ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: Backpacking/Outdoors Experience Books
"What if I fell in a forest:
Would a tree hear?"
--Annie Dillard--
- A Wilderness Original: The Life of Bob Marshall by James M. Glover: The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA, 1986; 323 pages.This well-written, fully documented biography of Bob Marshall's short 39 year life chronicles his childhood, demonstrating the enormous influence his family (and especially his father) had on his development, and shows how his love of the outdoors in general and wilderness in particular began. It documents how Marshall became a scientist (with a Ph.D.), a naturalist, a romantic, a philosopher, an athlete (sports in college and hundreds of hikes of 30 or more miles, including such hikes in at least 35 states), a statistician, a prolific writer, a tireless employee/administrator for the U. S. Forest Service, and a staunch defender of wilderness. Though independently wealthy, he remained employed in order to put into action his liberal philosophies of conservation and equality for all. He is credited with adding 5,437,000 acres of wilderness to the government preserve system and is the main founder of The Wilderness Society.
- Blind Corners: Adventures on Seven Continents by Geoff Tabin: ICS Books, Merrillville, IN, 1993; 196 pages.
Tabin is a medical doctor in Rhode Island and one of the few to successfully climb to the summit of the highest points on all seven continents, many while in school. His courage, fortitude, determination, and humor become evident as we vicariously accompany him on his ascents. Thirty color photos in the center of the book further exemplify his adventures.
- The High Adventures of Eric Ryback: Canada to Mexico on Foot by Eric Ryback: Chronicle Books, San Francisco; 1971.As a 17 year old, the author solo hiked the entire 2500 mile Appalachian Trail. The next year he became the first to hike the 2600 mile Pacific Crest Trail, assisting the National Forest Service in setting the route for this trail. This book is the story of that adventure as he battled snow and rivers, peaks and valleys, both within himself and within the natural world, from Canada to Mexico. He overcame all adversity, and this extremely literate recounting communicates his adventures to those of us who can only vicariously accompany him. Though out of print, this volume is available in many libraries, and I highly recommend it and its sequel listed below.
- Indian Creek Chronicles: A Winter Alone in the Wilderness by Pete Fromm: St. Martin's Press, New York; 1993; 184 pages.In 1978 the author learned that his college had the swim team of which he was a member. On a lark, he agreed to work for the National forest Service, spending seven months alone in a tent in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area, guarding 2.5 million salmon eggs. The closest plowed road was 40 miles away and the closest person 60 miles away. This is his literate, passionate, award-winning story of a civilized young man suddenly become a mountain man living his own version of Walden Pond.
- Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer:Villard Press, New York; 1997; 293 pages.Krakauer's first person narrative recounts the Everest climb of 1996 which resulted in the deaths of five of his companions. The pictures he creates of life in the high country, especially in the "death zone" above 25,000 feet, leave chilling images in the reader's mind and perhaps confusion in our minds as to "why" risk life for sport, but in this extremely well-written and compelling account, he captures in words the will which resides in Everest climbers to make it to the top despite all odds and sometimes despite common sense, and also communicates the compassion of Everest guides and climbers which causes them to assist one another, even to the point of perishing together.
- Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer:Anchor Books/Doubleday, New York; 1996, 207 pages.The author painstakingly researched and reconstructed the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who in 1992 hiked into the Alaska wilderness and after four months of "living off the land" was found dead. Exceptionally well-written, with verve and insight and a powerful, ever forward-flowing prose, Krakauer captures the mystery, solitude, intellect, and uninhibited wanderlust of McCandless, while simultaneously revealing much of his own personality. Throughout all of the story, "wilderness" is a second main character -- almost a mistress to both author and subject -- and both understood intimately that wilderness directs one to look inward as well as outward. "One cannot live off the land without developing both a subtle understanding of, and a strong emotional bond with, the land and all it holds."
- River Thunder by Will Hobbs:Delacorte Press, New York, 1997; 201 pages (sequel to Downriver). This fictional account of six teens rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is based on the author's 10 trips through the canyon himself, and recounts his trip in 1983 during the infamous "Big Flood"when Glen Canyon Dam was near bursting. Instead of the normal 40,000 cubic feet per second being released, the quantity was above 60,000 cfs and reached a high of 92,000 cfs as the Bureau of Reclamation battled to save the overflowing dam. Rapids which normally were no problem were destroying even the thirty-seven-foot"battleships" of the canyon, the huge motorized rigs. This story details the trip by 6 inexperienced teens in two small sixteen-foot rafts, and of their adventures in the high waters and on the side hikes into remote canyons.
- River: One Man's Journey Down the Colorado, Source to Sea by Colin Fletcher:Vintage Books/Random House, New York; 1997; 400 pages.Though backpacking is Fletcher's first love, this rafting trip gave him a new feel for water, and in his usual mystical, philosophical manner, the sixty-seven year old author/adventurer turns his six-month adventure into a treatise on solitude, civilization, philosophy, and the environment. Pages are often spent describing the antics of wildlife and occasionally disparaging the antics of humankind, but an unmistakable love of the outdoors and its resilience to man's follies permeates the text. He writes in the plural because it is not just he who travels on this trip, but also the river traveling with him, a river with which he develops not only an abiding affinity but also a unity of spirit.
- Scraping Heaven: A Family's Journey Along the Continental Divide by Cindy Ross: Ragged Mountain Press/McGraw-Hill, Camden, Maine, 2003; 325 pages.The author, with over 6000 miles of long-distance hiking experience including the PCT and AT, and her husband, Todd, with nearly identical credentials, assume their marriage and young family preclude a return to the trail for many years to come. That is, until they meet Wally White and learn about hiking with llamas carrying the load. So with 3 year old daughter and 1 year old, diaper-wearing son, they spend 2 months completing the 500 mile Colorado Trail. Then 2 years later, they begin a 4 year odyssey, section hiking the Continental Divide Trail. She captures and communicates her love for the outdoors melded with her love of family and friends, skillfully juggling both while attending to daily life of boots and tent and cooking and inclement weather and their attendant physical, emotional, and mental energy expenditures. The text bubbles with poetic descriptions of scenery, horrific examples of inclement weather, honest accounts of inter-personal problems, unique solutions in parenting, all sprinkled with humor, excitement, philosophy, psychology, and all exuding deep love and respect for nature. Eight pages of color photos help document the adventures.
- Seven Summits by Dick Bass and Frank Wells with Rick Ridgeway: Warner Books, New York, 1986; 336 pages.Bass, owner of a Utah ski resort, and Wells, president of a major motion picture studio held identical dreams, to be the first persons to climb the highest point on all seven continents, and to do it in one year. Together, with tenacious energy and the benefit of their connections, organizational/managerial skills, and sheer willpower, they accomplished nearly all their goals (Wells did not attain Everest's peak.) As all good stories, this one teems with adventure, humor, and also tragedy, but always pushes on to attain its goals, provide enjoyment, and teach values.
- The Size of the World: A Global Odyssey around the World without Leaving the Ground by Jeff Greenwald: Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, CT;1995; 420 pages.A travel and science editor, Greenwald traveled from Oakland, California, to Oakland, California, in 10 months without leaving the ground. Although not a backpacking adventure per se, he did carry all he needed in a backpack as he traveled through dozens of countries by foot, bus, truck, taxi, ship, train and many other strange conveyances on his pilgrimage, discovering along the way many fine people and many lousy roads. The book is filled with his descriptions, experiences, thoughts, philosophies, and humor.
- The Ultimate Journey: Canada to Mexico Down the Continental Divide by Eric and Tim Ryback: Chronicle Books, San Francisco; 1973; 208 pages.At age 20, two years after completing the Appalachian and Pacific Coast Trails, Eric completed the 3000 mile Continental Divide Trail. His brother, who collaborated on the book, accompanied him until Wyoming when the desert heat forced him to quit. Eric continued, completing the trip in 5 months. He was the first to complete this hike and again helped the National Forest Service establish the ultimate route for this trail. Sixty foot snow drifts and 45 days of continual rain did not deter him. This is a must read for any backpacker contemplating a long distance trip! The book also contains wonderful color and black/white photos of the sights.
- Where the Waters Divide: A Walk Across America Along the Continental Divide by Karen Berger and Dan Smith: Crown Publishing Group/Random House, New York; 1993; 324 pages.Karen, also author of the Trailside publication, Hiking and Backpacking, and her husband Dan, a college professor of history and political science, hiked the CD trail and write about their adventure. But this book is more than a trip log. It describes feelings as much as sights, as well as the people encountered and their stories and culture. It is also a tribute to the land and its soul, and of the good and bad ways man has used and abused it.
- Wild Places: 20 Journeys into the North American Outdoors edited by Paul McHugh:Foghorn Books, San Francisco; 1996; 320 pages.Ten outdoor adventure authors describe experiences in places as varied as theYukon-Alaska, Arizona's Lake Powell and Utah's Sage Country, the bayous of Louisiana, The Smokies of Tennessee, the Okefenokee Swamp of Georgia, Mount Ranier in Washington, Maine's Mt. Katahdin, California's redwoods, the Great Salt Lake, Minnesota's Voyageur's National Park, and more. Adventure, inspiration, and beauty leap from the page within the beautifully written text of these professional author/observer/experiencers. A great book for bedtime reading.
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