An Adirondack Passage: The Cruise of the Canoe Sairy Gamp (Paperback)

~ (Author) "THEODORE ROOSEVELT was twenty-four the summer his doctor sent him to Richfield Springs, just south of the Adirondacks, to recover from an attack of asthma..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Long Lake, Raquette Lake (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

George Washington Sears was an outdoorsman, a contributor to Forest and Stream under the pen name Nessmuk. In July 1883, he launched the Sairy Gamp , a nine-foot, 1012-pound canoe for a trip through the Adirondacks, from Old Forge to Upper St. Regis Lake. In our own day, in late summer of 1990, Jerome, former managing editor of New England Monthly , and her husband John set out to retrace Sears's journey, she in a duplicate nine-foot Kevlar canoe, he in a slightly larger craft of 1012 feet. Jerome gives a captivating account of their journey interspersed with a biography of Sears, regional history and excerpts from Sears's story of his own trip. She takes us into a world of hermits and millionaires, of wild streams and glorious mountain scenery. These wilderness adventures, more than a century apart, will appeal strongly to canoeists and to readers familiar with the Adirondacks. Illustrated.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

After visiting the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, New York, the author became intrigued with George Washington Sears (pen name Nessmuk), a late 19th-century outdoors writer who at age 61 made a 180-mile canoe trip in the Adirondacks. His canoe, the Sairy Gamp, was just nine feet long, weighed only 10.5 pounds, and was the object of attention along his route. Jerome decided to duplicate the canoe (hers became the Sairy Damp ) and with her husband retrace Sears's 1883 voyage. This book is the delightful tale of their month-long journey in 1990. Jerome blends information from Sears's diary entries and other writings with the history (cultural and natural) of specific lakes or lodges and accounts of people (often famous), creating a fascinating portrait of what has happened since Sears passed by. The result is an informative, readable adventure whose history and environmental lessons are taught well. Essential for regional collections and highly recommended for all other collections.
- Nancy Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Adirondack Mountain Club; 2 edition (December 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935272941
• ISBN-13: 978-0935272949
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #152,442 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > Travel > United States > States > New York > Adirondacks
  #31 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Canoeing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars unique, facinating canoe trip, May 19, 2000

By	William N. McDonald (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

I loved this book on several levels. For one, it was short and simple and every word was right. For another, I have read many paddle trip narratives such as Running the Amazon by Joe Kane and Water and Sky by Alan Kesselheim. They also talk about the adventure and the surrounding history. But this is in a class by itself, a gentle canoe trip, if you will, taking on the amenities and lack of them in the nation's biggest park east of the Mississippi. I have only been to the Adirondacks a few times and been impressed by their beauty. But when I go back, and I hope I do, I will know so much more.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enticing piece of American history., February 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Adirondack Passage: The Cruise of the Canoe Sairy Gamp (Hardcover)

Christine Jerome not only covers the trips of G. W. Sears through the Adirandack but she covers the rich history of the region in detail. An excellent book for more than the canoe enthusiast.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love to kayak, camp and canoe and a little history, October 17, 2008

By	C. D. Hull - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a great book! We spent a week kayaking the Adarondacks and a wonderful day at the Adarondack Museum. In it was the tiny little boat the Sairy Gamp. It sparked my interest to learn of George W Sears travels. Reading Christine Jerome's version of his and her travels was a joy to read. If you love camping, paddling and history you will love how she intertwines modern water travel with the 1800's and G.W. Sears writings.
cathy