May 1953 (age 54)

A month of travel. Sigurd is in Milwaukee May 9, Chicago May 10-13; Toronto May 15; Ottawa May 16; Rochester, Minn. May 17; Washington May 18-25 (where he's installed as president of the National Parks Association), Chicago May 26, and back home in Ely May 27. Two days later, his father died in Willmar, Minn. at the age of 84.

May 1968 (age 69)

The National Park Service begins to phase out the garbage dumps for grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, also to remove problem bears, make garbage containers bearproof, and educate visitors about campground sanitation and about bears and danger. A year later the Natural Sciences Advisory Committee, which included Sigurd, reviewed and accepted the controversial policy. Meanwhile, on May 12, Sigurd's friend, fellow Voyageur, and famous Canadian journalist Blair Fraser tragically drowned in a canoeing accident on the Petawawa River in Ontario's Algonquin Park. He suffered a heart attack and fell into the rapids while canoeing with Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.