Walking with the Wild Wind: Reflections on a Montana Journey

Very well written, almost poetic account of the physical and mental aspects of long distance hiking. Also, a very moving account of the love of life and family. "Walkin' Jim" has over 23,000 miles of wilderness walking. A VERY talented musician, his CD's are also must haves for any lover of the outdoors and or Folk music! www.walkinjim.com I am anxiously waiting for the next "Walkin' Jim" book!!

Walking with the Wild Wind is a long overdue book by Walkin' Jim Stoltz. When I read it, I felt as though I were walking along with him on his journey through the Wilderness of Montana and Idaho. He shares his thoughts on wilderness philosophy, on finding his way through the land and well as through his own inner landscape. I could feel his pain and pleasure as he trod through familiar trails and newer ones. I highly reccomend this book for outdoor lovers and folks who haven't yet had a chance to enjoy wilderness and its unforgetable experience. Take a walk with Walkin' Jim! Review by John B. Free

Walking With The Wild Wind is the personal travelogue of Jim Stoltz and his solo trek through the wilderness of Montana's roadless areas. A detailed and captivating journey, deftly written with appreciation for the wonders of nature and articulating a regret of man's voracious expansion into pristine land, as well as narrating harrowing close calls with brush fires, falls, wildlife encounters, and river crossings, Walking With The Wild Wind brings the reader along upon an unforgettable journey. Highly recommended reading for nature buffs and armchair travelers, Walking With The Wild Wind would make a welcome and popular addition to community library collections.

The first time I saw Jim Stoltz was at a concert he did for the Audubon Center in Amherst, Ma. I have seen his amazing show many times since. He shows slides of his journeys (operating the projector with his foot) as they illustrate his marvelous songs which he sings in his deep, baritone voice. I run a concert series myself and have had him perform a couple of times when he has made his east coast tour. When he sent me a mailing about his book I bought it immediately. A long-distance hiker & long-distance cycler myself, and a librarian, I have read a lot of accounts of adventures. Often they are mere catalogs of the journey, and the writing is not very good. This book is poetic, and also, you get to know Jim. Often in reading chronicles of adventures I come away feeling I never knew the person at all. I don't need to have the narrator spill their guts but one isn't hiking in a vacuum. Jim's flashbacks to other hikes, and parts of his life connect the story to life. He is also an ardent defender of Wilderness, and if you aren't one before reading the book, you will be afterwards. Look him up on his web-site, see him in a concert when he travels near you, buy his book and CDs. He is great.