Big Bend: Three Steps to the Sky

BIG BEND: THREE STEPS TO THE SKY by Frank Deckert, softcover, probable first edition, illustrated with color photos by various photographers, 1981. BOOK CONDITION: very good. The text block is in fine condition with no tears, dog ears, or marks. A sharp-pointed implement (like a pencil) has made some short marks and three tiny indentations on the front cover, and those indentations show up on the first few pages, but without there being any holes. There is no bookplate nor signature of a prior owner. This is not a library book nor a remainder. The wraps are in very good condition, except for the indentations. 9 x 11 ½, 40 pages, 7 ounces XX [From the text] The Rio Grande River swings abruptly to the northeast after flowing south and southeast for nearly 1600 kilometers (1000 miles). For 285 kilometers (177 miles) it remains true to this new direction before resigning itself to its former course toward the Gulf of Mexico. This downward arc of the Rio Grande gave a simple yet descriptive name to this region and, in turn, to a National Park cradled at the tip of the river’s curve. Here, on the United States - Mexico border, is an area nearly as large as Rhode Island, known by few but loved by those who have experienced its mysterious, magical desolation and haunting beauty: Big Bend National Park. (About the Author) Frank Deckert served as Chief Park Naturalist at Big Bend National Park from 1975 to 1980 when he became Interpretive Specialist for the National Park Service Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage, Alaska. Prior to his Big Bend assignment, he worked at Shenandoah and Isle Royale National Parks and Lake Mead National Recreation Area.…