An interesting journey of discovery by Doug Peacock - a close friend of Edward Abbey who was the model for Hayduke - he is a writer and philosopher in his own right. He is a former green beret, a man of immense experience in the wild and the author of In the Presence of Grizzlies - his most prominent book. And all of these background items help focus his current book.
In this book he tries to follow the footprints of both the Cave Bear and the early inhabitants of North America. It is easy to see that he relishes the idea of a land so wild with such overwhelming predators that early humans could not survive - they would have been dinner. Yet he wishes he could have tried.
Then he explores the clovis and pre-clovis cultures, the demise of the megafauna that dominated the continent and the various excavations, arguments, and findings that can be found in literature and tempers this with his own visit to the sites and excavations.
It is a mind map of his thought process and his physical presence in the story. He wanders in to his own speculation which is no different that the exercise of others in the anthropology field. But there is one big difference. He is a grizzly man and the movement of the grizzly becomes a trail blazer for the movement of humans.
It is interesting, sometimes convoluted, and always thought provoking. I am sorry he can not go back and live it.
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