7In 1969 Joe Kelsey pitched a tent in the Wind River Mountains, declared it home, and has returned every summer since. A wilderness paradise, the range straddles the Continental Divide in northwestern Wyoming. Kelsey and a cadre of other young climbers ventured into the Winds to explore routes more obscure than those in the popular Teton Range to the west. Through tales of pitons and nuts, heroic climbers and Vulgarians, solitude and community, Kelsey captures the exploration of an enigmatic mountain range, the cultural evolution of climbing, the camaraderie of camp life, and the responsibility that comes with falling in love with a place. Feeling part of wild land, seeing ourselves reflected in it, gives us a glimpse of who we are. Kelsey's book shows how he found a true sense of self in one of North America's wildest places.