Book picks similar to
The Great Divide by Stephen Pern
travel
hiking
backpacking
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Sandstone Spine: Seeking the Anasazi on the First Traverse of the Comb Ridge
David Roberts - 2005
The Comb is an upthrust ridge of sandstone-virtually a mini-mountain range-that stretches almost unbroken for a hundred miles from just east of Kayenta, Arizona, to some ten miles west of Blanding, Utah. To hike the Comb is to run a gauntlet of up-and-down severities, with the precipice lurking on one hand, the fiendishly convoluted bedrock slab on the other-always at a sideways, ankle-wrenching pitch. There is not a single mile of established trail in the Comb's hundred-mile reach.The friends were David Roberts, writer, adventurer, famed mountaineer of decades past, at age 61 the graybeard of the bunch; Greg Child, renowned mountaineer and rock climber, age 47; and Vaughn Hadenfeldt, a wilderness guide intimately acquainted with the canyonlands, age 53. They came to the Comb not only for the physical challenge, but to seek out seldom-visited ruins and rock art of the mysterious Anasazi culture. Each brought his own emotions on the journey; the Comb Ridge would test their friendship in ways they had never before experienced.Searching for the stray arrowhead half-smothered in the sand or for the faint markings on a far sandstone boulder that betokened a little-known rock art panel, becomes a competitive sport for the three friends. Along the way, they ponder the mystery, bringing the accounts of early and modern explorers and archaeologists to bear: Who were the vanished Indians who built these inaccessible cliff dwellings and pueblos, often hidden from view? Of whom were they afraid and why? What caused them to suddenly abandon their settlements around 1300 AD? What meaning can be ascribed to their phantasmagoric rock art? What was their relationship to the Navajo, who were convinced the Anasazi had magical powers and could fly?
My First Summer in the Sierra
John Muir - 1911
The diary he kept while tending sheep formed the heart of this book and eventually lured thousands of Americans to visit Yosemite country.First published in 1911, My First Summer in the Sierra incorporates the lyrical accounts and sketches he produced during his four-month stay in the Yosemite River Valley and the High Sierra. His record tracks that memorable experience, describing in picturesque terms the majestic vistas, flora and fauna, and other breathtaking natural wonders of the area.Today, Muir is recognized as one of the most important and influential naturalists and nature writers in America. This book, the most popular of the author's works, will delight environmentalists and nature lovers with its exuberant observations.
To Shake the Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret
Jedidiah Jenkins - 2018
He chronicled the trip on Instagram, where his photos and reflections drew hundreds of thousands of followers, all gathered around the question: What makes a life worth living?In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Jed narrates his adventure--the people and places he encountered on his way to the bottom of the world--as well as the internal journey that started it all. As he traverses cities, mountains, and inner boundaries, Jenkins grapples with the question of what it means to be an adult, his struggle to reconcile his sexual identity with his conservative Christian upbringing, and his belief in travel as a way to wake us up to life back home.A soul-stirring read for the wanderer in each of us, To Shake the Sleeping Self is an unforgettable reflection on adventure, identity, and a life lived without regret.Praise for To Shake the Sleeping Self"[Jenkins is] a guy deeply connected to his personal truth and just so refreshingly present."--Rich Roll, author of Finding Ultra"This is much more than a book about a bike ride. This is a deep soul deepening us. Jedidiah Jenkins is a mystic disguised as a millennial."--Tom Shadyac, author of Life's Operating Manual"Thought-provoking and inspirational . . . This uplifting memoir and travelogue will remind readers of the power of movement for the body and the soul."
--Publishers Weekly
Motorcycle Therapy: A Canadian Adventure in Central America
Jeremy Kroeker - 2006
Join the horn-honking, signal-flashing, wheelie-popping pair as they endure painful bee stings, painful snakebites and (when they talk to girls) painful humiliation.
Self Sufficient Sailor
Larry Pardey - 1997
It is the distillation of what the Pardey's have learned in 150,000 miles of sailing on board their two cutters, Seraffyn and Taleisin, and on scores of other boats they have delivered or raced. Lin and Larry tell how they have sailed in comfort and safety without large cash outlay- on a pay-as-you-earn-as-you-go plan and by simplifying.In its first edition, this invaluable text has seen nine reprints. Now Lin and Larry have updated and revised the information to make it current and a valuable edition to any sailor's library right up to the millennium.
The Lincoln Obsession: The Author of Manhunt Chases Down His Own Lincoln Obsession
James L Swanson - 2021
Taking listeners behind the scenes of his research, Swanson discusses the origins of his boyhood passion for Lincoln, including his first visits to Springfield, Illinois, and Ford’s Theatre as a high school student; accounts for Booth’s movements during the manhunt; reveals how he authenticates Lincoln blood relics; and offers details about historic sites that remain little-known or obscure. Swanson describes the intrigue he continues to pursue - the women who aided Booth, lingering questions regarding other conspirators, and a timeline for both Lincoln and the conspirators on the night of April 14, 1865. The Lincoln Obsession is a uniquely personal look at how historical places and relics will forever shed new light on the first presidential assassination in America.
The 2 Oz. Backpacker: A Problem Solving Manual for Use in the Wilds
Robert Snyder Wood - 1982
It will help you get the most from the food and gear you carry on your back, making your trip safer, more comfortable and, above all, more fun.HOW TO...make quick repairs to packs, boots, tents, beds and stoves...choose and develop a campsite for maximum comfort and shelter...deal with emergencies, storms and other difficulties...treat blisters, hypothermia, sunburn, bleeding, elevation sickness, etc... keep snug, dry, comfortable and warm in heavy weather.PLUS TIPS ON fire building, cooking, water treatment, getting found when lost, hiking, climbing, cross-country and route-finding techniques.
The Pants of Perspective: One Woman's 3,000 Kilometre Running Adventure through the Wilds of New Zealand
Anna McNuff - 2017
I didn’t run for times, to win, to impress: I ran for me. When I ran my bum cheeks rubbed together, so much so that if I was going on a long run I’d have to ‘lube up’. I maintained that I was not a ‘real’ runner – I just liked to run so that I could eat cake." Anna was never anything like those ‘real’ runners on telly – all spindly limbs, tiny shorts and split times – but when she read about New Zealand’s 3,000-kilometre-long Te Araroa Trail, she began to wonder… perhaps being a ‘real’ runner was overrated. Maybe she could just run it anyway? Travelling alone through New Zealand’s backcountry for 148 days, she scrambled through forests, along ridge-lines, over mountain passes, along beaches and across swollen rivers. Running up to 52 kilometres in a day, she slept wild most nights, and was taken into the homes and hearts of the kiwi people in between. The Pants of Perspective is a witty, colourful and at times painfully raw account of a journey to the edge of what a woman believes herself to be capable of. It is a coming-of-age story which will lead you on a roller coaster ride through fear, vulnerability, courage and failure. For anyone who has ever dreamt of taking on a great challenge, but felt too afraid to begin – this story is for you.
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: San Francisco: Including North Bay, East Bay, Peninsula, and South Bay
Jane Huber - 2003
Well-known destinations such as Point Reyes National Seashore, Mount Diablo State Park, Mount Tamalpais State Park, and many other more obscure jewels of the Bay Area park system are just a short drive from the heart of San Francisco. Completely updated and including five new hikes, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: San Francisco guides readers to a splendid assortment of trails in the Bay Area's nine counties (a population of over 6 million people). Expertly drawn trail maps and trail profiles complement the detailed trail descriptions and useful at-a-glance information.
48 Peaks: Hiking and Healing in the White Mountains
Cheryl Suchors - 2018
All forty-eight of them. She endures injuries, novice mistakes, and the heartbreaking loss of a best friend. When breast cancer threatens her own life, she seeks solace and recovery in the wild. Her quest takes ten years. Regardless of the need since childhood to feel successful and in control, climbing teaches her mastery isn’t enough and control is often an illusion.Connecting with friends and with nature, Suchors redefines success: she discovers a source of spiritual nourishment, spaces powerful enough to absorb her grief, and joy in the persistence of love and beauty. 48 Peaks inspire us to believe that, no matter what obstacles we face, we too can attain our summits.
How to Hike the AT: The Nitty-Gritty Details of a Long-Distance Trek
Michelle Ray - 2008
This one tells you exactly what you need to know to prepare for and complete a long-distance hike on the A.T. From determining a budget, preparing an itinerary, and packing gear to resupplying, using bounce boxes, and staying on schedule, this book will help any hiker make certain their long-distance trek is a success.You can hear an interview with Michelle Ray on how to prepare for your thru-hike if you click here.
Mile 445
Claire Henley Miller - 2016
She is doing it alone, and the only gear she takes to survive the trek in the mountains of California, Oregon, and Washington fits inside her sixty-eight-liter backpack.At the start of her five-month journey, she meets a handsome young man known on the trail as Big Spoon. Their paths keep crossing. The two quickly see a greater reason for their expedition than to explore the rigorous wilderness. They fall madly in love and get married. But their adventure is just beginning.Told with rich vitality, Miller’s quest unfolds in mystical ways through deadly desert storms, 14,000-foot ascents, and decisions that will affect the rest of her life. This bold tale of courage and determination brims with humor and suspense as it reveals life, love, and loss in the rawness of the wild.
A Sign Of Madness: Re-Hiking the 2,185 Mile Appalachian Trail
Mark Heying - 2016
How does a man, and a trail, change after thirty-four years away? The true story of a man's quest to hike the Appalachian Trail for a second time, from Georgia to Maine.
Take a Seat: One Man, One Tandem and Twenty Thousand Miles of Possibilities
Dominic Gill - 2010
A highly personal account of a remarkable journey that pushed the author to the brink
Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America
Francis Tapon - 2006
You'll start in Maine and walk to Georgia, picking up seven lessons along the way. Each lesson is neatly woven into the fabric of the story.