After earning an MD from UT-Southwestern (Dallas) and a PhD from the University of Oklahoma (Norman), the author was active for many years as a physician/scientist in Oklahoma, primarily in the fields of pediatric oncology and clinical lipidology. While teaching at TTUHSC-Odessa, he first found part of the 1848 Trail in the TransPecos which stimulated him to search for the route of the original expedition. Since leaving academia, Dr. Lane, a descendant of Sam Maverick, has retired to San Antonio where his time is spent writing and pursuing a busy life with his family.