Chasing Denali

Description

The history of mountaineering began on Denali with the legendary story of four gold miners (called "Sourdoughs" ecause they carried sourdough starter with them at all times) who claimed to have summited after climbing more than 8,000 feet of steep snow and ice, then descended all in a single and incredibly dangerous day in 1910. Lugging a 25-pound, 14-foot flagpole to mark their success, they took on North America's highest peak using sheet metal crampons, coal shovels, hatchets, and pike poles to balance their way up the mountain. Was the expedition a success or a hoax? Long inspired by these Sourdoughs, Denali expert Jon Waterman chases the truth during his one final climb of the mountain and a scholarly solving of a colorful mountaineering mystery.

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About the Author

Jon Waterman has also worked as a director of a small press, an editor, a naturalist, and a wilderness guide. Among his many publications, Jon’s work has often appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Men’s Journal, Adventure, Climbing, and Sailing World; he is a frequent grantee of the National Geographic Society. By taking risks and tackling difficult issues, his work transcends traditional outdoor yarns and has garnered numerous awards, including a Literary Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts, three Best Adventure Book Awards from the Banff Book Festival, a National Park Service Special Achievement Award, and the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. He lives in Carbondale, Colorado. 

Praise

Into the Thaw is an eloquent, impassioned, and essential elegy for the far north.” —Michael Finkel, bestselling author of The Stranger in the Woods and The Art Thief

 “A beautiful, compelling book about the profound effects of anthropogenic climate change on America’s last and grandest wilderness.” —Roman Dial, Arctic scientist and author of The Adventurer’s Son

Contact the author for signed copies: jonwaterm[at]icloud[dot]com

 
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