Forest and Crag: A History of Hiking, Trail Blazing, and Adventure in the Northeast Mountains

by Laura Waterman, Guy Waterman

The definitive history of the mountains of the Northeast is now back in print. Exhaustively researched and superbly written, and now featuring a new introduction by author Laura Waterman, Forest and Crag is a classic of outdoor literature. The late Guy Waterman and his wife Laura were pioneers in promoting preservation of wild places and backwoods ethics. They spent a decade researching and writing Forest and Crag, drawing together widely scattered sources on the history of the White Mountains, the Green Mountains, the Adirondacks, the Catskills, and beyond. The struggles of early pioneers in America's first frontier wilderness, the first ascent of every major peak in the Northeast, the creation of the Appalachian Trail, the golden era of the summit resort hotels, the unforeseen consequences of the backpacking boom of the 1970s and 1980s-it's all here in one comprehensive volume. Lovers of adventure and the outdoors will hail the return of this classic history of the mountains of the Northeast.

Genres: Nature, Adventure

928 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1989

About the author

Laura Waterman grew up in New Jersey. Her father, Emily Dickinson scholar, Thomas H. Johnson, taught at the Lawrenceville School. Laura graduated from Hollins University in 1962 with a major in English. 

For the decade of the Sixties, she was an editor in book publishing in New York City.  In 1969 she began climbing and met Guy Waterman, a speechwriter, formerly on Capitol Hill. The couple were married in l972, and in l973, moved to Vermont to establish an off-the-grid homestead.

For the next nearly 30 years, Laura and Guy collaboratively wrote books about mountain ethics and stewardship, subjects that grew out of their own climbing life. Those titles include The Green Guide to Low-Impact Hiking and Camping (formerly titled Backwoods Ethics) and Wilderness Ethics: Preserving the Spirit of Wildness. They also penned two books on the social and trail building history of the Northeast's mountain ranges: Forest and Crag and Yankee Rock & Ice. Their collection, A Fine Kind of Madness: Mountain Adventures Tall and True was a posthumous publication for Guy who died in 2000. 

Guy's choice to take his own life steered Laura to write Losing the Garden: The Story of a Marriage, a memoir about their homesteading, writing, and climbing years, and Laura's attempt to understand her own role in her husband's decision. The book was  selected as an Editor's Pick by the Boston Globe. 

Most recently Laura has published a novel, Starvation Shore, about the Lt. Greely Arctic Expedition (1881-1884). Laura, and posthumously Guy, were awarded the David Brower Conservation Award from the American Alpine Club in 2012, and Laura, in 2019, was inducted into the AAC's Hall of Mountaineering Excellence. 

Guy's death prompted Laura and friends to found the Waterman Fund that works to conserve the alpine areas of northeastern North America. Learn more at: watermanfund.org.
Visit Laura's website: laurawaterman.com

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both a beast and a masterpiece, Forest and Crag is a hefty testament to the Watermans’ love of the mountains of the northeast. Probably only of interest to those readers who share the love of these specific mountains to some extent, it is a worthwhile monster of a book.

That said, I found my interest in any chapter was directly proportional to my knowledge and experience with that range - fascinated by White Mountain chapters, mildly interested when the focus shifted to Katahdin or the Greens, and counting pages until the next chapter when the discussion moved to the Daks or Catskills.

I think the greatest compliment I can give Forest and Crag is that it has already spurred ideas for future hikes and I have no doubt I will continue to return to it for years to come.

[Brian Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I enjoyed about this book is that it is not just a series of just-so stories strung together, but rather the Watermans see different periods of hiking, and the stories speak to and reflext those different understandings. I only read the New England chapters, and even that was hefty.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot to New England hiking and mountain climbing history! Very interesting. Takes a while to read, but very thorough.

[Brian Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't believe anyone has ever read the whole thing, but I plan to revisit it again someday. Rich, the research is stunning, and the writing is clear and brisk.