Excerpts from the journal of Horatio de Beer (our favorite fictional guide character).
March 13. Outside my window it snows. Not very much, but the once barren, brown earth becomes saturated with white swaths. From my porch on Beede Pond, I cannot even perceive Porter Mountain. But there is no reason to stay inside. As I cook myself breakfast, I feel a short jaunt is certainly in order.
A Climber’s Year, written by Peter Boardman, 1982, published by The Mountaineers, Seattle, Washington
The literature of high mountain exploration has, with few exceptions, not matched the achievements of climbing authors at high altitude. Few topics have more potential for a capti’vating story than the joining of people in a common struggle towards a distant, dangerous goal. Why then, in the last decade, have so few published accounts of these undertakings gone beyond the bland diary style of daytoday progress on the mountain?
Of all the easily accessible areas in the Adirondacks, few can offer the individual both good skiing and ice climbing. The north face of Pitchoff Mountain is the best in the area,, For the skier, this area presents an enjoyable afternoon of moderately difficult terrain; the refreshing notion of being alone in the woods, and some beautiful scenery. To the ice climber, Pitchoff abounds with ice. No other region has as much; especially nice is that it is so quiet and rarely crowded. No automobiles to rattle your concentration. All in all, whether for skiing, ice climbing, or better yet lie both, the north face of Pitchoff is a worthy adventure.
by Rick Ridgeway, published by The Mountaineers, 1980
1939. The Whermacht is invading Poland. The cigar-smoking Churchill stands before Parliment, slurring his words, calling for war against Germany…. Two men moving on a snow ridge, now stopping before an ice buttress. Neither can catch his breath. Twenty seven thousand five hundred fifty feet above sealevel, Fritz Weissner and a Nepalese Sherpa abandon the first American attempt on K2. So close. Darkness is a demon only an hour away and the cold moves with the night. No bivouac. The men plungestep down towards the Holocaust …
book by Reinhold Messner
Of the many books published by Reinhold, this is one of his best. Besides the usual spectacular photography, the accounts of his ventures on this Himalayan mountain are concise and well written. On his earlier ascent of Nanga, Reinhold lost his brother Gunther in an avalanche. He explains why he wishes to return and the reason for going alone. His story is easy to read and does not glorify his ascent.
There are essentially two types of cross country skis available to the individual, waxable and waxless. Another form of definition is that waxable skis are best suited for performance and waxless skis for convenience. It all depends on the desires of the skier . A ski that has been waxed well for the existing snow conditions will almost always outperform a waxless ski . On the other hand, a waxless ski will always outperform a poorly waxed ski . So if you are willing to spend the time to learn and experiment, the waxable skis are worth that extra effort.
The Mt. Marcy-Feldspar Ski Loop Distance: 17 milesDuration: 8 hoursDifficulty: ExpertSnow: 5 feet needed Mark Meschinelli, a local skimountaineer who has skiied in Alaska, once fell into the steep, chuted Feldspar brook up to his chest in water. This trip is therefore best done in a group of four to insure safety.Make the Indian Falls approach to Marcy's summit. Contour around west to the trench. Ski…
This recent threat in the Adirondacks comes to us via the rivers and waterways. Giardia is ten microns in size very small: 16,000 cysts sit on a pinhead. This tiny protozoan, when ingested, loges in our small intestine and causes a diarrhea virus which requires antibiotics for a complete cure. It is best related to Mexico’s “Montezuma’s Revenge”, but in our case, a “Marcy’s Doom”. It is to be avoided.
by Tony Goodwin published by the Adirondack Mountain Club.
Tony has spent many years cross country skiing in the North Country, and he is currently (back in 1984) manager of the ski trails at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Recreation Area near Lake Placid. Over the years, he has compiled a wealth of information on ski tours.
A Biography of H.W. Tilman by J. R. L. Anderson 1980
The Mountaineers, 719 Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101
There is immediate difference walking from scrub pine onto the rock and snow of a summit, or standing on a ship becalmed at open sea yet dwarfed before an approaching curtain of cloud and hard rain. But try to understand the life of a man who has made great land and sea journeys by running your finger along a raised relief map and following his routes. Why did he go? My curiosity became a hunger.