Whether she was riding horseback through the Sierra Nevada for days at a time or taking a shift inside the “box” (ranger lingo for the permit issuing station), Laurel Munson Boyers’ 30-year career as a park ranger and wilderness manager at Yosemite National Park was full of adventure, the outdoors and plenty of old-fashioned hard work.
We recently chatted with the trailblazing Yosemite resident — who was the park’s first female full-time mounted backcountry ranger, and its first female wilderness manager — to discuss her newly published memoir, “Across Yosemite’s Wilderness: A Trailblazing Woman’s Career Protecting the Park’s Backcountry,” (Falcon Guides, $23). Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Retired Yosemite park ranger Laurel Munson Boyers recently published a memoir of her experiences on the job and in the National Park, “Across Yosemite’s Wilderness: A Trailblazing Woman’s Career Protecting the Park’s Backcountry” (Falcon Press, $23). (Courtesy Laurel Boyers)
Q: You worked in Yosemite for 30 years. How did you decide which stories to share in your memoir?
A: That’s certainly the hard part. I took examples that stuck in my mind. I enjoyed digging up my memories, trying to put a word to an emotion. It was a valuable way to continue the efforts of my career, which was to tell the world how important the natural world is; that we need to make sure there are wild places in our lives; that we have to be cognizant that our actions do make a difference to the long term and to future generations; that nature and wildness makes us better people; and to take care of it.
It turned out to be more timely than I expected, with the way politics are right now, and with the attacks on civil servants and public land.
Speckles, a mischievous mule who was already a veteran of the backcountry when she went to work with Park Ranger and Manager Laurel Boyers. She carried many packs full of trash to be removed to the backcountry. (Courtesy Laurel Boyers)
I think it’s really important, as we become more and more harnessed to our devices, for people occasionally to get away from civilization, pull away and unyoke themselves from phones and Wi-Fi, and get back to times where we were more independent from machines, working off our own strength and resources.
Q: What are some good ways for Bay Area and Northern California locals to disconnect? Especially for folks who may not have your level of comfort with the backcountry?
A: Yosemite has gotten a little bit more complicated with the reservation system, but there’s a lot of public land around us. One of my pleas to people is that nature is not just about these big “capital W” wilderness areas. It’s fun to come to Yosemite because it’s so spectacular, dramatic and thrilling. But nature is all around us.
The first all-woman snow survey team at Yosemite, including Tory Finley, Ginger Burley, author Laurel Boyers and Louise Johnson arrives at Hetch Hetchy. There is a visible “bathtub ring” caused by low water in the reservoir. (Courtesy B. Finley/Laurel Boyers)
Q: I was struck while reading the book that there are so many different skills required to be a park ranger. You had to be a naturalist and communicate with the public, enforce laws and even know how to wrangle mules.
A: It’s wonderful that the people who work in the parks are such a talented and dedicated group. When you’re in situations in the natural world by yourself or just with one other person, you have to be willing to take risks and use your best guess on some of this stuff. It’s a labor of love. I admire my co-workers and their level of commitment.
It’s been so frustrating to have these purges of career and up-and-coming people who are willing to do this work, have those skills and are putting their lives into certain risk situations. It’s not for the money — that’s for sure.
“Across Yosemite’s Wilderness: A Trailblazing Woman’s Career Protecting the Park’s Backcountry,” (Falcon Guides, $23) published June 17, is a memoir by Laurel Munson Boyers, who grew up in Yosemite National Park and worked there as a ranger and wilderness manager for 30 years. She still lives in the park today. (Courtesy Falcon Guides/Globe Pequot Publishing Group)
Q: You’ve spent the majority of your life at the park. What do you want people to know about it?
A: I can’t overemphasize the global importance of great big tracts of protected land. The overall importance of Yosemite is much more than coming to Yosemite Valley and taking some pictures or playing in the river. The grand picture of really generational importance is manifested in the U.S. protecting these large, intact ecosystems. It’s really hard to manage these big places and find the right balance between access and preservation. The people who work here do it with the whole depth of their hearts, with their souls. They really try hard. And yes, of course, mistakes are made. But I hope Yosemite and these other big tracts of public land remain intact and aren’t squandered for short-term economic gain or the interests of a few powerful people. These are the world’s global treasures.
FILE – People wait for the trailhead at Glacier Point to re-open at Yosemite National Park. After months of delays and confusion, the Trump administration has finally announced that visitors will be required to have reservations to enter Yosemite National Park this summer, although on fewer days than last year. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
Q: You share a few examples in the book of folks you rescued who had ventured into the wilderness and got into trouble. How can situations like that be prevented?
A: The old Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.” You need to do your homework. You need to think about where you’re going, what you’re doing, check the weather and check your gear. You also need to think about the weakest member of your group. Maybe a friend comes along who has never been on skis or packed or has a bad knee. As you start doing that, you gain more appreciation for what you’re getting into, in terms not only of safety, but logistics and the reality of the wild world.
Yosemite Falls, and its reflection in a puddle of water in the meadow below at Yosemite National Park. After months of delays and confusion, the Trump administration has finally announced that visitors will be required to have reservations to enter Yosemite National Park this summer, although on fewer days than last year. (Paul Rogers/Bay Area News Group)
The planning process is often as rewarding as the actual thing. Having reasonable expectations is important. I would caution people to go slowly. You don’t have to hike 50 miles. You can hike a few miles and go sit by the river, listen to the music of the rapids and let the tree sounds fill your soul. Those moments are so special. I hope people have just the grandest time ever back there.
Related Articles
All Yosemite campgrounds open this summer for the first time in 6 years
You can visit any national park for free on June 19
Yosemite: Key parts of the park to reopen Saturday, as more campground reservations are made available
Yosemite Q&A: What you need to know about visiting the park under the new entrance reservation system
Yosemite reservation rules are finally announced — here’s when you’ll need them to get into the park
Details: “Across Yosemite’s Wilderness: A Trailblazing Woman’s Career Protecting the Park’s Backcountry” (Falcon Press, $23) was published June 17. Available where books are sold.