"Heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness" book signing Friday

Terry Lee McCoy and John Fraley were good friends and college students at the University of Montana in the mid 1970s.

They hunted elk together, studied fish and wildlife and they both loved the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

But their lives took drastically different paths in 1974.

McCoy, just 19, died in a plane crash in the Sapphire Mountains Saturday, Aug. 31, 1974. At the time, McCoy was a work-study student, tracking elk for a UM project.

Fraley went on to graduate and began a long and distinguished career with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, studying native trout in the three forks of the Flathead River and became the Region 1 education and outreach specialist.

“I was going to be on the plane, but I switched flights,” Fraley said. “For the rest of my adult life I wondered ‘Why was I spared?’”

While his close friend’s death haunted him, it also inspired Fraley to make the most of his time while exploring the Bob.

“Terry never got that chance and I did…” Fraley said.

A few other fortunate things occurred which helped Fraley put together his series of Bob Marshall Wilderness books.

Fraley and publisher Farcountry Press released "Heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness" earlier this fall in the 80th year of the Bob's designation.

One of those fortunate circumstances was the work of Montana State University's Harold Picton, who was Fraley's Wildlife Management professor at MSU in the mid 1970s.

Now a Wildlife Professor Emeritus at Bozeman, Picton transcribed Bob Cooney's handwritten notes from his 1941 wildlife survey of the Bob. Cooney was hired by Montana Fish and Game in 1940 as its first professional wildlife biologist and his extensive survey of the region gave wildlife managers a better understanding of the numbers of wildlife found in the wilderness.

Jim Williams, the Region 1 supervisor for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, then found Cooney's original, unpublished journals in a box in the Kalispell office.

These occurrences helped Fraley write one of the chapters in "Heroes."

Fraley also effectively uses humor to tell past stories of the Bob.

"I sought the humor in stories and it helped that I had explored so many of these places so I had a better understanding of what happened," Fraley said.

"It's like Pat McVay said, there's no way to plan how it goes. People have quirks and funny things happen," Fraley said.

Friday, will sign copies of his new book during an event at the Northwest Montana History Museum. It will run from 4-7 p.m.

Fans of the author and his books will be able to talk about "Heroes" and his other two publications, including 2018’s "Rangers, Trappers, and Trailblazers" and 2019's re-release of "A Woman’s Way West" will also be available.

Also, the Northwest Montana Historical Society is offering 10% off everything in the on-site Schoolbell Books & Gifts (including John’s books) on Friday only.

Finally, the Museum will be serving up some free festive holiday ice-cream floats (for the adults and for the kids) in a safe and socially-distant setting to cap off the night.

The Northwest Montana History Museum is located at 124 2nd Av. East in Kalispell. The Museum can be reached Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 406-756-8381.

“Heroes of the Bob Marshall Wilderness” is available in local bookstores and online or by visiting the Farcountry website directly at www.farcountrypress.com