Exploring remote and primitive backcountry since 1955 - the Inside scoop on an Outside guy
Stateline Mine
THE AUTHOR JOURNAL INFO EXCERPTS POETRY DESTINATIONS ORDERING
Thanks for stopping by ... WELCOME TO MY PLANET
My name is Steve Greene (known to some as the Old Trailmaster - not because I'm old, but because I follow old trails), inhabitant of Planet Earth (more specifically, the western United States), and as you have probably gathered by now, a guy who absolutely loves the natural world. I'm the type of fellow who, as he is driving down the highway and spies a two-track dirt road heading off into the hills, ponders to himself, "Now, I wonder where that nameless road goes." I suspect that you probably know the feeling since you are visiting this website.
Spanning 50 years - 1954 and 2004 Like the whimsical professor within the curtain enclosure at the timeless Wizard of Oz castle, there is a fellow behind The Old Trailmaster, and, like the curiosity of Dorothy, perhaps you wish to pull back that drapery to learn more. Hence, for those of you who may be curious, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about myself, providing a glimpse of my character, personal abilities, achievements, and goals. Who knows, perhaps someday we'll meet up on safari, so you should know that I'm a pretty decent fellow you can count on in the outback. If I were to adopt a personal description of my overall essence, it might well be what was said of famous Death Valley prospector, Jean Francois de Lamoignon (aka: Jean Lemoigne) by a writer of the late 1800s: " ... calm, polite, philosophical; with polished manners, a ready smile and all the ways of a gentleman." How's that for a self-serving statement? Are you smiling?
Planet Earth first made itself known to me in the mid twentieth century, where black and white televisions and Father Knows Best shows were the norm. It seemed that my family life was mirrored in those half-hour comedies. I grew up around mechanized transportation because my dad was an automotive journalist during my maturation. He always impressed upon my young mind the need to keep vehicles in excellent condition so that they would make the trip back home without breakdown. Dad also taught me to respect and protect the land we enjoyed, along with the natural vegetation and wildlife. And he encouraged my need to hike the country we visited because he understood my desire to learn about wild places up close, and knew that my devotion to the land would someday exceed his.
Hiking was my all-time favorite activity while growing up. Since I spent quite a bit of time in the wild outdoors with my family, and more specifically my dad, I learned to appreciate what nature had to offer. Exploring the feral places of the Planet has always been a high priority to me. Much of this love of the land grew from my childhood experiences in the primitive Mojave Desert of southern California, as this was an immense swath of territory that my dad knew well, and he always enjoyed taking me to its most isolated corners, where people rarely visited. We camped often, at one with nature, our cots under the desert sky with unobstructed views of the stars. My amazement with the universe began on these outings as dad would submit for my consideration the known science of the night heavens.
During summer vacation in 1973, my longtime friend from second grade, Tom Boslaugh, took me over an old four wheel drive mining road high in the Rocky Mountains of southern Colorado (from Ouray to Telluride), further deepening my already growing appreciation of nature's wild places. The call of the wild's flame burned brighter than ever!
Tom, his old Willys Jeep, dog, and yours truly
In 1975, I traded in my street wheels for a little backroad buggy called a Jeep CJ5, so that I could pursue my own discovery of the untamed territory that beckoned from beyond the fringes of metropolitan infestation. From there my enthusiasm for exploring the backcountry has continued to grow. It ultimately matured to the point where I felt compelled to share my passion - to help others experience what I had known for much of my life: the personal joys to be experienced while exploring those remote dirt roads and hiking trails that only the most adventurous choose to follow. Thus, the seeds for this book had been planted, and began to blossom in 2006, and with it, a new chapter in life.
My first visit to Death Valley was as a small child in 1955, when my parents felt compelled to introduce me to this region of which they were especially fond. Dad initially took mom there shortly after world war two, on his classic Harley-Davidson motorcycle (well, at least it would be a classic nowadays, but it was just a normal bike back then). Their first stop was at the Amargosa Inn and Opera House, where they arrived late at night, and learned that they had to use candlelight to access their room because of an electricity failure in the area. What an adventure they had on that trip!
After a few visits myself, I too was hopelessly hooked, later doing school reports on Death Valley, building a scale model of the Twenty Mule Team, and even placing an 22x28" painting of the Team on my bedroom wall. On television, one of my favorite shows was Death Valley Days. At age 18, my goal was to become a mining engineer, but after a semester's classes involving the chemistry, I opted for other paths. I recall one warm night, as my family was camping at Furnace Creek, when my dad told me to turn around and behold "who" was looking at me ... I was pleasantly startled to see a gigantic full yellow moon rising over the Funeral Mountains, so large that I swore I could have reached out and touched it. Memories like these are what keep me drawn to explore Death Valley regardless of age.
MY TWENTY MULE TEAM PAINTING:
Over time, I packed in seven years of college and university study, heading first towards one goal and then another, but getting a pretty good education in the process nonetheless. Law enforcement was my original real job after my first four years of college, as I enjoyed helping folks who were in situations that required my assistance. I later moved on to public education, finding it a more positive and rewarding profession. Teaching grades 2, 4, 5, and 6 over the years, I found immense fulfillment in satiating the hungry appetites of the curious minds in my classrooms.
Unlike many though, I have never placed my primary focus in life on a job, tending instead to seek the independence that comes with the ability to be mobile regionally, as well as professionally. Life is short, there is much to experience, and it seems to suit me best to not get caught in any one situation for too long. Although, as I age, a sense of place does begin to edge its way forward in my priorities. With a mind that tops out at 132 on that supposedly accurate intellectual scale (sharper than a marble, duller than a tack), I readily adjust to new challenges, and find that life's journey is sometimes as exciting as a week's trip into the wild outback.
California life gave way to Colorado pioneering in my early thirties, when I accepted a law enforcement job high in the Rocky Mountains in a town of only 200 people. It was an area known as the San Juan Mountains, and it was (still is) a backcountry explorer's paradise, with old mining roads laced throughout the high mountain passes, along with oodles of hiking trails to the top of the world. My knowledge of that region equals that of the Death Valley territory. Can you believe that I was paid to drive the old backroads and assist the tourists in need? I lived in a variety of places in Colorado, and then moved away when other opportunities beckoned, yet someday the potential exists for my return to the state. It's another of life's adventures. I love wild places, regardless of location on my planet.
Backpacking in Colorado's Lizard Head wilderness, southwest of Telluride
The ultimate goal for me is to live rurally, hopefully on some acreage, in a modest cabin where solar and wind will generate my power needs, and a garden will largely fulfill my dietary needs. Earning money will be in a manner consistent with my environmental preservation beliefs, and from a job that brings only what I need to sustain the daily requirements of a modest outback inhabitant - nothing elaborate. Being an organic vegan as much as possible, providing my own food becomes easier and less expensive than back in the days when I used to eat cows, fish, and chickens. My focus is to exist in a manner consistent with a pure natural world, where living neither produces nor receives environmentally destructive agents.
Personal circumstances and worldly observations have positioned me as a health and fitness enthusiast of the highest order, and functional longevity is a prominent goal for me (did I forget to say that I used to own a fitness center?). To fully enjoy all that the backcountry has to offer, one must be fit, and since there is so much to explore with so little time in which to do it, who wants to dwindle away one's time being ill and frail? I strive to remain vital at all stages of life. When I do go though, let me be in the wild backcountry doing what I love!
To pull it all together, I have grown into a guy who loves to have a good time exploring our natural world. I am very easy going and mellow, and realizing the finiteness of life, have decided to spend the second half of my life doing that which is now #1 on my list of Great Things to be Doing ... in other words, sharing my knowledge and abilities with happy and uplifting people like you who "just have to" get out in the backcountry. Some may call me a dropout from the traditional 9-5 way of living, and that's fine with me because .... well, I am! No more shirt and ties for me. I am now "living on wilderness time," as author Melissa Walker phrases it in her book of the same title.
Essentially, I am a fellow who loves exploring remote natural areas of the backcountry via old dirt roads and hiking trails from bygone eras, and through my sensitivity and treatment of the terrain I travel, I attempt to be an example that environmentally concerned people can use mechanized transportation in a responsible manner to visit the natural realm that they cherish.
My Philosophy of Life
As I have aged, so have I become more contemplative when seeking that which is truly important in life. For me, my mid-forties witnessed the commencement of a profound rise in this personal awareness. Through self-analyzation, I realized that each of my professional endeavors during the past 30 years has focused on helping others in one way or another. This is what brings the most joy to my life. With the creation of my website and books, I strive to continue the tradition by sharing my knowledge and abilities with all those who seek fulfillment in the pleasures of terrestrial exploration and navigation.
As noted philosopher William Penn once said, "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." I strive to live by these words, forever attempting to be an encouraging and optimistic influence in the lives of others and with the environment in which we live.
Two other perceptive people also influence my inner peace. They are Mark Twain and Rachel Carson. Speaking about wealth, Mark Twain articulated, "To be satisfied with what one has; that is wealth." On the topic of our home planet and life, Rachel Carson wisely expressed, "Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the Earth are never alone or weary of life." I'm never alone out on the trail.
Additional wisdom of life has come to me via my sister's personal outlook and lifestyle. She has always been a very giving and helpful person, and she has always been satisfied with what she has, regardless of how little it may have been throughout the years. From her humble example, I have grown in contentment of my own life. I owe her thanks.
As I reflect upon the four people just mentioned, it is evident to me that true riches do not come in the form of possessions or material goods, but rather in our contentment with life through satisfying personal relationships and our appreciation of the natural world around us. As the ancient Greek proverb wisely opines, "Nothing will content him who is not content with a little." There is no longer any place for pretentiousness in my existence. I am happy to live modestly, happier yet when doing so in the wild, and happiest of all when sharing these experiences with those people who find meaning in their association with me and the backcountry through which we travel.
My public writings are not intended as a means to get rich quick. They are simply the personal vision of one man seeking to bring unique fulfillment to others through that which is of value to him. I have finally chosen this time of my life to focus on doing precisely what interests me most, sharing the joys of the wilds with you ... taking the advice of the adage, "Let the beauty you love be what you do." It is my fervent desire that my philosophical foundations and passion for natural exploration will become evident to you as you read my authored works. If we ever meet in the wilds to share the joys of the natural world, you will then have little doubt as to the genuine love I hold for the outback.
With me, it's personal - some folks have a way of seeing themselves as a part of the land, in a relationship that is intimate in its foundation. I prefer to make my journey through life one that includes the natural ground on which I stand, the ground that sustains me in many ways, and is best not covered by pavement. It is a journey that seems long at first, but then unfairly shortens midway through, which only serves to deepen the need to enjoy it while we can. The safari of life has many shapes and directions for many people, and I am glad that you have chosen to join me during a portion of mine.
May the breeze on your trek be balmy, the sunrise perpetually refreshing for your senses, and the trail one that leads to your wildest dreams!
Your fellow backcountry explorer,
Steve
THE AUTHOR JOURNAL INFO EXCERPTS POETRY DESTINATIONS ORDERING
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