Dear Readers,

This has been a surprising and gratifying year for this author, especially since I'm new to the field of western history. In giving readings from Dave Rust: A Life in The Canyons, I've learned that the qualities that drew me to Rust's life--including his love for the wild places of the Colorado Plateau--also mean a great deal to other canyon country aficionados.

It has also been wonderfully gratifying to see Rust's life recognized by established scholars in the field, both through their book reviews and through four significant regional awards. The attention, needless to say, has pretty much floored me.

In past years, as Michael Anderson notes in the introduction to my book, historians focused on the great men and great deeds attending the discovery, exploration, and settlement of the Colorado Plateau, often neglecting the stories of unsung men and women who did much of the work of shaping the West. That there is interest in a fellow who devoted his life to helping others reach new insights says much about the maturing field of western history.

I'm glad to have been given the chance to tell Rust's story, which is as much about the Colorado Plateau and a way of seeing it as it is a chronicle of a pioneer outfitter trying to make a living in the midst of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. You can hardly separate the man from the place he loved--nor would he have wanted you to. It's difficult to think of anyone with a closer connection to this landscape, or a more intimate understanding of it.

Thank you again for your support and encouragement. I hope to meet and speak with more of you as we share our delight in following the trails of the western wilds.

Sincerely,

Fred Swanson

October 2008