A PATHWAY THROUGH PARKS

About the Book

"Bodie, the very sound of that name conjures up images of "The Bad Man From Bodie", a rough and tumble life, and the harsh climate of a gold mine boomtown of the early West. But to a young park ranger and his wife, fresh out of college, and with a child on the way, it was an intimidating beginning to a 32-year career with California Department of Parks and Recreation.

A PATHWAY THROUGH PARKS follows the career of Ranger Carl S. Chavez and his family as they travel the length and breadth of California from the ghost town of Bodie State Historic Park to the mountains and beaches of Southern California. Each new assignment brings new adventures and challenges as Ranger Chavez promotes up the career ladder to positions on the Central Coast of California, the Sierra Nevada and finally to the redwoods of Northern California at Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Career decisions must be made which result in advancement, "out of the field", and into the Management ranks of Regional and Division Headquarters. Yet even these changes do not alter the opportunity for stories and tales of humor and tragedy, joy and sorrow, adventure and routine, and the success and failure that many readers will recognize in their own lives. Anyone who has retired from the workforce, regardless of occupation, will have memories like those found in A PATHWAY THROUGH PARKS.

The author's experiences will give all those who love the Great Outdoors and enjoy our parks and forests a rare, inside glimpse, not only of the inner workings of park operations, but also, of family life living in parks.

About the Author

Carl S. Chavez worked for the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 1966 through 1998. He graduated in 1966 from Humboldt State College with a degree in Wildlife Management.

He began his 32-year career as a Park Ranger at Bodie State Historic Park and traveled the length and breadth of California on assignments as a park ranger on the beaches and in the mountains of Southern California. He promoted up through the ranks of the California State Park System to positions on the Central Coast of California, the Sierra Nevada, and finally to the redwoods of the North Coast.

Mr. Chavez was the recipient of the Department of Parks and Recreation's first "Superintendant of the Year" award in 1985. In 1987 he moved on to a Management leadership role in Regional and Division Headquarters; where he remained until his retirement in 1998.

He resides with his wife Margaret in Graeagle, California near Plumas-Eureka State Park, the favorite park he once managed. His daughter, Abigail, who was also a California State Park Ranger, passed away in 1996. A son, Christopher, is a schoolteacher in Davis, California.