Author David R. Kimpton is a teller of stories. His non-fiction book Mountainous Events reveals that Kimpton has experienced much in life and is passing stories from it using a wonderful blend of wit and self deprecating humor.
The foundation for most of the stories are from two exceptionally different perspectives. The first, as a career professional with the U.S. Forest Service in the isolated and majestic region surrounding Stanley, Idaho and the second as a young soldier navigating war in a foreign country.
Mountainous Events contains 22 stories told over 315 pages. The story format is an interesting one and works effectively for what Kimpton desires to share. Each story begins with a quote that proves to be relevant to the ensuing pages. In the first paragraph of each story Kimpton provides what he believes will be a solid dose of context. Call it foreshadowing, a primer, or some other term denoting insight, Kimpton succeeds in almost every instance.
To enjoy Mountainous Events it is not required that you love the outdoors, know or have an interest in the isolation and beauty of the mountain west or want to read a first hand account of how it is to live in a warzone. Mountainous Events succeeds because it presents humans, nature, and human nature – flaws and all – in a fashion all readers can embrace and enjoy.
Mountainous Events is available for purchase at Barnes and & Noble [here].
—– Jeff’s Thoughts and Other Worthless Trivia —–
It is a coincidence that I live in Stanley, Idaho (with my wife Linda and Border Collies Sage and Willow) and do not know the author.
It feels weird that I consulted for and collaborated with the U.S. Forest Service, Sawtooth National Forest, and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) in the 1980’s and 1990’s and do not know the author. As some of you know, during this period amongst many projects, I designed, programmed, and automated the U.S. Forest Service’s Recreational Opportunity Guide (R.O.G.) in 1987. Region Nine – which included the SNRA, was the first in the country. It was the first computerized searchable software program for recreation opportunities. The general public could access the information (e.g., “show me hikes of five miles in length with a lake involved.”) via a computer located at the District Offices. I published the first book on mountain biking for the region in the early 1990’s – Mountain Biking in the Sawtooths. At the request of the Department of Agriculture, I evaluated the economic, environmental, and practical feasibility of re-permitting Buttermilk Mountain as a ski area located within the SNRA.
