A pioneer of eco-tourism in the northern Rocky Mountains, George Evanoff, son of Macedonian immigrants, became legendary as a mountaineer and conservationist before he lost his life in an encounter with a grizzly bear in 1988. Based on a 20-year friendship with Evanoff, Mick Nash of Prince George has produced The Mountain Knows No Expert: George Evanoff, Outdoorsman and Contemporary Hero (Dundurn $28.99), a biography that traces Evanoff's life from Depression-era Alberta to the tops of the Rockies. 978-1-55002-868-3

As a back country enthusiast for 35 years, Mike Nash has been an active participant in land use discussions in the Prince George area. His other books are Exploring Prince George: A Guide to North Central B.C. Outdoors (Rocky Mountain Books, 2004, 2007) and Outdoor Safety and Survival in British Columbia's Backcountry (2007).

Nash was a lay member of the Association of B.C. Forest Professionals and chaired the City of Prince George's Nechako and Fraser River Valley's Committee that helped develop a ten-year strategic plan for parks and trails. He has also been a volunteer search and rescue leader.

BOOKS:

The Mountain Knows No Expert: George Evanoff, Outdoorsman and Contemporary Hero (Dundurn, 2009)

Outdoor Safety and Survival in British Columbia's Backcountry (Self-published, 2007) $19.95 978-0-9783048-0-5

Exploring Prince George: A Guide to North Central B.C. Outdoors (Rocky Mountain Books, 2004, 2007)

[BCBW 2009] "Outdoors"