Canyon Winter

by Walt Morey

Stranded for six months in the Rocky Mountains following an airplane crash, a 15-year-old boy is taken in by an old hermit who teaches him the ways of the wilderness.

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile, Survival, Adventure

202 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Walt Morey was an award-winning author of numerous works of children's fiction set in the U.S. Pacific Northwestand Alaska, the places where Morey lived for all of his life. His book Gentle Ben was the basis for the 1967 movie Gentle Giant and the 1967-1969 television show Gentle Ben.

He wrote a total of 17 published books, most of which involve as a central plot element the relationship between man and animals. Many of his works involve survival stories, or people going into the wild to "discover" themselves; redemption through nature is a common theme of Morey's works.

Reviews

[Adriana]

Walt Morey was my great grandfather, my parents gave me the middle name Morey in his honor. He died when I was young, so I remember very little of him. My father remembers him sitting at his desk with a typewriter poking away at the keys. I am embarrassed to admit that I had not read his books until now. With all this time at home (thanks, COVID), I decided it is time I finally kick my butt into gear and read them.

Canyon Winter is my favorite story so far. I enjoy the boy-to-man evolution of the main character, Peter, encouraged by a prickly old man, Omar, and the wild. It speaks to the heart of every nature-lover. Omar teaches Peter to have a reverent relationship with the wilderness and its creatures. Peter also learns how interconnected all life in the forest is and how logging permanently changes and damages the ecosystem. This book has a natural flow to it I found lacking in some of Morey's other books that feel a bit choppy at times. It has adventure, struggle, and a great wrap-up ending.

[Bookworm]

An interesting read; not as well written as Gentle Ben, but I still found it enjoyable.
After 15 year old Peter is stranded in the wilderness following a plane crash, he stumbles across a cabin, owned by one old, tough-as-nails mountain man named Omar. Pete still clings to the belief that he can make it out of the canyon before the snows hit, but Omar proves to be correct, and he finally settles for the six months it will take before he can get out and back to his parents again.
After a time he and Omar become friends, and it is a winter that Pete will never forget as he learns much of the ways of animals, and how to survive in a wilderness 60 miles from civilazation.
Also involved is a dispute between loggers and wildlife protecters. Like I said, it was interesting!

[Art]

Goes well w/Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and the Hatchet Series by Gary Paulsen. Also "Touching Spirit Bear" book.
Great way at looking at the ecology of the High Mountain Forest and the life that is there.

[Janice]

Good Book, Keeps your interest. Teaches about conserving our forests and soil.

[Al Doyle]

Every now and then its fun to pick up an old title that was primarily aimed at young readers. Walt Morey provides us with a well framed adventure story of survival and thriving the Alaska Wilderness. Alaska provides an ideal setting for both adventure and mis-adventure. In this case we following our hero and ending up waste deep in snow, freezing water or his well meaning, but questionable decisions. Depending on the cover, it may look like something just for the young reader. If this turns you odd, perhaps its time to get over your old self and remember how to have fun and soak up the challenges of questionable decision made in a hostile climate.

Try it. it's great fun!

( I found my copy (vintage, hard cover)in a great little bookstore in Cannon Beach, Oregon.)

[Thistle]

First published in 1972, this book shows its age. In it a "soft" boy from the city is "toughened up" when a plane crash leaves him lost in the wilderness. Those descriptions of him were repeated so many times. Because the boy never hunted, never killed animals, never had reason to do hard physical work, he was considered "soft" by all the adult men in the book.

After his plane crashed, he found an old man who had been living alone in the woods. That man repeated all the "soft" crap and more. If the boy was upset, he was soft. If he was scared (REASONABLY scared, like when a bear pawed at the cabin door), he was called soft. I know times were different then and this sort of thing was the norm, but I wasn't at all enjoying reading it, so I DNFed it.

[Sarca]

A YA read that is a pioneer story to Gary Paulsen's and Will Hobbs's adventures. Peter is involved in a plane crash in the wilderness that kills the pilot. He is alone but manages to find a hermit's cabin where he encounters Omar Pickett, a loner who has lived in solitude for 50 years. With Winter falling, Peter has no choice but to stay with the old man until the spring thaw when the supply boats make their way up the river. Peter discovers the rough ways of remote life and gains friendship and trust in Omar.

I enjoyed this one a lot. Sure, the use of the word "queer" doesn't stand any more, nor does calling Peter a "soft" boy. But, otherwise, a good adventure story.

[Filip]

While reading it, I was convinced I will get rid of this book, that I will pass it on to someone in family or sell it. But once I've finished I simply couldn't. There's something about it. Even though the storytelling is a bit simple, rushed and naïve - whether intentionally (for the purspose of children behavior education) or not. It is really strange and I can't put my finger on it but it simply clawed its way into my... heart (?). Maybe it's the simpleness of it; a hope that life still can be simple (not easy though!) with clearly drawn lines of good and bad.

[Paula Peckham]

I remember reading this book as a child, and was thrilled to find it again. It's a quick read, meant for young readers, but it was fun. It tells the story of a 15-year-old boy whose plane crashes in the wilderness just before winter sets in, and he spends the winter months in a cabin with an old man who built a cabin there. It's simplistic, but inspirational in a save-the-planet kind of way. Worth a read.

[SFrick]

For an excellent synopsis, please see the KIRKUS REVIEW at: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re... .
In particular I found the Senate Hearing and the fight to save land quite relevant with respect
to what we are facing today.

[Joe Conley]

I loved Walt Morey's books growing up. Recently had a chance to re-read this after 12+ years, and it still holds up! Obviously a book for young adults, but it's an exciting, thrilling tale of a boy struggling to survive after his plane crash-lands in the wilderness.

[James]

This book is a classic, when you start the book you really have to read the first three pagas to get into it in my opinion. If you like fiction you will love canyon winter, its filled with action and some humor

[Cooper]

This was an old but but a great read, a highly recommend this book.

[Joshua Cox]

Omar is my hero. Such an incredible story of survival and character built through hard work and hard times. Great book from start to finish!

[Katelyn Martin]

I know this was a kids book but it was really good. The characters were well developed and it had a good story line !

[Kristin]

Words of my 9 year old son: I would give this book 15 million stars if I could!!!!

[Yacoob]

Tahle kodovka je alespoň pro mě ztělesněním celé téhle edice. Je tam dobrodružství, divočina, přátelství, hodnoty i srdce. Nejvřeleji doporučuji.

[Marie]

Really liked this book when I was a kid. Much of Mr Morey's books are the same though, I am realizing as an adult...

[Naomi McCullough]

A great wilderness survival story about a teenager who is stranded after their plane crashes. Not as well written as Gentle Ben but still a great Morey book.

[Jessica]

Peter is just a soft city boy at the beginning, being sent to the ranch by his father to toughen up and develop manly character. Then the engine in the small plane cuts out and they plummet into a canyon far off course from their intended flight route in the wilderness. Peter survives the crash, but the pilot does not.
This book was written in 1972. The ideas are a little old-fashioned, (such as "toughening up" his son- reminds me of Joe the lumberjack) and I was constantly distracted, thinking, "are they allowed to do that?!" Such as the old man who has lived alone in the canyon for 50 years- he drinks the water straight out of the stream, fishes, hunts, and gathers firewood without a license.
It was an ok book. I would have eaten it up any summer between the ages of 10-17. It's also one that boys would probably like to read, that could get reluctant readers like my brother with an interest in the outdoors to stay still long enough to read something.
Warning- Some cussing, depiction of a plane crash, death and burial of the pilot (nothing too gruesome described) and talk of murder.

[Matthew]

The problem with so many writers is that they spend the majority of a great book outlineing a wonderful story only to rush it to a conclusion. not with Canyon Winter, or any Walt Morey book I've read so far.

This defintiely was a hard sale at first because of its slow pace in the beginning. I also was not looking for another crudgemudgeon in the forest story which I was a little bit afraid of in the begining. however, it developed into a wonderful story that touched on so many areas: coming of age, indeopendence, perseverance, peace, environmentalism....

A wondereful book worth your attention and time!

[Jenny]

On his way out to his father's ranch in the Rockies, 15-year-old Peter Grayson's plane goes down, killing the pilot and leaving Peter stranded. The wilderness is harsh and unforgiving, and he can't count on anyone coming to rescue him before winter comes. Somehow, Peter stumbles upon the one human being living in that wilderness--an old hermit named Omar Pickett. Begrudginly, Omar takes Peter in, but when Peter begins to find out more about the old man's shadowy past, he wonders if he can stay with him until spring and rescue comes...

A great book for boys and a great family read-aloud.

[Luann]

Gentle Ben was one of my favorites growing up, so I was interested to read this when I came across it in a pile of discard books. It has elements of "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen and "Captains Courageous" by Rudyard Kipling - while being quite a bit different from both of those. The characters are likeable and I cared what happened to them. I didn't like it as much as Hatchet, but it did make me want to go spend some time in the outdoors!

[Du]

I remember reading this book in the early 80s, and loved it. I bought a copy at the time and saved it and now love to read it to my own son.

It is filled with a lot of good lessons for children, lessons about the sanctitiy of all life and about the reciprocal relationship between man, wildlife and the environment. It is a story that thoughfully illustrates how man is part of nature, as opposed to man being above nature.

[Theresa]

I remember my teacher reading this to us in third grade and loving every minute of it. After recommending it to to my lvl 3 ESL students I decided I would like to revisit it and read it again myself. I was not disappointed. This is one of those timeless stories that just resonates with me. It was interesting to read it with and adults eyes, and be more aware of some of the foreshadowing, but even knowing what was going to happen, I still enjoyed every minute of it.

[Sherri]

I read this over and over again and when I left middle school, the librarian let me keep it.

I always envisioned myself in this scenario and would have loved to experience it in life (to a certain point).

This is the book I credit with introducing me to a love of reading.

[Cws]

JAR4-Mor

[Mandy]

Another good book by the author of Gentle Ben. Fans of Gary Paulsen would really enjoy this story.

[16relliott]

really interesting

[Mary]

A book that captivated me when I was 8 years old. This book turned me into an eternal bookworm. I've been looking for a copy for years and rereading it as an adult has been truly wonderful.