The Blue Mountains, stretching south of Walla Walla into central Oregon, are one of the Pacific Northwest's iconic mountain ranges. Formed by successive periods of volcanic activity, home to diverse forest and grassland ecosystems, and rich in wildlife, the Blues have long held a special fascination for all who live in and recreate in the range's embrace. Now the Blues' unique natural history is the subject of this new book – the first volume ever to take its readers deep into the story of the range’s creation and history. In geological parlance, the Blue Mountains are a long anticlinal ridge composed mostly of basalt flows, stretching from Clarno, Oregon to Clarkston, Washington. Here, Carson has combined scholarly and elegant writings with the outstanding photography from more than a dozen contributors. The book includes a foreword by Don Snow, an afterword by Scott Elliott, and poems by Katrina Roberts and Janice King. Duane Scroggins, Bill Rodgers, and many others have contributed hundreds of magnificent photographs that draw readers into this incredible region. Robert J. Carson, Phillips professor of geology and environmental studies at Whitman College, was raised in Lexington, Virginia. Mountaineering, whitewater boating and spelunking in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and during summers in northern New England sparked his interest in geology, which he studied at Cornell University. Bob earned a Master of Science at Tulane University while employed by Texaco, exploring for petroleum in Louisiana and phosphate in Florida. His doctoral research at the University of Washington led to positions with the Washington Department of Ecology and the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources. Carson taught at North Carolina State University and the University of Oregon before joining the Whitman faculty in 1975. A Quaternary geologist, his courses deal with late Cenozoic geologic history and climate change, surficial processes, and landform evolution. He has a half-time appointment in Whitman's environmental studies program and is particularly interested in resources, pollution, forests and the oceans. Carson has taught on the Semester-At-Sea program twice and directed foreign study programs in England and Spain. Most of his research is on Quaternary geology in Washington, northeastern Oregon, northwestern Wyoming, and Mongolia. His books include Hiking Guide to Washington Geology, Where the Great River Bends,East of Yellowstone and Many Waters.