I 'found' this book while browsing in the public library, waiting for my kids as they participated in the summer reading program. Living in NC, the subtitle, 'A Novel of Passion and Mystery in the Blue Ridge' caught my eye. This was a great book. Too bad it's not easy to find as you don't have to live in NC to appreciate and enjoy it. EVE'S MOUNTAIN is about a mountain owned by a wealthy businessman who has promised to keep the place as is, in memory of his wife who went missing there one summer many years before. Now the owner is there trying to recover from a stroke, bringing family members and others who all seem to be trying to escape from something. The mystery of Eve's Mountain eventually involves them all, for better or for worse. Once I got into who was who and what was what, this is one I couldn't put down.

The interest in the seemingly never-ending myths and legends about river trips through the Grand Canyon continues to grow. One of the enduring controversies that continues to surface among Colorado River historians is the question of who really was the first to travel the river through the Grand Canyon. Historically, the credit is given to John Wesley Powell for his amazing feat in 1869. However, there is, and always has been, a dispute about whether or not a Colorado prospector named James White may have actually made the first descent two years earlier than Powell, in 1867. If this is true the legend and accolades surrounding the Powell trip, while significant, will have to be revised to take into account White's accomplishment.
Eilean Adams is the granddaughter of James White and has written the first complete account of the controversy surrounding her grandfathers claim to have traversed the river through the Canyon in eleven days, two years prior to Powell's trip. It is an amazing story that was originally widely believed and publicized. White had been prospecting with another man near the San Juan River in Colorado when they encountered hostile Indians. His partner was killed and White claims to have fashioned a raft and began an eleven-day journey down the Colorado to eventually wash up on the shore at Callville, Nevada.
In a highly readable, absorbing manner Adams has written a compelling account of White's life and journey that is meticulously researched and provides a plausible and compelling case that White did in fact accomplish the unbelievable. The story will appeal to the reader favoring a good mystery as well as those hooked on historical events and legends. The book is well documented with chapter notes; references, sources, and other related documents that provide the reader with the first comprehensive account of a story that will not die. Was James White really the first person to traverse the Grand Canyon via the Colorado River? If so, why do historians insist on giving the credit to John Wesley Powell? The answers to these and other questions make this book a first rate addition to the literature of the West.

I have been going to Steamboat Springs for more than thirty years and have just started going in the summer to hike and play golf. Buying the book Hiking The Boat made my day hikes the best. Because I am not in Steamboat all year it is hard to find the best places to hike and this book makes it simple. My wife and I just hiked to the Flat Tops and The Devil's Causeway and the descriptions of the trails were perfect. The information on what to take on a day hike was very helpful for a novice hiker from New Jersey. I know that this book will make my stays at Steamboat in the summer the best.

A readable and useable guide to touring five of Idaho's most popular wilderness whitewater rivers. Great B&W pictures, plus maps and narritive, as well as technical charts, graphs, and logistical information not found in other river guide books.

Anyone interested in the White Mountains of New Hampshire will be fascinated by this compelling account of Joe Dodge, the real Old Man of the mountains. Putnam weaves humor and tragedy with his own personal knowledge of the man who was perhaps most responsible for the modern perception of the Northern Peaks. AMC Hutmaster, pioneer SAR organizer, co-founder of the Mount Washington Observatory, organizer of the legendary Inferno races from the summit of Washington to Pinkham Notch, it's all told in this wonderful book.

Kept me laughing all weekend. Lots of stories, even lectures, besides the jokes--all with the regional twist.

Mountain Born, Mountain Molded by Larry G. Morgan is a wryly written personal memoir of growing up in the Nantahala region of western North Carolina from 1945-1955 as the fifth in a family of ten children. Childhood memories, simple games kids played long before popular culture became overloaded with atrociously [spendy] collectible toys, and the refreshing wonder of the great outdoors are all recalled in this memorable, nostalgic, and highly recommended narrative.

This is a book you can hear...the interviews with people who live in western North Carolina are so well done that as you read you can hear the people speaking. This book covers many topics from farming to history. A good cross section of people gives the reader the opportunity to read different opinions on the varied topics. The book is filled with excellent photograhs. Especially interesting are photographs of most of the people interviewed in the book. Putting faces with the 'voices' is a real treat! The reader gets a good overview of the history of the area and insights into often ignored aspects of the culture of this georgous part of the US. This book is a good research tool for anyone learning about the area and it is entertaining reading as well. I love it!

The eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains are fascinating geologically and biologically. Years ago we were graduate students working on the eastern slope. Revisiting this summer we used this book as a guide to places, the plants and animals. From the bristlecone pines to the wildflowers and trees around Mammoth Lakes and Convict Lake the book was a wonderful source. We used it to find the names of birds, trees, and flowers along the trails we hiked. We brushed up on geology before visiting Devil's Postpile, Hot Creek, and the rest of the Long Valley Caldera. I would strongly recommend this book to any one interested in the Owens Valley and the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains. The region is fascinating and the book represents it well.

Ponds and lakes are some of the gems of back-country hiking. In this book Steven Smith has done an excellent job describing how to get to these aquatic treasures in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Detailed descriptions are given for access and trails. Interesting and useful information is also provided on the lakes and ponds themselves. This includes the elevation, depth, and activities available at the lakes such as fishing, swimming, and birding. Notes on the natural history are intermingled with the text in a way that lets one visualize the tranquility of these aquatic habitats even from afar. Simple trail maps with key geographic features are also provided in many cases. If you hike the White Mountains, and if you enjoy lakes and ponds, this book is a must.