At the Mercy of the Mountains True Stories Of Survival And Tragedy In New York's Adirondacks

by Bronski, Peter; Waterman, Jonathan

• ISBN13: 9781599213040
• ISBN10: 1599213044
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-02-26
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

Every year thousands of outdoor enthusiasts venture into a six-million-acre wilderness that is the size of Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon combined. They are attracted by its accessibility, spectacular views, and challenging terrain. But, when adventure is easy to find, so, too, is misadventure. In this compelling book, award-winning adventure writer and former Lower Adirondack Search and Rescue team member Peter Bronski chronicles true stories of survival and tragedy, from famous historical cases during the early twentieth century to modern tales of harrowing struggle in the mountains and wilderness. Extensively researched, these gripping tales pull together historical accounts, firsthand interviews, previously untold stories, and expert analysis to retrace each misadventure.

Author Biography

Peter Bronski is an award-winning author who specializes in outdoor adventure and travel, nature and science.  His writing appears regularly in such magazines across the country as 5280: Denver’s Mile-High Magazine, Adirondack Life, AMC Outdoors, Sea Kayaker, Vermont Life, and Westchester Magazine.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
A Guide's Story: Magnet for Misadventure	p. 37
A Carnegie Hero's Rescue on Lake Champlain	p. 48
The Boy Scouts versus Wallface	p. 57
The Crash of American Airlines Flight 166	p. 68
Stranded: The Rescue of Maria Gersen	p. 80
Grand Ambition: Two Men, Forty-Six High Peaks, Five Days, and only One Survivor	p. 87
Of Ice and Men: Ice Climbers Avalanched Off Chapel Pond Slab	p. 106
Marcy's Might: The Search for Steven Thomas	p. 118
Running the Hudson River Gorge	p. 126
Deadly Allure: Mount Colden's Trap Dike	p. 137
Solo: A Long-Distance Hiker's Final Days	p. 147
Without a Trace: The Disappearance of Thomas Carleton	p. 162
Blowdown! A Rogue Microburst Destroys Forest and Traps Hikers in the Wilderness	p. 175
Mayday in the Sawtooth Mountains	p. 188
Trapped: Rising Waters and No Safe Way Out	p. 199
Avalanche!	p. 210
An Unplanned Epic: The Third Worst Snowstorm in ADK History Surprises Two Pairs of Hikers	p. 227
Lightning Strike	p. 243
Dead Man Walking: The Search for Arthur Birchmeyer	p. 254
Beacon of Controversy: One Canoeist, Two Rescues and the Personal Locator Beacon that Made History	p. 264
Epilogue: Lessons from the Backcountry	p. 277
Time Line of Misadventures and Search and Rescues Covered in this Book	p. 286
Bibliography	p. 292
Acknowledgments	p. 312
Index	p. 314
About the Author	p. 322
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