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Post by froggiebecky on Jun 17, 2016 21:05:10 GMT -8
Hi Everyone,
Seeing as it's winter down here in the land of Oz, I'm looking for a few books to get myself inspired and ready for the next season. I see lots of discussion of individual books, but what's the best of your bookshelf? The top 3-5 books you'd recommend to someone? Any combination of gear/trail guides, outdoor philosophy, memoirs...all of it!
What would you consider to be essential reading?
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Post by wanderingwildcat on Jun 18, 2016 5:05:42 GMT -8
Right now I'm reading "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail," and it's a great book. I highly recommend it.
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Post by trinity on Jun 18, 2016 8:48:05 GMT -8
We had a similar thread back on the old forums, it was a great resource which has, tragically, been lost, so I am glad you have started this thread. A lot of books come to mind, but I will try to whittle down the list.
A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek--I think this is one of the best books I have ever read, and beautifully explores the area that is of the most interest to me, the overlap between nature and spirituality. I think Annie Dillard is as talented a writer as I have ever read. Her chapter on Stalking, involving caribou, muskrats, and quantum theory, is mindboggling. I know some folks on this forum don't like her, but I regard her as one of the greatest writers of our time.
Goodbye to a River, by John Graves--An amazing book about a river trip down the Brazos River in Texas. A combination travelogue, nature reflection, and history lesson, narrated in a beautifully engaging fashion by a master storyteller. A must read for any lover of rivers, especially if you enjoy canoe camping and/or are from Texas.
Travels in Alaska by John Muir--An account of some incredible adventures by one of the most amazing, brilliant, and badass men who has ever lived. Great stories and fascinating reflections on nature and humankind's place in nature.
On the Beaten Path by Robert Rubin--Not the greatest book ever, but I love books about long trail through hikes, and I think this is perhaps the best I have read. Much more interesting, IMHO, than A Walk in the Woods, which I liked just fine. I also enjoyed A Blistered Kind of Love, about the PCT.
The Snow Leopard--Peter Matthiessen's masterwork about healing, Buddhism, the mountains of Nepal, and a quest for a near mythical creature. Most books about journeys are also about an inner spiritual journey. This book combines those two aspects of journey (outer and inner) better than any other I have read.
A Sand County Almanac--Need anything even be said? A classic in every sense of the word.
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Post by trinity on Jun 18, 2016 8:49:08 GMT -8
Right now I'm reading "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail," and it's a great book. I highly recommend it. Thanks for the recommendation. I've read good reviews of this book but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll have to move it up on my list.
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Post by hikerjer on Jun 18, 2016 11:14:33 GMT -8
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail I agree. About the best AT book I've read. Chris Townsend's books on his adventures on the CDT, the PCT, in the Canadian Rockies and the Yukon are among my favorites. Specifically, for the PCT, IMO, the best volume is Dances With Marmots by George Spearing. He's a sometimes poster on these forums and as a New Zealander, always has some fresh perspective to offer.
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bp2go
Trail Wise!
California
Posts: 1,329
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Post by bp2go on Jun 19, 2016 15:19:06 GMT -8
I enjoyed The Desert Year, by Joseph Wood Krutch. The desert in this case is the Sonoran, and his year covers the activities and relationships of animals and plants, obviously describing how they survive the desert at all. That link will take to to a site with PDF sections of the book. Take a look at those to gauge your interest. "Joseph Wood Krutch’s Burroughs Award–winning The Desert Year is as beautiful as it is philosophically profound. Although Krutch—often called the Cactus Walden—came to the desert relatively late in his life, his curiosity and delight in his surroundings..." If that is interesting to you, he also wrote The Forgotten Peninsula, describing his trip into Baja California to study when there was little access to the 1000-mile long desert. It is also certainly a Naturalist's pleasure. Certainly a contrast to the rainforest or high-mountain stuff!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2016 9:53:56 GMT -8
Mountain Time, by Paul Schullery. He was a seasonal ranger at Yellowstone. I really enjoyed his observations and anecdotes about park visitors.
I also second the nomination of 'A Sand County Almanac', by Aldo Leopold.
The Thousand Mile Summer, by Colin Fletcher. His best, in my opinion.
For a technique book, I like 'Backpacking One Step at a Time', by Harvey Manning. It's a little dated, but I haven't seen new ones that I like as well.
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Post by Coolkat on Jun 21, 2016 11:37:51 GMT -8
Lure of the Labrador Wild by Dillon Wallace
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BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 12,923
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Post by BigLoad on Jun 21, 2016 11:51:09 GMT -8
I enjoyed The Desert Year, by Joseph Wood Krutch. The desert in this case is the Sonoran, and his year covers the activities and relationships of animals and plants, obviously describing how they survive the desert at all. That link will take to to a site with PDF sections of the book. Take a look at those to gauge your interest. I have a copy of that, which I've been nibbling away at for over a year. The writing style has wisps of mid-century American Letters, but somehow that adds to the charm and impact of the author's absorption into a new environment and a new way of seeing the world. I'd gladly pass it on to someone else when I'm finished. (I can read faster if anyone is interested, but I usually read seven or eight books at a time).
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Post by johntpenca on Jun 22, 2016 19:55:21 GMT -8
Not books, but google Chris Willet's accounts of his hikes on the AT, PCT, CDT and others.
Good reads.
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Post by wanderingwildcat on Jun 23, 2016 20:22:03 GMT -8
I just got a new book in the mail today... The Ultimate Hiker's Gearguide (tools and techniques to hit the trail), written by Andrew Skurka.
Already looking through it, and it has a ton of useful information. Author has lots of experience hiking and backpacking and shares tips and insight about everything you can think of. Definitely worth a look.
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Post by wacissakid on Jun 29, 2016 11:40:27 GMT -8
Right now I'm reading "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail," and it's a great book. I highly recommend it. I also am currently reading "AWOL on the AT" and fully agree - very enjoyable read!
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Post by hikerjer on Jun 29, 2016 15:51:47 GMT -8
The Ultimate Hiker's Gearguide (tools and techniques to hit the trail), written by Andrew Skurka. Agreed,it's a good book but highly specialised for the long distance ultra-light hiker. Not for all of us. Still, there is no douubt that Skurda has the credentials and knows his stuff.
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Post by hikerjer on Jun 29, 2016 15:52:35 GMT -8
I also am currently reading "AWOL on the AT" and fully agree - very enjoyable read! Agreed. IMO, the best book out there on hiking the AT.
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VAN
Trail Wise!
Posts: 133
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Post by VAN on Jul 15, 2016 6:55:56 GMT -8
A few years back, rebeccad (I think?) gave me the first 3 books in the Anna Pigeon series written by Nevada Barr. They are murder mysteries set in the national parks. The main character is a park ranger and I enjoy the descriptions, plot lines, and consistency. I just got back into reading them now that my library has them on digital loan. They are a fun read when I need to get away from reality. If you are not a mystery lover or can't handle a little suspense with kookiness, these books probably are not for you. The books
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