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Books
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A Walk In The Woods By Bill Bryson
Returning to the U.S. after 20 years in England, Iowa native Bryson decided to reconnect with his mother country by hiking the length of the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail. Awed by merely the camping section of his local sporting goods store, he nevertheless plunges into the wilderness and emerges with a consistently comical account of a neophyte woodsman learning hard lessons about self-reliance. Bryson carries himself in an irresistibly bewildered manner, accepting each new calamity with wonder and hilarity. He reviews the characters of the AT (as the trail is called), from a pack of incompetent Boy Scouts to a perpetually lost geezer named Chicken John. Most amusing is his cranky, crude and inestimable companion, Katz, a reformed substance abuser who once had single-handedly "become, in effect, Iowa's drug culture." The uneasy but always entertaining relationship between Bryson and Katz keeps their walk interesting, even during the flat stretches. Bryson completes the trail as planned, and he records the misadventure with insight and elegance. He is a popular author in Britain and his impeccably graceful and witty style deserves a large American audience as well. |
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An Ice Climbers Guide To Northern New England 3rd. Ed.
This is the must have guide for any ice climbing in the New England area. The comprehensive guide details over 100 ice routes, including difficulty ratings, sun exposure, traffic, and protection. |
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At the Mercy of the Mountains - True Stories of Survival and Tragedy in New York's Adirondacks
In this compelling book, award-winning adventure writer and former Lower Adirondack Search and Rescue team member Peter Bronski chronicles true stories of survival and tragedy, from famous historical cases during the early twentieth century to modern tales of harrowing struggle in the mountains and wilderness. Extensively researched, these gripping tales pull together historical accounts, firsthand interviews, previously untold stories, and expert analysis to retrace each misadventure. More than just a recounting of tragedy in the wilderness, At the Mercy of the Mountains is an affirmation of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity and an insight into why misadventure happens in the first place and how to avoid it. It is a must-read for hikers, climbers, paddlers, armchair travelers anyone who loves great tales of adventure. |
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Backyard Stars Guide
Use this unique fold-out guide to identify the stars from your own backyard on any reasonably clear night, year-round. The easy-to-use guide shows you how to orient yourself from the North Star and Big Dipper and then locate other stars and constellations. The stars identified in this guide are those easily seen without binoculars or a telescope. Includes charts for each season and for the moon. |
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Basic Essentials Map & Compass 3rd Edition Book
An information-packed tool for the novice or handy reference for the veteran. Distills years of knowledge into an affordable and portable book. For a generation, the Basic Essentials series has been as much a part of the outdoors experience as backpacks and hiking boots. Information-packed tools for the novice or handy references for the veteran, these volumes distill years of knowledge into affordable and portable books. Whether you re planning a trip or thumbing for facts in the field, Basic Essentials books tell you what you need to know. Discover techniques for: Choosing and using the right type of compass. Using a map and compass in concert with a GPS receiver. Reading and understanding contour lines and other map features. Plotting a course and finding your way through the wilderness. Using the stars to navigate rivers, streams, and trails at night. Finding and ordering the maps you need. |
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Birds Of Pennsylvania Field Guide
Learn about and identify Pennsylvania birds using Stan Tekiela's field guide. The full-page, color photos are incomparable and include insets of winter plumage, color morphs and more. Plus, with the easy-to-use format, you don't need to know a bird's name or classification in order to easily find it in the book. Using this field guide is a real pleasure. It's a great way for anyone to learn about the birds in Pennsylvania. |
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Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, And The Greatest Race The World Has Never Seen By Christopher Mcdougall
Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong. Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder. With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run. |
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Brotherhood Of The Rope By Charles Huston
Charles Houston, author of mountaineering classic K2: The Savage Mountain and now in his nineties, was plagued with feelings of failure even as he excelled in a number of daunting roles: medical doctor, university professor, Peace Corps director and legendary mountain climber. This novel-like biography explores the complicated man behind the myth, from his privileged upbringing through almost a century of adventure and achievement. A man of big ideas and big ambitions, Houston began experimenting in 1946 with altitude chambers, developing the first method for inoculating against hypoxia, in order to conquer Everest. Ten years later he was building, in his garage, the first "crude designs" for the artificial heart. There are fascinating asides into Houston's "bouillabaisse" of careers, including work for the U.S. Army, medical practices in Exeter and Aspen, and his reluctant stint as a Peace Corps director in India, an eventful tenure. Author and climber McDonald (I'll Call You in Kathmandu) deepens Houston's legacy by providing a view of his inner struggles with depression, revealing this larger-than-life figure in very human terms, making Houston a pleasure to spend time with; as one of hiss fellow climbers would say of Houston, years later, "his accomplishments are nothing compared the greatness of his soul." |
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Building Your Own Climbing Wall (book)
A primer that provides strategy and design guidelines for building an imaginative climbing wall at home. |
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Camping With Children
For parents and others looking for guidance in this challenging but enjoyable undertaking, Camping and Backpacking with Children is an invaluable resource. This handy how-to book starts by helping parents develop a "teaching philosophy" based on getting kids to ask the relevant questions on their own, through the use of educational games, books and props. Exploring nature in the backyard or in neighborhood parks is the next step; the book then moves on to detail the nuts and bolts of trail life. Handling a pack, setting up camp, and navigating in the wilderness are covered in thorough detail, with the main focus always placed on methods for making the outdoor experience enjoyable for both parent and child. Special emphasis is placed on safety and environmentally responsible activities; other highlights include suggestions on generating enthusiasm for the trip, making the best use of time before and after the adventure, respecting wildlife, and encouraging youngsters' curiosity. The author combines lessons learned through his 35 years of camping and backpacking with tips and anecdotes gathered from rangers, campers, hikers, and other visitors to national parks, forests, and wilderness areas. |
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Climbing Anchors 2nd Ed.: How To Rock Climb Series: By John Long
The most comprehensive book on climbing anchors out there. Details the do's and don'ts of building anchors for any climbing application. Perfect for any climber no matter what experience level. |
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Climbing In The Adirondacks Guidebook
This classic guide to rock, slide, and ice routes in the Adirondaks of New York includes over 1,000 descriptions, YDSA ratings and grades and protection ratings. Photoguides, photos, some page maps. By Don Mellor. 3rd ed. 480 pages. |
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