New guidebook communicates author's love for national parks

Becky Lomax’s latest guidebook reveals on page 725 an important clue to her lifelong and full-hearted embrace of national parks.

Lomax, 63, a Whitefish resident since 1993, wrote “USA National Parks — The Complete Guide to All 59 Parks,” a guidebook published in October by Moon Travel Guides/Avalon Travel.

Page 725 includes a vignette from Lomax’s family history, a history with intimate ties to Mount Rainier National Park because of her father’s service there as a seasonal ranger. Lomax writes, “On one of my parents’ first dates, he took my mom bushwhacking to see a secret cluster of ancient trees...which later became known as the Grove of the Patriarchs (after the trail and the bridge were installed).”

That grove of Douglas firs, cedars and hemlocks ultimately became for Lomax and her siblings and their children a sacred place. And it planted a seed that has guided key life decisions.

Lomax writes, “Experiencing the national parks is one of the greatest gifts parents can give to their children.”

Now, she hopes the “USA National Parks” guidebook will inspire readers to visit national parks, even the smaller, more obscure parks that possess their own magic, she said.

For readers who tend toward armchair travel, Lomax said the book’s photography alone could be compelling.

For “USA National Parks,” Lomax handled the writing, including original writing and revision of text included in previous Moon Travel books focused on individual parks. Others coordinated the photography.

During a recent interview in Whitefish, Lomax said national parks have long contributed to her sense of well-being.

Parks provide places to experience awe, she said.

“To feel elation on top of a mountain. To feel the fear of an accidental encounter with a grizzly,” Lomax said. “To feel things like solitude, quiet and the slowing of time — things that are so rare in our modern way of life.”

In 1974 and 1975, Lomax, a Seattle native, worked summers at Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier, peeling carrots in the kitchen and hiking on days off.

From 1997 through the summer of 2006, she worked as a hiking and backpacking guide for Glacier Guides. From 2010 through the summer of 2016, she was a field guide and educational presenter for the Road Scholar programs in Glacier.

In 1993, she and her husband, Michael Makieve, moved to Whitefish from Bainbridge Island, Washington, partly because of Whitefish’s proximity to Glacier National Park.

Lomax, who has a master’s of arts degree for teaching writing, in 2005 first wrote for Moon Travel Guides, which published in 2006 her “Glacier National Park” guidebook. Her work for Moon Travel also has included “Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park” and “Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Camping.”

Lomax also has written for national magazines, including Smithsonian and Backpacker, as well as for regional magazines and newspapers.

Her discussion with Moon about publishing a comprehensive guidebook to all 59 national parks began in December 2016. By the time the company and Lomax had decided how best to proceed, it was July 2017 and Lomax had just six months to complete the research, fact-checking and writing for the book.

“I did have a bit of a struggle because I am a hiker,” she said, smiling. “I had to lash myself to the computer and then rush out and get in some hiking.”

The cliche would declare that “USA National Parks” offers a wealth of information. And, in fact, it does.

Park entries include details about key sights, recreational opportunities, where to stay, travel tips and much more.

The extensive section about Glacier National Park includes tips for avoiding crowds, advice that is becoming increasingly relevant for visitors to the Crown of the Continent.

The guidebook also features suggestions for staying healthy and safe in national parks, with specifics, for example, about how to handle close encounters with bears and information about avoiding heat stroke.

To date, Lomax has visited 30 national parks. She plans to visit more.

Her father, Ted Lomax, the seasonal park ranger who later made a career with Boeing, died in 2011. Her mother, Gloria, 88, visited Becky in July and hiked the Trail of the Cedars in Glacier National Park “even with a bad knee.

“I grew up thinking that’s what everybody did — go to national parks,” Lomax said.

She said “USA National Parks” reflects the influence of her parents and their appreciation for nature’s gifts. The text reflects Lomax’s appreciation for words.

She writes: “Our parks provide moments of connection: hearing birds chatter, smelling fragrant trees, feeling the spray of waterfalls, touching rocks smoothed over by the centuries, and staring up into dark skies.

“These are the moments that let nature wash through us; that offer renewal of the human spirit.”

Reporter Duncan Adams may be reached at dadams@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4407.