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The author reflects on the disappearing roadless areas in the U.S such as the Hoover near Tioga Pass, California. Topics discussed include the importance of wilderness protection as the major effort of the conservation movement, the Wilderness Act of 1964, the book "Walking Softly in the Wilderness" based on backpacking and the National Wilderness Preservation System. Other topics include the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 and guidebooks written by the author to wilderness travel.

The article discusses the initiation of the wilderness project by congressman Rob Bishop to remove the deadlock from wilderness areas in Utah. It states that Bishop announces his plan on February 15, 2013 by sending a letter to groups representing environmentalists, off-road vehicle users, and oil and gas companies. It mentions that the plan will cover some of the contested landscapes including the area around Canyonlands National Park, the San Rafael Swell, and the Desolation Canyon.

The article focuses on the once vilified mountain bikers, who have finally won the respect from authorities in California. The hiker-biker wars sparked in 1993 when rangers discovered a secret trail that bikers blazed illegally through the woods. Since then, the Marin Municipal Water District, which manages Mount Tamalpais trails and fire roads, closely monitored the bikers along with surveillance cameras and radar guns to clock their speeds. The bikers tried to clean their image but despite good intentions, they can not seem to erase their renegade image. Later also began the great wilderness debate caused by the 1964 Wilderness Act, which bans all forms of mechanical transport in designated wilderness areas. It was resolved with the bikers' responsible compliance to wilderness rules.

Discusses the role of the Idaho Conservation League (ICL) with regard to a proposed bill on wilderness protection in the state, as of November 2004. Impact of the majority of the Republican Party in the state legislature on environmental protection initiatives; Strategies used by environmentalist Rick Johnson to further establish the position of the ICL; Significance of Representative Mike Simpson in the creation of a proposal regarding wilderness areas in the state.

Discusses the actions taken by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to protect the wilderness areas in Colorado and Utah from oil and gas drillers. Result of the drilling attempts in Piceance Basin, Colorado by Amoco; Outcome of a lawsuit filed by U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton and former Utah Governor Mike Leavitt regarding the drilling at Big Ridge in Piceance Basin, Colorado; Role of the citizen's wilderness movement on the protection of the wilderness.

A reviews is offered for several advertisements including the search for an Executive Director for the Montana Wilderness Association, Glacier National Park Vacation Rental, and the need for a finance/economics specialist by Nature Conservancy.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles published in previous issues including "Have golf's glory days gone by?" by Tony Davis in the August 21, 2006 issue, "Wilderness cliffhanger," in the August 21, 2006 issue, and "Clearing a path for power," in the August 8, 2006 issue.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to previously published issues including an article on the National Park Service's management policies draft in the October 2005 issue, the editorial, "Storing fat from the feeding frenzy," by Paul Larmer in the November 2005 issue, and Laura Paskus' article on the Ojito Wilderness proposal for the Boulder-White Clouds in Idaho, in the November 2005 issue.

The article presents the author's insights on the possible opening of wilderness to biking under the Human-Powered Wildlands Travel Management Act. Topics discussed include the allege that an activity emerging after the enactment of the law was excluded unintentionally, the fight of the thinkers for the Act including Bob Marshall, Olaus Murie, and Aldo Leopold, and the invention anticipated by the law.

An essay is presented on the link between outdoor recreation and technology. Topics discussed by the author include the use of Strava app in recording location and speed and in comparing one's performance with other users, preservation of wilderness in its natural state, and use of gadgets in saving life.

The article lists the nonprofit and educational travel organizations for the week of April 14, 2014 which includes Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Vital Ground Foundation, and Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions, and Great Old Broads For Wilderness.

An essay is presented on the author's journey across the Arctic region. He recounts his experience of visiting Inupiaq elder in Alatna, a village north of the Arctic Circle. He states that the elder traces their hunting and fishing routes on his U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maps. The author describes the wilderness he had explored, from glacial valleys to Alaska's treeless Brooks Range.

The article discusses the implementation of environmental regulations and the construction of the coal-fired power plant in the U.S. It mentions the delayed launching of the Clean Air Act from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is intended for the protection of national parks and wilderness areas. It also notes on the argument of Public Service Co. of New Mexico on EPA's decision related to emission cuts.

The article focuses on the contradiction of the Western congressional representatives and governors to the task given to the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the U.S. Ken Salazar, the interior secretary of BLM, has ordered the BLM to identify and protect lands with wilderness characteristics. However, the Western congressional representatives and governors criticizes the capability of BLM to identify arid territory.

The article reports that the spending bill introduced by Republican Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee from Utah, which permits mountain biking in the wilderness, has divided the community of outdoor recreation.

The article presents views of the journal's readers on a new wilderness bill under which federal grazing leases, controlled by the Forest Service, would be purchased for Idaho's Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness.

The article focuses on the praise of a new wilderness bill by conservation advocate Tom Ribe under which federal grazing leases, controlled by the Forest Service, would be purchased for Idaho's Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness.

The article focuses on the coming into terms of the snowmobilers and the wilderness advocates in Montana. They have come together in agreement on the needs of the wildlife and where motorized winter recreation is allowed. The conflict between the two sides started in 1988 when a bill was pocket vetoed by then United States President Ronald Reagan. Soon, the Montana Wilderness Association and Montana Snowmobile Association were locked in court battles. The two sides eventually got tired, and they negotiated and made deals. On the other hand, there are still disagreements for some members of both sides. In the West, only a few negotiations have been successful.

Interviews Gale Norton, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Details of the department's conservation projects in the Western states; Information on the plover project in Colorado; Reasons behind the successes and failures of several projects; Update on the settlement with former governor Mike Leavitt regarding the wilderness inventory areas of wilderness protection in Utah.

The article acknowledges the work of Rocky Barker, an Idaho environmental writer, for his contribution for the newspaper "High Country News" and mentions an obituary of Susan Tixier, founder of the non-profit organization Great Old Broads for Wilderness.

The article offers information on the project of botanist Dave Imper and with three other scientists on the plantation of lassics lupine, a California wildflower located in Mount Lassic in California. Topics discussed include the intervention of the 1964 Wilderness Act on the recovery of the California wildflower, the protection for lassics lupine through the caging the flowers, and the survival of the California wildflower on the wilderness area and wildfire.

A compilation of letters to the editor is presented regarding insights from the article "Unite and Conquer" from the previous issue, the missed opportunity of the author of the article "Chainsaw Diplomacy" to educate readers on the restoration efforts in the Escalante River Basin of Utah, and the therapeutic effect of being in the wilderness.

The article reports that U.S. Representative of Utah Rob Bishop allowed Utah's lands with wilderness characteristics to be used to bargain for mineral rich tracts, and mentions a land swap bill that will help protect acres of reservation land from proposed oil and gas development in Utah in 2014.

An introduction is presented which discusses various articles within the issue on topics including wilderness protection, the downturn of backpacking among the younger generation and filmmaker Sinuhe Xavier's experience of camping and exploring wilderness.

An essay is presented in which the author discusses his experience while working for the U.S. Forest Services as a wilderness ranger. The author mentions about the U.S. Wilderness Act of 1964 which deals with retaining primeval character and influence of underdeveloped land without permanent improvements and imprint of humans work substantially unnoticeable. Also mentioned are areas the author traveled to collect garbage including the Skyline Trail, the Minam River and other camping places.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in the November 11, 2013 issue including "Mechanized wilderness," by Daniel Brigham, "Breaking up is hard to do" related to secession by Krista Langlois and "The Latest: Lead bullets" related to ban by the California Legislature.

The article explains the efforts of James Watt in causing environmental damage to the Greater Yellowstone. Watt was the U.S. Interior Secretary from 1980 to 1983, where he called for deforestation and drilling on 350,000 acres of land in the Washakie Wilderness for oil and gas developments in the area, resulting to grizzly bear population decline. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition has been improving and preserving ecosystems in the wilderness, resulting to the population growth of the bears.

The author discusses the contribution of the World War II (WWII) veteran and hardware store owner Cecil Garland in the conservation and protection of Scapegoat Wilderness in Montana. The author states that Garland is a conservationists' legend, wherein the Scapegoat Wilderness is the U.S.' first wilderness due to the people's insistence of protecting it. Moreover, the author explores Garland's term as the president and vice-president of Montana Wilderness Association.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to the articles including "Wilderness Watch," in the January 23, 2012 issue, "Possessing the Wild," in the January 14, 2011 issue, and "Growing a Revolution," in the November 28, 2011 issue.

An essay is presented on the wilderness of the West. It discusses the author's experience in exploring the West' wilderness. It relates that the author discovered rivers and enjoyed boating. It states that the author and his friends went canoe trips on the Bitterroot River and they used bicycles to enjoy great views of the Bitterroot Mountains, Montana.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Flood of ill Health," in the May 16, 2011 issue, another on wolves in the May 30, 2011 issue, and another on the significance of protecting places and species in the May 30, 2011 issue.

In this article, the author discusses the debates over the Utah wilderness bill in the state's Congress. He speculates that there is now a progress in the debate as Senator Bob Bennet tried to find consensus on the issue while some environmentalists and locals see coal mining or oil and gas drilling as the basis of an economy. Also investigated is the possibility that the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance have gone to a major breakthrough.

The article presents an essay about a mother's love for hiking in the wilderness. She states that spending time in the wilderness is fundamental to her relationship with her husband. Though her love for hiking is not genetic, she anticipates that her son would imbibe it. However, three months after she gave birth, she was diagnosed with a chronic and serious disease called sarcoidosis that compromised her heart and lungs. She relates that her sickness has meant that her son will spent more of his childhood indoors and it makes her sad. She mourns not being able to share special places with her son, and worst, failing to impart the experience of wilderness and how it works on them. Still, the author believes that her time on a trail has always been more spiritual than physical.

The article presents statistics of the total land mass percentage and their corresponding federally owned and designated wilderness in the Western States of the U.S. Included in the list is the state of California which designated a big share of 14 % of wilderness out of its 45.1 % total land mass. The state of Idaho, however, designated only 7.5 % of federally owned wilderness out of the 61.6 % total land mass. Utah is the state which declared the smallest percentage with only 1.5 % from its 62.2 % total land mass.

The author reflects on the limits when traveling in the wilderness in the U.S. He suggests that it is better to travel in the wilderness when people will just hike and leave their bicycles behind. He adds that travelers should take time when traversing the wilderness and they should explore its vastness instead of fast tracking it. He also comments on the action of the International Mountain Bicycling Association for refraining their job of protecting the wilderness from bicycle entries.

The article reports on the development of legislative bills concerning on the future condition of the wilderness in Idaho and Arizona. The bills include the Boulder-White Clouds bill which was tended by Representative Mike Simpson. Another bill, sponsored by Representative Mike Thompson, aims to create new wilderness along the Northern California coast. Meanwhile, Representatives R. Greg Walden and D. Earl Blumenauer sponsored a bipartisan bill to expand Oregon's Mount Hood Wilderness. The House has passed the three bills, however, it still needs the approval of the Senate.

The article reports on the signing into law of the new Utah wilderness area by President George Bush. The law was sponsored by rep. Rob Bishop of Utah. The new Cedar Mountain Wilderness protects about 100,000 of Bureau of Land Management land southwest of Salt Lake City. At the same time, it also prevents nuclear power plant operators to transport radioactive waste to the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation by railroad. Jim Hansen, the former representative of Utah, first proposed the use of wilderness as a weapon against nuclear waste. The law significantly increases the area that BLM would designate as wilderness. Nuclear wastes can still be transported to the reservation by truck but it needs the approval of the state and federal regulators.

The article presents news about the wilderness. In the Northwest region, the troubles of the endangered salmon was blamed to the fishermen. According to James Connaughton, head of the Council on Environmental Quality, fishing should be curbed and obsolete hatcheries should be upgraded to allow the recovery of the salmons. On the other hand, the hydroelectric dams were blamed by the fishermen for the death of the salmons. In New Mexico, the Yates Petroleum Co. plans to drill two wells in Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge managers and wildlife Service biologists are concerned for the rare species in the area because the springs might be contaminated by drill products. Before Yates can drill, it has to secure a permit from the oil and gas conservation division of New Mexico.

The article shares the experiences of the author on ways in which he was able to preserve his love for outdoors despite his disabilities. Years ago when the author was skiing in the Hoover Wilderness near Yosemite in California, he missed a turn on a steepy icy slope and fell into a rock gully, crashed his spinal cord and became disabled. Along with the physical setbacks, he also suffered bouts of depression but his love for the outdoors remain unchanged as Americans have a long tradition of seeking solitude, peace and redemption in the wilderness. Wilderness helped him to heal both physically and mentally and it helped him to get life back together.

The article reports developments related to environmental protection in the U.S. Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman scolded those who spray paint graffiti over freeways in the city. The book "How the West was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier" talks on how woman have come in 152 years. Tom Chapman allegedly has become notorious for obtaining land for his clients within a wilderness area.

The article argues that Rep. Richard Pombo is in the crusade against environmental regulations in November 2005, tucking provisions into a budget bill that could lead to a massive public-lands sell-off. The proposal, masterminded by Pombo and Rep. Jim Gibbons would put as many as 350 million acres up for sale, including parcels within national parks and wilderness areas. The provisions may be pulled from the bill before it goes to the president for approval, but the fact that Pombo is pushing such a controversial proposal now may shed some light on Republican leaders' strategy at a time when more subtle policy shifts have been knocked back in the courts

The article features Ojito Wilderness in New Mexico. Continuous efforts and struggles were undergone before U.S. President George W. Bush to give Ojito a wilderness status on October 26, 2005. One of the toughest challenges the bill faced was getting across the desk of Rep. Richard Pombo, representative of California. Pombo declared earlier this year that he alone would determine which wilderness bills went on to the house. Last spring, Rep. Pombo released a new set of criteria by which he would judge all wilderness bills.

This article examines the practice of leaving the ashes of the dead in places such as national parks and other wild lands in the U.S. People come to national parks and other wild lands in search of solace, hope, and optimism. To them, wilderness represents an eternity that they can see with their own eyes. Therefore, it is not surprising that these are the places where they want to remain forever. But regarding the legality of this act, rules vary from place to place. Heavily visited parks and monuments may prohibit people from scattering ashes, and some Native Americans have protested when remains are left in parks dedicated to their ancestors.

Comments on the Kingdom of Bhutan's creation of a wildlife sanctuary for the Yeti. Author's incredulity at the official setting aside of habitat for a mythological creature; Political wrangling that must have taken place to create the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary; Comparison with the affluent American West, where it is difficult to convince local and national leaders to protect wildlands.

The article presents an account of the book "Ahead of Their Time: Wyoming Voices for Wilderness," edited by Broughton Coburn and Leila Bruno. In "Ahead of Their Time," which covers four decades of the Wyoming wilderness movement, editors Broughton Coburn and Leila Bruno try to remedy that by asking writers to choose a wilderness warrior, collect oral interviews, old photos, testimonies, diaries and more, and then write about him or her. The resulting essays make an unusual book, not only because they are about so many different people, but also because they are penned by so many different writers. The variety of writing styles and visions will please some readers and bother others, but if nothing else, it serves as a reminder that the battle to save wilderness is fought on many fronts, that anyone can fight for wilderness, and that ultimately, wilderness belongs to everyone. Some of the book's subjects seem almost glamorous; their photos and stories suggest an endless parade of good friends and good times. But other accounts reveal that fighting the good fight can take a heavy toll.

Discusses the implications of the wilderness comprising the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for the ski industry, as of May 2005. Threat posed by energy policy to the ski industry; Potential effect of drilling in the Arctic on the future of skiing; Stance of legislator Ken Salazar on drilling in the Arctic Refuge.

Reports on the decision of Utah governor Olene Walker to conduct county-by-county discussions on land use in response to the demands of wilderness advocates in the state, as of May 2005. Efforts of legislator Bob Bennett in drafting a public-lands bill based on the land use discussions; Potential designation of wilderness areas in the state based on the bill; Role of the bill in addressing wilderness-related issues in the state.

Reports on the decision of U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy regarding the environmental risk associated with the construction of the Rock Creek Mine by Revett Minerals on the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area in northwestern Montana. Details of the judge's ruling; Expectations of company president William Orchow on the project; Information on a lawsuit filed by environmental groups who are concerned about downstream water pollution from the mine.

Reports on the no position vote of the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners to a proposal to designate a Badlands Wilderness area in Bend, Oregon in March 2005. Support extended by commission chair Tom DeWolf to the proposal; Stand of local citizens on the idea of a wilderness designation based on a poll commissioned by the Oregon Natural Desert Association in February; Reason behind the reluctance of the state's congressional delegation to introduce a wilderness bill.

Presents letters to the editor referencing articles and topics discussed in previous issues. Impact of opening up wilderness areas to mountain bike use on wilderness management; Information on the conservation movement in Nevada; Effect of wolves on livestock.