In this celebration of one of America's most enduring symbols, former ranger Charles "Butch" Farabee briefly revives the evolution of this national symbol.

The men and women of Yosemite Search and Rescue work around the clock, ready to respond at any hour in any weather. It's not all helicopter heroics and plucking unlucky rock jocks off The Nose of El Capitan. It also means helping the teen with the busted ankle on the Mist Trail, finding the missing child in Tuolumne Meadows, and rescuing the newlywed clinging to a slick rock after her raft implodes.

Most of Yosemite's nearly 4 million annual visitors leave the park without a scratch. For a few, however, a vacation in this world-famous land of cliffs and waterfalls takes a turn for the...