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At the mercy of the mountains

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  • #46
    at the mercy..

    I read the posts before getting the book and I have just finished reading the book the past week and I am glad I did read it. I am an occasional hiker. I found the book interesting and although I do carry a pack for emergencies now I will carry a few more things in my pack as well. Another area of the book that I found interesting was how quickly the weather/temps can change in the Adirondacks. An interesting read.

    Thanks to Peter.

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    • #47
      I've read both Deep Survival and At the Mercy of the Mountains. At the Mercy is a much easier read but deap survival has a ton of interesting stories and facts in it.

      Has anyone ever read Crazy For The Storm by Norman Ollestad its not really like either of these books but it is a really intense story. Super Good

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      • #48
        Saw this thread and ordered both at the mercy of the mountains and not without peril. Started reading at the mercy of the mountains 2 days ago and I'm almost finished, excellent book and I'm not a big reader.
        Anyone know of anymore books like this that have survival stories of the Adirondacks and/or the Catskills?
        If you get lost come straight back to camp.

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        • #49
          I don't know of any that are northeast specific, but if you really like reading about adventure and tragedy, I'd look into books about polar expeditions. My favorites:

          Scott's Journal, by Robert Falcon Scott
          The Worst Journey in the World, by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
          South, by Ernest Shackleton

          Endurance, by Alfred Lansing gets a lot of love (especially around here), but South was written by the man himself and is far superior (not that Endurance is a bad book). South was actually one of Lansing's primary sources for his book.

          All three of these books, in fact, were written by people who were involved in the adventures that they relate. I much prefer to read about adventures in words written by people who were actually there, as I always feel that something is lost when a story is retold by an independent observer.

          It's especially harrowing to read Scott's final words in his journal before he died.

          Cherry-Garrard's book was supposed to be the official report of Scott's fatal expedition, and it includes a passage in which admits that he allowed too much emotion to show through his writing, but makes no apology for it.

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          • #50
            I remember reading a few other good ones in the past:

            Night of the Grizzlys by Jack Olsen (i think)
            Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (sp?)

            I thought both were worth the time to read. Sad, but a good read.

            Oh yeah, if you want to laugh, Bill Bryson--- A Walk In The Woods

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            • #51
              I picked up Mercy of the Mountains at With Pipe and Book. I thought it was a great read and sent it on to my friend in Ireland who hikes with me in the Adirondacks. I often think of these stories in my own adventures and try to learn from them; thinking I might pick up a tip on how to survive if I was in a similar situation. I have, in my old age, become fallible and merely mortal, and tend to carry far more safety equipment than I ever did when I was young, even for short hikes. I know that safety is not the only reason people read these, there is something gripping about these tales of survival and unexplained disappearances. The one that haunts me the most is the story of the college student who left the lean-to in the snow-storm. For whatever reason, that really scared me.

              I would love to see a book about paranormal experiences, UFO encounters, and unexplained phenomena in the Adirondacks....

              Another wonderful adventure - mystery type book I recently read was the Lost City of Z, describing Percy Fawcett's exploration of the Amazon. Another one was The Land of the White Death about a Russian ship entrapped in the polar ice.

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              • #52
                In the Land of the White Death is an excellent read and beautifully written. Highly recommended if you appreciate adventure and a glimpse into a time when people had to face the elements with what we would consider woefully inadequate gear.
                The night's a trifle chilly, and the stars are very bright,
                A heavy dew is falling, but the fly is rigged aright;
                You may rest your bones till morning, then if you chance to wake,
                Give me a call about the time that daylight starts to break.

                Breaker Morant Westward Ho!

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                • #53
                  Check on amazon, there is a ton of books about paranormal happenings in the adirondacks. Haunted northern new york has about 7 or 8 in that series alone. One of my favorite haunting stories is that of big moose lake. Being that it's the spirit of the holiday I do a lot of reading and research on the topic in the adirondacks.

                  Originally posted by dmartenvt View Post
                  I picked up Mercy of the Mountains at With Pipe and Book. I thought it was a great read and sent it on to my friend in Ireland who hikes with me in the Adirondacks. I often think of these stories in my own adventures and try to learn from them; thinking I might pick up a tip on how to survive if I was in a similar situation. I have, in my old age, become fallible and merely mortal, and tend to carry far more safety equipment than I ever did when I was young, even for short hikes. I know that safety is not the only reason people read these, there is something gripping about these tales of survival and unexplained disappearances. The one that haunts me the most is the story of the college student who left the lean-to in the snow-storm. For whatever reason, that really scared me.

                  I would love to see a book about paranormal experiences, UFO encounters, and unexplained phenomena in the Adirondacks....

                  Another wonderful adventure - mystery type book I recently read was the Lost City of Z, describing Percy Fawcett's exploration of the Amazon. Another one was The Land of the White Death about a Russian ship entrapped in the polar ice.

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                  • #54
                    Finally got to read this book (At the Mercy of the Mountains) and I found it to be an excellent read. I enjoyed how the author began with a search and wove in other historical info in each chapter.
                    'I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.' - Henry David Thoreau

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                    • #55
                      Just finished reading this book and I enjoyed it (mistakes and all). There certainly seems to be enough material to make a second volume...

                      Anyone know the location of Wilder Mountain? I grew up somewhat near where that incident took place and I am not familiar with that hill.

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