Survivalism. Catastrophe. Death. These are not the memories people want to bring back from a National Park vacation. But just as the beauty of a pristine natural area can take your breath away, the dangers of backcountry exploration can take your life away as well.
Death in Big Bend
is the newest nonfiction book by renowned photographer and outdoor adventure writer Laurence Parent. The book chronicles some of the freak accidents, tragedies and dramatic rescues that have taken place in Big Bend National Park since the 1980s. These real life accounts are based upon park records and interviews with park rangers, victims and family members of victims.
Parent, who grew up in the Southwest as the child of a park ranger, is an expert outdoorsman. His photography and adventure travel writing have been published in
National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Outside, Backpacker, Sierra, Natural History, National Parks, Newsweek, Travel & Leisure, and the
New York Times. Of his 39 book projects, which include travel guides, trail guides, and large format photography titles, this is his third book on Big Bend National Park. He has worked in the Big Bend area for decades and knows the risks posed by its harsh but stunning environment.
“People don’t judge risk well,” Parent writes in the introduction. “People fear rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and bears, but no deaths have ever been caused in the park by those animals.”
Of the 17 incidents retold in
Death in Big Bend, most resulted in preventable fatalities. Parent chose to write about these life-threatening and life-ending stories because they highlight the importance of respecting park warnings and being prepared for what he calls “purely bad luck.”
“When someone dies from what seems a minor bad decision, it helps bring the lesson home,” Parent writes.
Parent writes about first-time park visitors, like George Gregg and Douglas Pappas, who perished after starting simple hikes or drives without basic preparation. He explains the cases of experienced backpackers, like Carl Springer and Justin Baize, who fell victim to harsh desert conditions. He describes two seasoned technical climbers who got stranded in an uncharted canyon when they pulled down their ropes after a descent. The most horrifying account in the book describes the unsolved murders of a father and his young daughter in the park.
In all these cases, Parent emphasizes the critical role of responsible preparation in successfully enjoying remote wilderness areas. Parent hopes the book will promote the safety of visitors to Big Bend National Park and of outdoor adventurers everywhere. These dramatic stories show how important it is to use common sense, heed advice from rangers, and leave prepared when enjoying national parks.
“Even if you’re comfortable with taking risks in the outdoors, think also of the park rangers and volunteers who may have to risk their lives finding and rescuing you,” Parent concludes. “Writing this book has made me even more careful and a little less willing to push the limit.”
Death in Big Bend, released in July 2010 by
Iron Mountain Press, is available in Big Bend area bookstores and at Whole Earth Provision Co. stores. The book will be nationally sold at
Barnes & Noble bookstores and online through Amazon.com and
IronMtnPress.com starting in August 2010.
