When retired National Park Ranger Bruce Bytnar called it quits two years ago, he started writing down stories about some of his life’s work along the Blue Ridge Parkway, where he was stationed for more than 20 years, along with other venues. The result was his new book, “A Park Ranger’s Life: Thirty-two Years Protecting our National Parks,” a breezy and very readable collection of stories, from the ghosts he encountered at a park in Maryland to the bear that liked KFC – even the murder investigations he took part in along the parkway.
“Every National Park ranger, because of the nature of the career, has stories,” says Bytnar. “I’ve had a long history of telling stories.”
Bytnar, a Rockbridge County resident, was encouraged by friends and family to write his book, which took about a year and a half to complete. His job entailed everything from law enforcement to education, from firefighting to emergency medical services. As a goodwill ambassador, he met people from all over the world. “Anything that happens in a national park area, a park ranger needs to be prepared to take care of it.”
Searches for lost people took anywhere from days to three weeks, and could be “extremely costly,” at times. Bytnar, who did some writing for magazines in the past, lays it all out in his book. Stationed along the Blue Ridge Parkway for the final 23 years of his career, Bytnar notes that the BRP struggles at times budget-wise, with about 60 full time positions left unfilled. “It’s much more difficult to keep up with things. Paving projects are far behind.”
Four colleges with ranger training tracts have now adopted Bytnar’s book as required reading. Living accommodations were far from perfect in some cases, but Bruce Bytnar says he wouldn’t have traded his career for anything else. “It’s the type of job that if you really want to do it, there’s nothing like it in the world. I’m still proud of that fact.”
Bytnar will sign copies of his book this Saturday January 30th at 1:00 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble Tanglewood store. “A Park Ranger’s Life” is also available at Ram’s Head at Towers Shopping Center.
By Gene Marrano [email protected]