When Thoreau ventured into the Maine woods in 1846, he was one of a handful who did so simply to see what was there. Now, hundreds of thousands of people pursue "the wildest country" either for itself, as Thoreau did, or as the terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Using Mount Katahdin as his lab, Eric Pinder contemplates what draws people to the mountains. Are the urbanites trekking the trails with cell phones, synthetic fabrics, and GPS units having remotely the same experience that Thoreau did? Pinder's interviews with these hikers create a vivid portrait of the communion with nature they seek, and of the world they are trying to escape.
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"One need not be a hiker . . . to find enchantment in reading Pinder's writing on our evolving, increasingly peopled, world." -- Maine Sunday Telegram, November 27, 2005
"Pinder's prose is lucid and luminous, clear and simple . . . he writes of Katahdin with humor, love and respect." -- Bookslut, November 2005
Pinder is a poignant and insightful observer who recognizes the soul of a very old and very wise mountain. -- Green Living, January, 2006
"Pinder's prose is lucid and luminous, clear and simple . . . he writes of Katahdin with humor, love and respect." -- Bookslut, November 2005
Pinder is a poignant and insightful observer who recognizes the soul of a very old and very wise mountain. -- Green Living, January, 2006
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Why do we go to the mountains?,
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This review is from: North to Katahdin (Paperback)
Even though I bought this book "by mistake", thinking it had something to do with the video of the same name about thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, I ended up enjoying it a lot. Pinder talks about why we go into the wilderness and what the essentials of the experience are. Having climbed Katahdin a few years ago, and having finished a section-hike of the entire AT recently, I enjoyed comparing my own experiences with his. He does a good job of explaining just why Baxter State Park is so special. Read it if you're on your way to (or back from) Katahdin.
3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable Treat,
This review is from: North to Katahdin (Paperback)
I have no real interest in hiking, but since this book was written by my Cousin Eric, I wanted to read it. I found it to be very interesting, even for someone who has never been to Mt. Katahdin or on the Appalachian Trail. So even if you are a non-hiker, don't be afraid to try this book. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It is easy to read and has some very interesting and touching stories.
2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Slow, dry book with misleading cover,
This review is from: North to Katahdin (Paperback)
After reading a few chapters, I found this book hard to want to read. Pinder's style is dry and slow, and leaves plenty to be desired. The stories he tells are rather uneventful, though I usually enjoy writings about simple events, but only when written well. The cover might lead a potential reader to believe Pinder will criticize yuppy hikers and the flocks of roof-racked Subaru driving granolas that fill the parking lots at his beloved trailheads. Pinder does not, however. He spends a fair amount of time talking with and about the thru-hikers he meets on the trail. I do believe there are better books to buy, and if one if interested in having the most "genuine experience" while out of doors, read some Thoreau.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
On the thirty-first of August, 1846, an early morning train stopped in Concord, Massachusetts, where it was boarded by a small, gaunt man who sometimes made pencils for a living. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Appalachian Trail, New York, Baxter State Park, Mount Katahdin, New England, Mount Washington, United States, Chimney Pond, North Woods, Springer Mountain, Knife Edge, New Jersey, Roaring Brook, Traveler Mountain, Black Cat, Dick Bailey, Henry David Thoreau, New Hampshire, South Branch Pond, Baxter Peak, Kidney Pond, Percival Baxter, Baxter Park, Bryan Yeaton, Keppele Hall New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
On the thirty-first of August, 1846, an early morning train stopped in Concord, Massachusetts, where it was boarded by a small, gaunt man who sometimes made pencils for a living. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Appalachian Trail, New York, Baxter State Park, Mount Katahdin, New England, Mount Washington, United States, Chimney Pond, North Woods, Springer Mountain, Knife Edge, New Jersey, Roaring Brook, Traveler Mountain, Black Cat, Dick Bailey, Henry David Thoreau, New Hampshire, South Branch Pond, Baxter Peak, Kidney Pond, Percival Baxter, Baxter Park, Bryan Yeaton, Keppele Hall New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 37
books:
See all 37 books this book cites
3
books
cite this book:
- Walden Pond (NE Landmarks) by Bonnie McGrath on 4 pages
- Greatest Mountain: Katahdin's Wilderness by Connie Baxter Marlow on page 69, and page 165
- The Maine Woods by Henry Thoreau on page 5, and page 139
- The Country of Language (Credo) by Scott Russell Sanders in Back Matter
- The Necessity of Empty Places by Paul Gruchow in Back Matter
See all 37 books this book cites
- On the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station, Antarctica (The World As Home) by Gretchen Legler in Back Matter
- The Love of Impermanent Things: A Threshold Ecology (The World As Home) by Mary Rose O'Reilley in Back Matter
- The Pine Island Paradox: Making Connections in a Disconnected World (The World As Home) by Kathleen Dean Moore in Back Matter
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