What are you reading?

[Black_Fly]

As a colonial explorer era aficionado, I can’t recommend these more highly. For me, it’s
about time for a reread of both of these outstanding titles. We’re planning a stop in T Roosevelt NP and I’m currently reading a biography about Roosevelt, who I’m sure I would follow up that hill. Tropical expeditions were more dangerous that anything the sub-arctic can muster, with chronic diseases, snakes, parasites and cannibals topping my list of things to avoid when traveling.

 

[Marc Ornstein]

I just discovered and finished Survival of the Bark Canoe by John Mcphee.

How have I not heard of this book before? Just a wonderful read about a mid-1970's canoe trip in the Maine wilderness in birch bark canoes with a young canoe builder who is trying to keep the craft alive. Lots of excellent information about birch canoes and their construction and great descriptions of tripping highs and lows with insights into group dynamics and individual quirks and mentalities. It's a quick read at just over 100 pages.

I found John McPhee after becoming interested in geology and picking up his series Annals of the Former World. I expected to learn a lot about geology but what I did not expect was to find great writing by an excellent author. I began exploring his other works and found many. He also has a book on the NJ Pine Barrens which some on here might find interesting. I have not read it. @Glenn MacGrady @Marc Ornstein

The Survival of the Bark Canoe

In Greenville, New Hampshire, a small town in the south…

goodreads.com

The Pine Barrens

First published in 1968, 'The Pine Barrens' delves into…

www.goodreads.com

Annals of the Former World

The Pulitzer Prize-winning view of the continent, acros…

www.goodreads.com

I'm becoming hooked on John Mcphee. I just finished reading Encounters With the Archdruid. It's about a series of outdoor adventures; all with the founder of the Sierra club. On each adventure, along with him were either a geologist, interested in the extraction of minerals, a dam builder, or a land developer. The interplay, mostly but not exclusively polite, between these men and their often conflicting views of the environment is engaging and as relevant today as it was 55 years ago, when the book was published.

 

[tketcham]

I'm becoming hooked on John Mcphee. I just finished reading Encounters With the Archdruid.

That's one of his I haven't read, I'll have to find a copy. I appreciate how he incorporates the social aspects of natural resource management into his stories.

 

[MJones]

As a fan of the 'Father Ted' tv series, and Dougal in particular, I picked up a copy of Adral O'Hanlon's new book 'A Plot to Die For'. No idea if it is any good or not, but will be reading it the evening during my next paddling adventure.

 

[Erica]

I'm becoming hooked on John Mcphee. I just finished reading Encounters With the Archdruid. It's about a series of outdoor adventures; all with the founder of the Sierra club. On each adventure, along with him were either a geologist, interested in the extraction of minerals, a dam builder, or a land developer. The interplay, mostly but not exclusively polite, between these men and their often conflicting views of the environment is engaging and as relevant today as it was 55 years ago, when the book was published.

John McPhee can make almost any topic interesting, even stuff I thought I never wanted to learn about.

 

[MrPoling]

Riverman by Ben McGrath.



It is about Dick Conant. He was a character who traveled thousands of miles on several trips.

He also was basically homeless with a canoe.

Despite being well read and curious he wasn't savvy about gear. His last tripper was a square-sterned Sun Dolphin Scout or equivalent. He paddled with a cheap paddle.

He seemed to have a real gift for meeting people along the way.

It is a good read, a fascinating mix of contradictions about life and paddling.

 

[WoodsNWaters]

Around the Camp-fire by Charles G. D. Roberts. 1896.



A novel about 6 guys paddling and poling a loop in New Brunswick and Quebec in birch-bark canoes. Each night, they tell about former adventures, often hunting or fishing and often with a canoe but sometimes snowshoes, dogsled, or other.

Hungry bears, panthers, and wolves, angry bull moose, loyal dogs.

Well-written IMO.

In the public domain in the USA: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48986

 

[MyKneesHurt]

I've revisited Algernon Blackwood lately. We all know his classic "The Wendigo", but "The Willows" and "Camp of the Dog" are certainly worth the time.

Less closely related to wilderness travel, I found a signed first edition China Mieville today, who has long been one of my favorite writers.

This past summer I found a 1st edition of For Whom The Bells Tolls on the free shelf at a local thrift store.

 

[Erica]

I just finished River of Fire: Conflict and Survival on the Seal River by Hap Wilson. It wasn't exactly what I expected. He takes almost of the first half of the book to cover preparation and history. Then begins the river trip report. There are problems from the beginning, even before the beginning, with the assistant guide he hired to accompany the writer and photographer from Men's Journal Magazine down the Seal River (who, incidentally, had never canoed before.) The conflict continue through out the trip and reach an explosive situation in Hudson Bay.

The descriptions of paddling through the fires was the most exciting I've read. I ended up staying up way past my bedtime psyched out reading. In addition to the heat and flames, the smoke chasing them down the river could have asphixiated them. This is especially interesting now that we have wildfires burning through our canoe wilderness.

The rapids are almost anti-climactical and the rapids on the Seal River are serious indeed. They did not portage a single meter of this river. Then they paddled down and across the Hudson Bay which also could have been disastrous. I believe they had serious tag teams of guardian angels with them the entire way.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Just finished Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel. The story of John Harrison who developed highly accurate time pieces that allowed mariners to determine longitude.

 

[Erica]

I just finished River of Fire: Conflict and Survival on the Seal River by Hap Wilson. It wasn't exactly what I expected. He takes almost of the first half of the book to cover preparation and history. Then begins the river trip report. There are problems from the beginning, even before the beginning, with the assistant guide he hired to accompany the writer and photographer from Men's Journal Magazine down the Seal River (who, incidentally, had never canoed before.) The conflict continue through out the trip and reach an explosive situation in Hudson Bay.

The descriptions of paddling through the fires was the most exciting I've read. I ended up staying up way past my bedtime psyched out reading. In addition to the heat and flames, the smoke chasing them down the river could have asphixiated them. This is especially interesting now that we have wildfires burning through our canoe wilderness.

The rapids are almost anti-climactical and the rapids on the Seal River are serious indeed. They did not portage a single meter of this river. Then they paddled down and across the Hudson Bay which also could have been disastrous. I believe they had serious tag teams of guardian angels with them the entire way.

View attachment 156652

I forgot to mention there are two magical scenes where their canoes wer surrounded by beluga whales, dozens and dozens of them boiling the water.

 

[Pseudonym]

Barkskins by Annie Proulx. Only 1/3 of the way into this tome but enjoying it so far. Characters travel by canoe frequently.

Barkskins - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org