Born August, 1943, in Akron, Ohio. Following graduation from Utah State University with a BA in English in 1967, he moved to Banff, Alberta. While working at the Banff Book and Art Den, he met Alberta poet and author Jon Whyte, who became a lifelong friend and mentor.

In 1971, he co-authored the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide with Bart Robinson, the first comprehensive hiking guide published in Canada. The book described the trails of the national and provincial parks of western Alberta and eastern British Columbia and sold more than 250,000 copies over the ensuing 40 years. The 9th edition was released in 2011.

Since 1971, his books, articles and other endeavors have focused on the interpretation of the natural and human history of the Canadian Rockies, including stints with CBC Radio, The Banff Centre, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and Parks Canada. He has appeared as a historical interpreter and storyteller in five documentary films about the region.

He has compiled two anthologies highlighting the history of the region, Tales from the Canadian Rockies and Bear Tales from the Canadian Rockies. The latter won the Banff National Park Award at the 1998 Banff Mountain Book Festival.

In 1986, he completed the measurement and official signage for the final 100 km of the Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail from Gatcho Lake to the Bella Coola Valley with trail architect Halle Flygare. He subsequently described the journey in "Following Mackenzie's footsteps to the Pacific" (Canadian Geographic, Aug-Sept 1990).

He has lived in Invermere, British Columbia, with his partner Rhonda Allen since 2001.

Author:

Canadian Rockies Trail Guide (Banff: Summerthought, 1971, 2011) with Bart Robinson.
Parkways of the Canadian Rockies (Banff: Summerthought, 1975, 2008).
50 Walks and Hikes in Banff National Park (Banff: Summerthought, 2008) with Bart Robinson.

Editor:

Tales from the Canadian Rockies (Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1984)
Tales from the Canadian Rockies (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1993)
Mountain Chronicles: Jon Whyte (Banff: Altitude, 1992)
Bear Tales from the Canadian Rockies (Calgary: Fifth House, 1998)

[BCBW 2011] "Outdoors"

Review of the author's work by BC Studies:
Tales from the Canadian Rockies