He was in the middle of a divorce, had an affair with a female ranger and had become fatalistic about his life. Blehm reveals that at the time of Morgenson’s disappearance he was at a crossroads in his personal life. The book provides a good description of what the life of a back country ranger is all about on a daily basis. Apparently, by all accounts, Blehm indicates Morgenson conducted himself with complete professionalism in his encounters with visitors to the park system, and he risked his life to assist loss or missing park visitors. He could be considered a dedicated naturalist or an environmental zealot. Blehm examines the life of Morgenson and reveals a contradictory figure. Morgenson mysteriously disappeared in 1996 his body was not found until 2001. During his 28 years as a park ranger, Morgenson was stationed as a back country ranger in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon mountain range. “The Last Season” by Eric Blehm examines the life and death of National Park Ranger Randy Morgenson. Add to this an excellent narration by Jonathan Davis and I would recommend this audio book, particularly to nature lovers. In addition, the ending took me by surprise and was not what I was expecting.

Considering how much I thought about the book when I was not listening, I am feeling it was a worthwhile read. No easy answers on these questions, and I came away with no firm resolution. I also wondered whether Randy was as self-absorbed as I imagined he was, and if so, why was he so beloved by so many co-workers. In addition, I spent a good deal of time pondering why Blehm chose to invest so much time and research on this particular man. These three options were all viable possibilities, and I spent alot of time pondering the outcome during times I was not listening. I had to know if Randy was the victim of an untimely accident, if he just decided to disappear and start a new life, or if he committed suicide. Yet, I had to keep listening as I needed to know the outcome of the search. Very little of the twelve plus hours of listening covered the search and rescue action which to me was the most interesting part. However, I felt it was too long and covered too much minutiae. I found the book interesting and an easy listen overall. His disappearance affected many people, and this book details the search for him. From all accounts and according to Blehm's research, Randy was well-liked by many. It appeared he was at his happiest during his summers working as a park ranger and stationed in the wilderness areas. Morgenson was a complicated character, what you might call an extreme environmentalist. The book is an in-depth character study of a national park service ranger, Randy Morgenson, who went missing while on duty in the California back country of Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Parks in 1996.

Well Written Character Study of an NPS Ranger

The Last Season by Eric Blehm