It was a family affair for Bruce Masterman at the book launch for his latest book One Last Cast: Reflections of an Outdoor Life, last weekend.

It was special as both his daughters, Chelsea and Sarah, were home for the event, and they introduced him.

"They talked about some of the times we've had together that I wrote about and what it is like to be written about," said Masterman.

These days Sarah lives in Vancouver and Chelsea is in Medicine Hat.

Masterman shared one of his favourite stories, Stairway to Heaven, a hike that he kept putting off, until the death of two friends inspired him to tackle it.

"I always wondered if I could do it."

It was a very high ridge in the Highwood Valley in K-country.

"I fished the river below it, I cycled the highway below it, and I'd hiked many trails below it and I kept looking up at it for many, many years kind of thinking about whether I could do it."

He said he always had an excuse, but one day thinking of his friends who had passed away, Irv Cherneski and Bill Rogers, it motivated him to do the hike that very day.

"I grabbed my stuff, my pack, my lunch and my water and my bear spray and my hiking poles."

Once he was up there it was such an incredible feeling of peacefulness, he didn't want to leave.

It was also moving for him to share the story at the launch as Kay Cherneski, Irv's widow was in the audience along with many friends of Rogers.

"It was nice to present something that resonated with the community and personalize something we all think about from time to time.

Masterman said these are personal stories and that they resonate with other people is a very satisfying thing.

"You never know when you write these things, or write anything, is this going to mean anything to anyone other than yourself. As a writer and a book author you are always hoping that it will, and when you start getting feedback and seeing the reviews of what the book means to people it is very encouraging.

Copies of the book are available at Pixie Hollow in High River, and major book stores across the country or by ordering it through Rocky Mountain Books.