness worth protecting, it’s a living cultural museum.

I’ve had the honor of wandering miles of trails in this wilderness. I can see what attracted early people and how the sheer inaccessibility kept them safe.

Under the spring sun, the sweet smell of the sage and the snakeweed is intoxicating. Juniper, pinyon, and service berries provide a steady harvest. Mule deer and other game thrive in this harsh environment. Underground springs and winter snowmelt make for a constant water supply in the canyon depths. And the upper mesas and sweeping valleys provide arable farmland.

I’ve been across the country, always in search of those last few remaining wild spaces. Bears Ears? Definitely one of the more remote. Even today, the area is sparsely settled – the resources simply not enough to support the modern lifestyles and infrastructure our population demands.

Yet, Bears Ears is also one of our public lands being targeted for sale and development.

Surveys have reported little of value here. The forests are largely P and J – pinyon and juniper. Lumber value simply isn’t there. Minerals? Largest concentrations are of Uranium and Vanadium. But little else exists to make extraction economically viable.

They’re still intent on selling off parcels. And with a diminished staff at the Department of Interior (especially given the focus on dismantling cultural and environmental guardians) what happens on that land will likely see little oversight.

I realize our nation is about as divided as we’ve ever been. But on public lands, we largely agree – they should remain public.

Under a declared “emergency,” the Department of Interior has reduced public comment on proposed changes to seven days. Even for tribes who have a cultural interest. That makes getting a word in difficult.

But if you would, please contact your representative and tell them how you feel about our public lands. If you aren’t familiar with Bears Ears, I’ve included a few pics in the gallery to inspire you.

This is but one of many areas we need to remain vigilant about. I hope you’ll join me in keeping these lands free for future generations.

Contact Your Representatives

Thanks,

Russ