Peak Experiences, Hiking the Highest Summits of New York, County by County (Trail Guidebooks) [Paperback]

Gary Fallesen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Trail Guidebooks | Publication Date: June 19, 2000

This guidebook, packed with pictures and maps, will lead you on a quest. Be the first (besides the author) to bag the highest point of each county of New York Statethere are 62 to be conquered. Some are barely molehills that can be driven by; others are significant mountain peaks that require an all-day climb. All promise the exhilaration of new discoveries. Can you name the highest point of the county where you live? Chances are good that you'll be wrong. As Gary Fallesen researched the summits he repeatedly came across experts who steered him wrong. Local belief often differs from factual reality. In this book you'll learn not only where the real Peak Experiences are, but how to get there. Fallesen delved into the history of each high point as well. With his guidance you'll meet the people populating the high points today and at the peaks in history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Gary Fallesen's Peak Experiences is an excellent, comprehensive guide, full of solid outdoor-skills advice... -- Terry Krautwurst, outdoor writer

I am looking forward to an excelsior (New York motto meaning higher) experience in many of our New York counties. -- Howard Beye, Chair, Trail Management Committee, Finger Lakes Trail Conference

Whether you would like to repeat the feat or simply plant your feet along a nearby trail or two, this text will serve as a great guide. --Will Elliott, outdoor writer, The Buffalo News & New York Outdoor Times

About the Author

Gary Fallesen lives on the shore of Lake Ontario in suburban Rochester, N.Y., at an elevation of 250 feet, which means when he climbs mountains such as 19,340-foot Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, or 14,494-foot Whitney in California, he is starting from nearly ground zero. A life-long outdoor enthusiast, he took up climbing on Mount Rainier in Washington in 1996, the same year he became the Outdoor writer at the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper.

The older of Mary Lou and Karl David Fallesen's two boys, Fallesen began with the Democrat and Chronicle in 1979 while a junior at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y. He has won numerous local, state and national awards over two decades as a high school writer, a college writer, a columnist and the Outdoor writer. His writing has also appeared in various national publications.

His newspaper story on Sue and Rich Freeman's 1996 breakaway-from-the-workaday-world thru-hike of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail introduced him to the couple that would be his publishers.

He is a member of several outdoor organizations, including the American Alpine Club and Adirondack Mountain Club, and has been recognized in six different Who's Who titles, Who's Who in America 2000 among them.

Fallesen, who graduated from Greece Arcadia High School in 1977, married Elaine Busse in 1982. They have two childrenJesse Dane, who was born in 1989, and Hayley Hope, born in 1994. When he isn't outdoors, Fallesen usually can be found singing or directing drama at his church, Hope Lutheran, in Greece, N.Y.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Footprint Press (NY) (June 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965697401
• ISBN-13: 978-0965697408
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #512,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top notch guide to New York peaks!, October 25, 2000

By 

Lee Mellott "Skin Care For Wrinkles" (Frederick, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Peak Experiences, Hiking the Highest Summits of New York, County by County (Trail Guidebooks) (Paperback)

This is an excellent guide to hiking the highest peaks in the 62 counties of New York State. The author Gary Fallesen started his quest thinking it would take a few months. As he searched for the highest natural peaks county by county he discovered that in many cases the information was not known! He ended up spending hours interviewing,and researching to determine the highest peak often getting mixed information. The result of his work is "Peak Experiences". Time may show that Fallesen missed a higher peak but in the meantime "Peak Experiences" offers an extraordinary body of work to make the trip more pleasurable! The book includes many tips for the traveler. It covers each summit with interesting personal antecdotes of the people Fallesen met and/or the authors thoughts. This folksy sharing makes the journey real and Fallesen's book much more than the typical tour guide! But Fallesen includes the nitty gritty too. In Peak Experiences you will find detailed maps including the best approach to the peak, season recommendations, visitor accomodations, gear guide, trip planning, the view and even a sweat index of the effort entailed! The author also includes a checklist to note your personal high point accomplishment and a place at the end of each section to make notes. The book is nicely sized to tuck in a backpack for constant referral. A must have for hiking New York summits!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific guide enhanced with a wealth of pictures & maps., September 7, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peak Experiences, Hiking the Highest Summits of New York, County by County (Trail Guidebooks) (Paperback)

Peak Experiences is a traveler friendly county-by-county guidebook specifically designed for anyone wanting to hike the highest summits in the state of New York. Enhanced with a wealth of pictures, maps, and regional information, author Gary Fallesen's comprehensive text touches on approaches, trail markings, the expected views, the origins of peak names, visitor accommodations, nearby activities, and sources of essential trip planning information. If you are bound for a hike in the New York high country, begin with a copy of Gary Fallesen's Peak Experiences!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read about hiking those "boutique" peaks., June 5, 2001

By 

skibum (Live Free or Die) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peak Experiences, Hiking the Highest Summits of New York, County by County (Trail Guidebooks) (Paperback)

This is a great collection of hikes and stories that prove once again that 4000 footers are not the only adventures waiting to be had. New Yorkers are so fortunate to have so many wild and unspoiled places to get away from it all. If you like hiking for the sake of hiking (or even if your "counting" peaks) this is a fun book. Meeting people along the trail is always adventurous and filled with suprises. Those shared experiences are an essential part of these stories. It makes me want to grease up my boots, grab Gary's book, and get out there.