Into the Mist

by David Brill

Carefully crafted book titles allow the reader to peek through a tiny opening and experience a glimmer of light emitting from the story within. Great Smoky Mountains Association's latest book title is more akin to looking directly into a hot, white spotlight. These beautiful mist-shrouded mountains can, and often do, turn deadly. Volume I of "Into the Mist" depicts men and women in extreme situations, struggling to survive against brutal and often deadly adversity. Through the book's 13 chapters, Into the Mist readers will piece together the events leading to a tragic encounter between an elementary school teacher and two black bears in the park's backcountry; share in the heroic response of the park's rangers in the face of brutal weather events, including the March 1993 "Storm of the Century" and their successful efforts to rescue hundreds of stranded visitors and ultimately prevent loss of life and limb; experience a lone hiker's final moments as he succumbs to bitter cold without benefit of a shelter as wind-driven snow piles ever higher on the trail; learn how the body of a murdered Jane Doe discovered in a park stream leads to a cross-country hunt for her killer; and much more. A bonus appendix lists Great Smoky Mountains National Park's leading causes of death and most dangerous places.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Outdoors, Nature

279 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read about happenings in Smoky Mountain National Park, and this book achieved that goal. I especially enjoyed the rescue stories. From this book, you gain an appreciation for park rangers and realize what all their jobs entail. It made me more aware of what precautions one should take in the park. Reading this book right before my trip to the park might have scared me a bit, but all park visitors need to know more about this world before they enter it. For instance, I’ve read about what to do if you see a bear, but the chapter on bear attacks makes you realize how important that step is for you and all members of your group. I liked the section on the Cold War because it happened before I was born, and I never even realized how a national park would be involved in the preparation. I found the sidebars on this chapter very helpful and concise. The book did a really good job spelling out the steps of hypothermia as well. I had visited the Sinks and was curious what happened there after reading the sign. This book informed me. While we were at the Sinks a month ago, we actually saw a group go down the bank towards the rocks. Decades ago, we drove into a parking lot for a waterfall hike and saw a bear. Many people were up close photographing it like it was a squirrel. I think more park guests need to read this book so they don’t end up in Volume II!

[Kristy J]

I can tell a lot of research went into this. It was quite sad reading about all the tragedies that have happened there over the years, but it also highlighted the heroic efforts of park rangers/search and rescue, and gives some good safety advice for visitors.

[Kayla Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure why I thought this was a good idea :-/ As an avid hiker, I was super interested in the history of the park, but I guess I didn’t think about how depressing (and sometimes scary) some of the stories/history would be! Will I ever go hiking again??

[Sam Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars not so much for the writing — a ton of extensive research clearly went into producing this book

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book interesting. I visit the GSMNP for hiking/backpacking about 15-20 times a year and reading about the death and disasters that have taken place there was neat but sad too. Insane people, unpredictable weather, murders, and people that are never found make for a fascinating read.
If you frequent the area and are fond of murders, death, and mysteries I'd recommend this book.

Only chapter that I skimmed through was about the cold war. It was a tad slow but everything else was great.

[Dianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining read driving back from a Smoky Mountain vacation -- basically the book is a run down of some of the deaths that have happened in the park (I bought a similar one when I went to Yellowstone and found it fascinating!). Glad I read this AFTER visiting!

[Nancy East · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stopped in a visitor center one afternoon after a solo hike in the Smokies to get my "fix" with a new book. At the entrance to the gift shop, an author, David Brill, sat behind a table with his book.

We conversed, and I immediately liked David. It was clear he had a deep appreciation and respect for park rangers and search and rescue personnel. I purchased the book for my search and rescue team leader as a gift. I also purchased one for myself.

This book is as much instructional as it is engaging, teaching readers what not to do in the Smokies if they want to live to see another day on the trails. While reading it, I jumped around between chapters, focusing on the chapter that caught my attention at that moment. I love when I'm able to do this with a nonfiction book, since I remember more when the subject holds my attention in that moment.

Not all the chapters are filled with gloom and doom. There are plenty of stories with favorable outcomes, balanced with the not-so-favorable tragedies. I especially liked the photos and newspaper clippings peppered throughout the book. It brought the people and places to life while creating a solid imprint of them in my memory bank.

This is one of the most popular books in the Smokies visitor centers, and it's easy to see why. I ultimately hope that it inspires readers to make solid choices in the backcountry, to avoid becoming the topic of a chapter in the second volume of Into the Mist.

[Bill Eubanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book taking a close look into a stranger side of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Rightly thought of as one of the most beautiful places in the United States, GSMNP is a place with wonderous places to explore, has vistas of unparcelled beauty and has wild back country to explore. It is a jewel with sharp edges.
With over 10 million visitors a year, bad things are bound to happen sometimes. Some of these tales are told in detail showing that fate, nature, or bad decision making can lead to disaster in an environment where big city recourses can be hours away. Where the missing can sometimes never be found. Where the weather, wildlife and slippery rocks can spell the end for the careless or unprepared. These stories highlight sadness and sorrow for some, but also shine a light on the unsung heroes of the park - the Park Rangers, EMTs and local medical and rescue organizations that serve the area and save countless lives each year. A great read and well researched – you will enjoy a journey “Into the Mist”.

[Brittany Moles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of some of the most tragic situations that have occurred within the park's boundaries. Some of the weather phenomena that triggered the need for rescue operations was unbelievable! Especially the chapter on the lightning strikes.

I did some light research of my own when I ran across two men that were labeled as dying of unknown causes on the same date of July 15, 2006. I was very curious about two separate occurrences, both labeled as "no cause of death provided." It just seemed unlikely that two men would die on the same day in the park in different sections of the park and the author would label both as "no cause of death provided." Mr. Robert B. Rudasill's publicly listed obituary, does state that he died in the park unexpectedly, but the date is different than that of the one provided by the author. The obituary states he passed September 2, 2006. I don't know if this is an oversight by the author while collecting this extensive amount of data?

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different from other "death in national parks" books. This one isn't at all attempting to be a comprehensive catalog of misfortunes. Instead, it's a collection of particularly significant incidents, many of them involving deaths, but not all. Normally, I wouldn't be thrilled with including non-fatal accidents in a book like this, but I didn't mind it this time. This may be because I'm actually somewhat familiar with GSMNP. It's the closest "major" national park to me, and I've been there more than a few times. Also, excluding incidents that aren't fatal in the park would have been cutting what was for me by far the most interesting chapter, about how national parks in general and GSMNP in particular prepped for possible nuclear armageddon during the Cold War.

[Nathan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike other "Death in The Place (TM)" books, this one recounts incidents other than deaths. While if focuses on those, many of the chapters also read like episodes of "Rescue 911." And for all that Great Smokey Mountains National Park is the most-visited park, the number of incidents seems surprisingly low. Interestingly enough, the park's proximity to high population centers also makes it susceptible to some of the sorts of incidents that a great many other parks apparently seldom see. And for those of us who live on the West Coast and are more familiar with conditions in parks on this side of the continent, I found many of the accounts to be eye-opening. Fascinating and sobering, a read through this book reveals that park Rangers do a lot more than just lead nature talks.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I was interested seeing what kind of disasters people had experienced in the park. The book would have been a bit easier to follow for those of us who do not know the park well if it had included a map or two about some of the events and locations. Secondly, the constant use for names and official titles was a bit overdone. I do not think that the book was particularly well-written, but it did have some redeeming features. I did not realize how much extreme weather, particularly bad snowstorms, that far south nor did I realize that the national parks were intended to be a civil defense refuge for nuclear war.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former GSNMP ranger and SAR team member, I probably enjoyed this book for different reasons than most. It was a fascinating, well-researched presentation into some of the most famous and horrific events of the park's past. The book also provides an incredible look into the evolution of how the park manages emergency incidents. It was a pleasure to see many of my coworkers' names in print for their heroic actions. I would have given this book 5 stars, but I docked a point because many of the events are similar (weather/auto). I am hoping to learn about the more obscure events in volume 2.

[Naturegirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a hiker who often goes out alone, I think some of these stories are worth reading, but I’d caution anyone with an overactive imagination before picking up this book. It’s important to remember that preparation is key, letting people know where you are is so important, and sometimes things happen that are out of people’s control, and as much as others can say they should have done this or that, they weren’t there in the moment.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going on vacation in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, I wanted to read a book about the area. While this book is not exactly what I was looking for, it is an interesting read. It looks over the different ways people have died in the park. It sounds gruesome but there are some very interesting stories in the book.

[Maegan Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, as I got from it what I wanted. It is very wordy with lots of names and skips around some in the stories, which I expect to be what some readers would like about it. Very interesting read. Really makes you respect what the park rangers do day in and day out, and how they manage to organize search and rescues so quickly. Quick read.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book highlights some of the search and rescue stories/incidents that have occurred in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The author comments on what the visitors did right or wrong and how it affected their survival chances. I found it thought-provoking that so many people were injured or lost their lives in the GSMNP.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up in the Smokies NP bookstore. A lot of puffery but much of it well deserved. Fascinating stories that reveal a lot of carelessness and hubris but also sometimes simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The one and only death by bear ever in the Smokies was probably the most harrowing.

[Justin Maslanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating and informative. The author beautifully illustrates the scenes and events surrounding death and disaster in the great smokey mountain national park. A fellow park attendee recommended this book to me at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and I devoured the book in just a week. The information is well researched and I eagerly await what may come next.

[Ashley Whitman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this one down!!! So interesting and informative! I guess, it is somewhat dark considering it's mostly a topic of death or disaster however, there is a wealth of knowledge inside these pages. Being as it takes place in areas I'm fairly familiar with, I could easily envision each incident.

[Kelly Whitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brill picks out a handful of interesting stories to tell surrounding Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From lightning strikes to a rare bear attack to using a cave as a nuclear fallout shelter, each chapter brings an interesting little story.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up less than an hour from the park and working one summer in the park as a teacher with the junior ranger programs, I love the GRSMNP. I found this book to be not only interesting but informative as well!

[Tracey Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting account of tragic events that have happened through the years in great smoky mountain National Park. Won't get into the stories but it was a good historic read through the years up to about present time.

[Chelsie Mulholland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the blend of facts and storytelling that made this book as enjoyable as it was informative! (I'd rather describe it as entertaining, but that seems disrespectful for a book about the tragic deaths of real people.)

[Leigh Ledet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading accounts of real life happenings in the Great Smoky Mountains. Living in East TN made the book even that more interesting! The writing is well done, very descriptive. I felt like I was living the adventures and misfortunes right along with the men/women who actually experienced it.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I know: people are 73 times more likely to die in a plane crash in the GSMNP than in a bear attack. The most dangerous place in the Park: Newfound Gap Road… (auto crashes). Snakes haven’t killed anyone in the history of the park.

[Kale Wernsing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine. Took a broader look at the stories, circumstances, and stories that happened around the disasters and fatalities in GRSM, but felt unfinished. Obvious a lot of research went into it. The stories were just written in a way that felt a little lackluster.

[AbbyAnkrom · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

I was really into the the murder/mystery chapters. However, the ones with the storms and weather had me bored. A lot of research went into this book no doubt. I appreciate the effort and I definitely learned a lot about the GSMNP.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park! With 800 square miles of backcountry.

13 stories of tragedy occurring in the park.
->The leading cause of death in the park is vehicle accidents. Next are plane crashes and drownings.
->But not all occurrences are crashes and drowning.....

[Lisa Stalnaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. While I found the chapter on the Cold War a little slow, it was still very interesting and I can see why it was included in the book. Can’t wait for volume 2!