High-mountain Two-manner: A Montana smokejumper recalls hitting the silk and the books in his college years

Crouched in the doorway of a Travelair over the Flathead National Forest, Frank Fowler waits for the slap that will send him dropping from the sky to his first fire as a smokejumper. How he got there is the journey of a young man who grew up on the streets of Washington, D.C. and followed his mother's encouragement to find adventure in his life. His search took him to college in Montana and training as a smokejumper. Through letters, he shared his exploits with his mother who saved them all. They are the basis for recalling and writing about his adventures, something she had always hoped he would do.