DEEP DIVE INTO DEEP TIME
The “Deep Time in the West” special issue (January 2026) was an absolute winner! The variation of stories, the unusual story formats and the dedicated topic for the entire issue made it a real page-turner. This globe has a deep history to its core. The issue illustrated the volume of history in the globe’s development with graphics and pictures that caused the reading to be engaging and digestible.
Ann Brach
Glade Park, Colorado
As a longtime subscriber to High Country News, I always enjoy seeing a new issue in my mailbox. As good as all the issues are, January 2026 was one of the best. In a time of impermanence in our national values and principles, it’s refreshing to read such good articles about things — rocks, in particular — that will certainly outlast all the chaotic times we are living in. Awe is a popular topic lately, and having the perspective that humanity is just a “blip” in geologic time — that we are “small” compared to the planet but still connected to all of it — is empowering. One of the unique characteristics of the West is how visible the things that make up our planet are, largely thanks to the drier climate we have that exposes more of it than you can see in more vegetated regions.
Jerry Kilts
Billings, Montana
ALL THINGS MUST PASS …
Having visited the Snowy Range in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming and experienced the amazing geology of the area, I particularly enjoyed the article “10 Wyomings” (January 2026) by Marcia Bjornerud. It is reassuring to be reminded that our planet is incredibly old and resilient, and thus to realize that the current period is but a transient in the much larger scheme of things.
Dennis Wentz
Fort Collins, Colorado
NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED
I deeply enjoyed reading the story of Tanya Atwater and plate tectonics (“Continental shift,” January 2026). The science of seafloor spreading and its relationship to geology is fascinating. But Tanya’s personal story really gripped me.
I was born 16 years after she was, and thanks to people like her, I faced no serious obstacles getting a Ph.D. at Stanford.
Hats off to Tanya for her persistence, and for letting her love of her field and her growing expertise in it triumph over the jaw-dropping prejudice she encountered all along her trailblazing path through academia. Thanks for telling her riveting life story.
Ruth van Baak Griffioen
Beulah, Michigan
FAMILY MATTERS
Nina McConigley’s article, “Weathering time,” (January 2026) brought tears to my eyes. She was so fortunate to have parents who gave her gifts that truly resonated with her.
As parents, it’s often easy to forget in the quotidian raising of a family that we stand as models to our children. While we may have the lofty goal of providing the best education we can for our children, I think that it can be the ordinary acts of everyday life that are more likely to remain with them throughout their lives.
I thank Ms. McConigley for reminding us that this is what is often most important.
Victor Gold
Berkeley, California
OUT WITH OUTDATED HISTORY
I teach Native American history and related subjects at Purdue University and challenge the author’s suggestion that the Clovis-only, 12,000-year Bering theory holds a prime place anymore (“Our place in history,” January 2026). Things have changed, though not enough yet. I teach about the peopling of the Americas and present both archaeological and Indigenous explanations. I also teach students about different Native origin stories and how science and culture can live together. The article on time immemorial is good and offers interesting insights, but from the front of a university classroom, it’s a bit out of touch with what historians and archaeologists are teaching and researching these days.
Dawn Marsh
Lafayette, Indiana
BACK TO THE LAND
Thanks for the recent detailed articles about public-lands grazing (“Free Range,” December 2025). It reminded me why I subscribed to HCN 30 years ago and is probably where I learned about this topic in the first place. Too bad not much has changed for the better. In recent years, I find myself skipping over more of your content. Stories like this remind me you can still grab my attention and what “the paper for people who care about the West” means to me. It’s about the land. Please continue to embrace your roots.
David Morgan
Leavenworth, Washington
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