A young, idealistic young man from Iowa comes to California to join the Los Angeles Police Department in the late 1950s. The country is in the beginning of the Civil Rights era and many cities are in turmoil. After a two-year stint in street patrol in downtown L.A., Pete Felix achieves his goal of becoming a motorcycle officer. His fellow officers call themselves “B.C.M.C.” meaning, Big City Motor Cops. His first trial is to complete the rigid training required by the LAPD to be accepted as a motor officer. As Pete relates, it was not an easy task. During his motor officer training, Pete meets his future police partner and they begin to experience the challenges and dangers that motorcycle cops face daily on the crowded and mean streets of L.A.. Pete begins his story after his retirement as a middle-aged man watching the riots on TV that followed the Rodney King incident. He fumes at the lack of police attention to the crimes being committed in front of the cameras. Finally, he realizes that he can do nothing to stop the wild scenes and, in frustration, heads off to bed thinking of the past and his time on the job with the BCMCs. He then relates many of his activities, arrests and experiences, which include many humorous incidents mixed with some of the most terrifying times in the City of Angels. The reader will find out what it is like to be a traffic enforcement officer in one of the largest cities in the country. Pete tells how he learned the ins and outs of riding a big police motorcycle on the streets and freeways of L.A. and gives you a personal glimpse of the many personalities that make up the LAPD of that era. Look in on the rollicking times in the police roll-calls as they start their tours of duty. They challenge authority of supervision and generally raise hell at some of these roll-calls! Pete opens his police story with the chilling and most dangerous motorcycle police action: a pursuit! He describes his thoughts and actions as he chases the suspects and tries to stay alive while doing it. As the story unfolds, you get a picture of the private conversations and relationships between the officers with which Pete works in the various phases of his career. Accidents and confrontations with traffic violators are the daily challenge of a BCMC and Pete has his own way of dealing with them. The manner with which cops deal mentally with the horrors and the sadness of the real life and death that the cops must face will surprise you. Some will say that cops must be hardened and cynical to cope. Some are and some aren’t. Go with Pete and his fellow officers as the City of L.A. erupts into the chaos of the Watts Riot. Feel the terror and dangers that faced the BCMCs and the innocent victims of the riot. Pete survives several minor accidents on his motorcycle but, while on a special detail chasing speeders in a busy part of L.A., Pete crashes into a car that makes an illegal turn in front of him. He receives major injuries that threaten his career as a motor cop. Pete recovers and regains his position on the job but things are never the same for him after that. As Pete ages, he looks back at the way things were and the way they for are him now. With a flare for comedy and a dedication to duty, Gary Smith tells the stories that he and other officers lived on the LAPD in his era. The stories in his book are true stories from his personal experiences and of some of his fellow officers. Names have been changed but the realities that Gary portrays here are.... The way it was!

A fully updated edition of the Lower Mainland’s bestselling walking guidebook, featuring a wider range of trails than ever before. Since its first edition in 1976, 109 Walks has guided more than 100,000 locals and visitors alike to the best viewpoints, urban forests, and coastal headlands of British Columbia’s stunning Lower Mainland. This latest edition continues and builds on the legacy of its beloved predecessor with more than twenty completely new trails, a striking selection of photographs, and updated directions that include GPS coordinates for easier route-finding. True to its origins, the book includes clearly written, carefully detailed route descriptions for each walk, along with helpful personal notes about points of natural and historical interest to visit along the way. This edition also features more options in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, Surrey, and the Fraser Valley—as well as walks that take less than three hours to complete—making it more accessible and expansive than ever before. Still accurate, authoritative, and highly affordable, 109 Walks is an indispensable insider’s guide for exploring British Columbia’s Lower Mainland in all seasons.

The Manly Modern, the first major book on the history of masculinity in Canada, traces the history of what happened when men's supposed modernity became one of their defining features. Through a series of case studies covering such diverse subjects as car culture, mountaineering, war veterans, murder trials, and a bridge collapse, Christopher Dummitt argues that the very idea of what it meant to be modern was gendered. A strong current of anti-modernist sentiment bubbled just beneath the surface of postwar masculinity, creating rumblings about the state of modern manhood that, ironically, mirrored the tensions that burst forth in 1960s gender radicalism.

A one-stop resource for hiking backpackers in beautiful British Columbia. Planning your next backpacking adventure? This book covers all the essentials including: 40 overnight hiking trails: discover the many different routes that BC has to offer Packing tips: take only the most essential items with you (plus a few comforts) Permitting: find out what permits you’ll need, and where to get them Camp set-up: tips for where to pitch your tent and how to find water Environmental impact: learn how to Leave No Trace behind in the wilderness This book features backpacking routes from the North Shore up to Pemberton and Lytton and from the Sunshine Coast out to the Similkameen Valley. Beautiful photographs showcase what you’ll see along the way: mountain peaks, alpine meadows, waterfalls, old-growth forests, and more. Every backpacking route in the book includes bonus features: Trail maps and route descriptions Elevation, distance and time information Points of cultural and natural history Pre-planning hints about fees, permits, and reservations Suggested side trips and points of particular interest Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia also shares options for extending an overnight excursion to several nights or a week, and for selecting hikes that match your timeline/fitness level.

Who says you have to travel far from home to go on a great hike? Best Hikes Near Vancouver details the 41 best hikes within a close proximity of the city, perfect for the urban and suburbanite hard-pressed to find great outdoor activities close to home. Each featured hike includes detailed hike specs, a brief hike description, trailhead location, directional cues, a detailed map, and color photos. The rewards of hiking near Vancouver are plentiful: Howe Sound panoramas, island explorations to giant Doug firs, an up-close look at The Lions, feeling the spray of Shannon Falls, and spotting migratory flocks at Boundary Bay. It is easy to select a hike you prefer by combining information in the Trail Finder (which categorizes each hike, i.e., Best Hikes for Waterfalls; Best Hikes for Families/Children) with the short Summary of the hike. GPS points are used along with a written description to identify the location of each trailhead.

Since its publication in 1973, 103 Hikes in Southerwestern British Columbia has sold over 120,000 copies, guiding novices and experts alike around lakes, rivers, and mountains from the North Shore and Howe Sound to Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, and east to the Fraser Valley and Hope-Manning Park. Engagingly written, meticulously detailed, and thoughtfully organized by area, 103 Hikes is the ultimate, indispensable guide for trekking in all seasons. Two-color maps make route finding easier, and comprehensive indexes help ensure that a trail choice is right for the season. For each trail author Jack Bryceland indicates: time frames and suggested fitness levelsinformation on how to get to the trailheaddistance and elevation gainsestimated hiking timespoints of natural or historical interest 103 Hikes includes trails from the Ashlu and Elaho valleys, as well as expanded sections on Pemberton and the Chilliwack River, providing fresh paths of discovery for readers of previous editions.

Don and Phyllis Munday are western Canada's most famous mountaineering couple. Active members of the Alpine Club of Canada, they climbed for almost four decades throughout the Pacific Northwest, as well as in the Selkirks and the Rocky Mountains. The Mundays were ahead of their time. They are chiefly renowned for their tenacity and environmental awareness, as well as for their scientific contributions in exploring and documenting the little-known Coast Mountains. Their joint climbs from the 1920s through the 1940s included scaling 150-plus mountains; more than 40 were first ascents. A Passion for Mountains features a broad selection of the Mundays' photographs and incorporates their own words to describe many of their ascents.