What do you think?
Rate this book
Forest and Crag: A History of Hiking, Trail Blazing, and Adventure in the Northeast Mountains, Thirtieth Anniversary Edition
A compelling story of our ever-evolving relationship with mountains and wilderness.
Thirty years after its initial publication, this beloved classic is back in print. Superbly researched and written, Forest and Crag is the definitive history of our love affair with the mountains of the Northeastern United States, from the Catskills and the Adirondacks of New York to the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the mountains of Maine. It’s all here in one comprehensive volume: the struggles of early pioneers in America’s first frontier wilderness; the first ascent of every major peak in the Northeast; the building of the trail networks, including the Appalachian Trail; the golden era of the summit resort hotels; and the unforeseen consequences of the backpacking boom of the 1970s and 80s. Laura and Guy Waterman spent a decade researching and writing Forest and Crag, and in it they draw together widely scattered sources. What emerges is a compelling story of our ever-evolving relationship with the mountains and wilderness, a story that will fascinate historians, outdoor enthusiasts, and armchair adventurers alike.
Laura Waterman and Guy Waterman (1932–2000) volunteered for the United States Forest Service and for hiking and conservation organizations, maintaining the Franconia Ridge Loop for almost two decades. They were awarded the American Alpine Club’s 2012 David R. Brower Award for outstanding service in mountain conservation, and the Waterman Fund to preserve wildness and service the alpine areas across the Northeast was established in 2000. Laura and Guy wrote numerous articles and books on the outdoors, including The Green Guide to Low-Impact Hiking and Camping, Wilderness Ethics: Preserving the Spirit of Wildness, and Yankee Rock & Ice: A History of Climbing in the Northeastern United States. Laura’s memoir, Losing the Garden: The Story of a Marriage, recounts their thirty years of homesteading.
Thirty years after its initial publication, this beloved classic is back in print. Superbly researched and written, Forest and Crag is the definitive history of our love affair with the mountains of the Northeastern United States, from the Catskills and the Adirondacks of New York to the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the mountains of Maine. It’s all here in one comprehensive volume: the struggles of early pioneers in America’s first frontier wilderness; the first ascent of every major peak in the Northeast; the building of the trail networks, including the Appalachian Trail; the golden era of the summit resort hotels; and the unforeseen consequences of the backpacking boom of the 1970s and 80s. Laura and Guy Waterman spent a decade researching and writing Forest and Crag, and in it they draw together widely scattered sources. What emerges is a compelling story of our ever-evolving relationship with the mountains and wilderness, a story that will fascinate historians, outdoor enthusiasts, and armchair adventurers alike.
Laura Waterman and Guy Waterman (1932–2000) volunteered for the United States Forest Service and for hiking and conservation organizations, maintaining the Franconia Ridge Loop for almost two decades. They were awarded the American Alpine Club’s 2012 David R. Brower Award for outstanding service in mountain conservation, and the Waterman Fund to preserve wildness and service the alpine areas across the Northeast was established in 2000. Laura and Guy wrote numerous articles and books on the outdoors, including The Green Guide to Low-Impact Hiking and Camping, Wilderness Ethics: Preserving the Spirit of Wildness, and Yankee Rock & Ice: A History of Climbing in the Northeastern United States. Laura’s memoir, Losing the Garden: The Story of a Marriage, recounts their thirty years of homesteading.
980 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 1989
17 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Laura Waterman
11 books8 followersLaura 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
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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 22, 2020
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.
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.
January 20, 2020
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.
February 28, 2009
There is a lot to New England hiking and mountain climbing history! Very interesting. Takes a while to read, but very thorough.
August 7, 2019
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.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews