For over half-a-century, the author has roamed the desert and mountainous Southwest as guide and solo backpacker: Northern Nevada to the Mexican border, Great Basin to Death Valley to the mighty Sierra Nevada. The backcountry explorer spends roughly 100 days a year trekking into seldom-seen, hard-to-get-to territory seeking out watering holes, Indian and pioneer sites...ghost towns, hidden caves, including mining and prospect areas to historical sites that offer evidence of early mankind. The author is a professor of photography and photojournalism at a Southern California college; he served w...