Deep Into Yellowstone: A Year’s Immersion in Grandeur and Controversy begins when Rick and his wife Mary trust Yellowstone’s pull and relocate to Gardiner, just outside the park’s north gate. During the year as they cross-country ski, hike, bicycle, canoe, and backpack into Yellowstone’s grandeur, Rick digs into important controversies: the outrage over the proposed removal of grizzlies from the endangered species list; the dispute over hunting park wolves along Yellowstone’s border; the debate about whether wolves help or harm the ecosystem and the economy; the fight to stop the slaughter of park bison; the overuse of the park; and their community’s battle to prevent gold mining on the park’s border. Rick ends the year with a stronger love for Yellowstone’s grandeur, a deeper knowledge of the controversies threatening the park, and a desire to inspire readers to protect our nation’s first national park. "Eminent naturalist and wildlife advocate Rick Lamplugh draws from a deep personal wellspring of experience and knowledge to take readers into Yellowstone National Park's wild heart. In this superb weave of memoir, natural history, and public policy grounded in science, he shares life lessons from animals who have crossed his path and unflinching insights about what it will take to conserve bison, wolves, and grizzlies. The humility, honesty, and wisdom of these essays will resonate deeply for all readers." Cristina Eisenberg, PhD, Chief Scientist, Earthwatch Institute, author " Deep into Yellowstone is an engaging and very important book that deserves to be read by everyone who cares about wildlife and wildlands. Lamplugh's stories are filled with passion and heartache as he shares his love of Yellowstone and his search for how he--and we--can protect this land. His writings illuminate the intricate web that connects Yellowstone's plants and animals, and the habitat they depend on, as well as how the integrity of that web depends on humans making choices that will protect and cherish them in perpetuity." Barbara J. Moritsch, author, The Soul of Yosemite: Finding, Defending, and Saving the Valley's Sacred Wild Nature " Deep into Yellowstone is a fine-tuned blend of the glories of the natural world and the ceaseless parade of battles we must fight to preserve these marvels. While we are entertained and awed by Lamplugh's rich portrayal of Yellowstone, he never fails to reveal the truth behind the beauty; the brutal history of the wolves, bison, antelope and other creatures, as well as the dismal fate that befalls them today. Yet, Deep into Yellowstone gifts us with hope and plenty of reason to advocate for the sanctity of Yellowstone and the environment everywhere." Beckie Elgin, author, Journey: The Amazing Story of OR-7, the Oregon Wolf that Made History Throughout this yearlong story, the author and his wife enjoy skiing, hiking, biking and wandering through wildlife areas in and around the grandeur that is Yellowstone. The couple designate themselves as "meanderthals," who observe, track and record the behaviors of the fascinating residents of the park. They are much more than this. They are the monitors and guardians of some of our nation's most precious wildlife. This, then, is a story of preservation, respect and appreciation of the nation's first national park that every U.S. citizen should experience. Reviewed by Kimberly Luyckx for Reader Views Empty Rick Lamplugh lives in Gardiner, Montana, at Yellowstone's north gate. He writes to protect wildlife and preserve wildlands.  Rick   digs into important controversies: the outrage over the proposed removal of grizzlies from the endangered species list; the dispute over hunting park wolves along Yellowstone's border; the debate about whether wolves help or harm the ecosystem and the economy; the fight to stop the slaughter of park bison; the overuse of the park; and their community's battle to prevent gold mining on the park's border. His previous book, In the Temple of Wolves: A Winter's Immersion in Wild Yellowstone , is an Amazon best seller with more than 265 Five-Star review. The book is about the wolves and ecology of Yellowstone's Lamar Valley and Rick's experience of living and volunteering there for three winters. Rick's stories have appeared in Yellowstone Reports , and the literary journals Composite Arts Magazine, Gold Man Review, Phoebe, Soundings Review , and Feathered Flounder . He won the Jim Stone Grand Prize for Non-Fiction.