Book Recommendation

Passion Below Zero by David Hays

I stumbled onto this book in an abandoned service garage back in 2004 when I was working in West Yellowstone, MT for Eagle's Store. On this shift I was working at the gas station next door, to which the old garage was attached. The picture on the cover is what led me to open it, curious about the inside pages. Over the following few days I barely closed it, reading whenever I could. I was hooked on the poetic words of David Hays.

He was a columnist for a local paper near West prior to his death, and I became a faithful reader after discovering that they still published his archives. I cut them out each week but can't to this day figure out where I stashed them?

Hays writes about moving to and living in his one room log cabin along the Henry's Fork River in Last Chance, ID. He writes about the mountains, about the sky and about his neighbors - the flora and fauna of the area. He tells of the weather and his personal transitions with the seasons. About how living in this place you don't get a choice, but if he did this would be his.

I feel the cold when he talks of dark winter mornings next to a wood stove and I sense the genuineness when he thanks the treasured moon for its light. His words are blunt, honest, and reveal bare emotions. I found myself scribbling quotes and notes continuously as I read, until I finally realized the piling scraps of paper weren't worth it. The whole book was.

Published in 1995, you can find used copies online. Mine is a part of my permanent library. If you enjoy the wilderness, the mountains, peace, quiet, or the idea of a cabin in the woods - do yourself a favor. Let me know if you have trouble closing it too.