Pacific High: Adventures In The Coast Ranges From Baja To Alaska

by Tim Palmer

"Starting out, my mind and spirit were open to the mystery of foreign cultures, the spareness of aridity, the tension of seismicity, the heat of fire, the exuberance of the vast, the abundance of rot and rebirth, the kindness of strangers, the indomitable rules of climate, the triumph of life, the limits of the earth.""—from the prologue.On a crisp January morning, the first day of a new year, writer Tim Palmer and his wife set out in their custom-outfitted van on a nine-month journey through the Pacific Coast Ranges. With a route stretching from the dry mesas of the Baja Peninsula to the storm-swept Alaskan island of Kodiak, they embarked on an incomparable tour of North America's coastal mountains high above the Pacific.In Pacific High , Palmer recounts that adventure, interweaving tales of exploration and discovery with portraits of the places they visited and the people they came to know along the way. Bringing together images of places both exotic and familiar with profiles of intriguing people and descriptions of outdoor treks on foot, skis, mountain bike, canoe, and whitewater raft, Palmer captures the brilliant wonders of nature, the tragedy of irreversible loss, and the hope of everyone who cares for this extraordinary but threatened edge of North America.At the heart of the story is author's concern for the health of the land and all its life. Nature thrives in many parts of the Coast Ranges—pristine rivers and ancient forests that promise refuge to the king salmon and the grizzly bear—but with a human population of 36 million, nature is under attack throughout the region. Oil spills, clearcutting, smog, sprawling development and more threaten even national parks and refuges. Yet Palmer remains hopeful, introducing readers to memorable people who strive for lasting stewardship in this land they call home.

Genres: Nonfiction

488 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Tim Palmer is the award-winning author of many books about rivers, conservation, and adventure travel. He is a photographer of America's natural landscapes and a dynamic public speaker with inspiring slide shows about a range of environmental topics.

Reviews

[Agilborder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing style, takes the reader on an adventurous journey.

[Monwar Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I am still reading it. But I want people to see the review.

I read this mostly in Ramna Park in Dhaka during my weekend walks. So the book has a strong association with my morning walks. I know people feel that Dhaka is an ugly city, but I have too often found that Ramna offers enough great moments. This kind of leverages the natural setting and reinforces it.

The beginning of the book turned me off. I didn't understand Palmer's background. I found him to be a condescending Anglo judging Latin America. A condescending Anglo environmentalist at that!

But then during one very early morning flaneur I sat to rest and happened upon the California jaunt. I had been lucky enough to explore both Northern and Southern California enough to relate to what he was saying. It really started to draw me in. AND educate me. That bit I loved. Palmer is an environmentalist an he judges. But he also describes beautifully. He has a way with words! This really was starting to be one of those books that almost substitute for going to the place! And you can also feel those sharp pangs of disappointments... especially when he is taking that plane ride through Oregon... his description of remote Northern California... the hippy culture... the drug growers... his description of Death Valley... his walks with his wife through Wild Creek... his experience with loggers... why Second and Third Growth forests do not make sense as much... walks through the Redwood Groves and their majesty. This book so successfully creates a sense of romance of the places visited!

Not everyone will like all parts of this book. But once you 'get' it, you would re-read it, almost. :)

[Jaimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Ironically, I read it even after meeting the author and him being not very friendly to me and a friend when he found out we worked for the Corps of Engineers. It's unfortunate he came across so closed-minded, because I felt he had a well-rounded story to tell, which was careful to include the perspective of many different people, with different backgrounds and opinions on the environment. It's a book everyone who lives on the West Coast should read.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My cousin wrote this!