Narrative

Colorado’s First Tourist

In the mid-1800s, Anglo-Irish aristocrat Sir St. George Gore embarked on an ambitious expedition through the Rocky Mountains. His extravagant hunting party slaughtered thousands of animals during their tour through the beautiful Colorado Territory and left multiple landmarks bearing his name behind them. Gore Creek, Gore Lake and the Gore Range are just a few of the scenic vistas surrounding Vail, Colorado, that testify to a visit from a man who was, in essence, just a tourist passing through. Today, the legitimacy of his legacy is often questioned, although the man himself remains largely a mystery.

Join investigative journalist John LaConte as he uncovers the real story of Sir St. George Gore, who left his name scattered across the Colorado landscape.

With remote waterways and unpressured trout, Wyoming's Wind River Range is the backcountry fly angler's mecca.

In the alpine lakes and streams, trout may approach a dry fly two or more at a time, and an angler can cast for days without seeing another person, let alone another angler. But more than just a place to catch lots of fish, the range is also a place to disconnect from noise and networks and reconnect with oneself. In a series of essays on misfortunate father-and-son backpacking trips, disaffected Boy Scouts, psychotropic deep-woods epiphanies and many other topics, author Chadd VanZanten offers not only a survey of the fishing and history of the Wind Rivers but a tour of personal landscapes as well.

Solving the mystery of California’s most persistent smog.Once known as the Smog Capital of the World, Los Angeles has changed “air you can see” into “air you can breathe.” While the fight to eliminate pollution in the city continues, modern smog is not the thick, oppressive, silver-blue haze that drove people to move out of Los Angeles altogether during the mid-twentieth century. Professor Arie Haagen-Smit became a key leader in the fight against smog after making a crucial discovery—what caused it.   

Join author Carl R. Oliver as he delves into the sixty-year battle to clear the air in Los Angeles.