Books published by publisher Mountaineers Books

The more you know about snow stability, the better your travel and rescue skills. And the sharper your decision making, the better you’ll be able to avoid avalanche danger and have more fun in the winter backcountry. In Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, 3rd Edition, acclaimed snow and avalanche expert Bruce Tremper provides easy-to-understand avalanche safety tips and skills, including the latest snow research and techniques for evaluating snowpack, as well how to rescue companions in the event of an avalanche. Other topics include: How to evaluate terrain and decide whether it's safe or dangerousHow avalanches workHow to test snow stabilityHow to control your exposure and lower your riskSafe travel techniquesWhat to do if you're caught in an avalancheSearch-and-rescue strategiesManaging the human factors that contribute to accidentsThis fully revised and updated third edition of Bruce's best-selling book is organized according to the structure of American Avalanche Association classes, and all topics have been updated and reviewed by peer experts. This edition also features a wholly new chapter in which Bruce pulls all the pieces together to create an organized, step-by-step system for making decisions off, and on, the mountain.As Rocky Mountain News proclaimed, "No one who plays in the mountain snow should leave home without having studied this book." Clear, comprehensive, and engaging, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain shares everything skiers, snowboarders, and other backcountry travelers need to know to stay safe in the mountains.

Over 100K copies sold The official navigation textbook used in outdoor education courses by thousands of students Map and compass skills remain the foundation for traveling safely in the wilderness This new third edition is a major and complete update of the popular textbook: Improved throughout for clarity, with chapter objectives presented at the beginning of each chapter and summaries, "skills check" mini-quizzes, and practice problems listed at the end Updated descriptions of the most current maps, compasses, altimeters, and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers Updated declination maps for the United States and the world (declination changes over time and compasses must be adjusted for a specific location to provide correct readings) Much-expanded GPS chapter, including interfacing the GPS receiver with the home computer, maximizing battery life, and using the GPS function on a “smart” phones (along with a description of their limitations) Additional information on non-GPS navigational techniques Recommended websites, apps, and other sources of useful navigational information

The national media regularly features dire stories on honeybee colony collapse and its danger to our food supply. But there's another, unsung bee that has the potential to save the planet―the mason bee. Mason Bee Revolution explains how docile, hard-working, solitary mason bees (and their compatriots, the leafcutter bees) are even more productive pollinators than honeybees, and keeping them can be a fun, easy, backyard hobby for gardeners, conservationists, foodies, and families everywhere. Why these bees? Bee pollination is critical for about 80 percent of US agricultural crops, increasing crop value by an estimated $15 billion annually. Since 2006, nearly a third of all honeybee hives have been lost each year, due to parasites, pesticides, habitat loss, climate change, and a newer malady called Colony Collapse Disorder. While scientists search for answers to save the honeybee, Dave Hunter and his company, Crown Bees, are leading the effort to increase the population of other highly efficient pollinators: One mason bee can produce twelve pounds of cherries, via pollination, where it would take sixty honey bees to achieve the same. Mason Bee Revolution is an easy-to-follow guide to keeping both mason and leafcutter bees. It tells you how to set up, care for, and harvest your own bees and what types of plants and habitat encourage mason and leafcutter bees, as well as provides general information on other common pollinators and bee-related facts, projects, and personalities.

Our national parks are beautiful and unique places, often serving as an introduction to the outdoors and inspiring an appreciation for nature and wilderness. Similarly, stories and storytelling can serve as an introduction to other places and foster a powerful emotional connection to nature. Campfire Stories brings together tales about our national parks; some are by well-known writers such as John Muir, Bill Bryson, and Terry Tempest Williams, while others are from pioneer diaries or have been passed down through generations of indigenous peoples.Co-editors Dave and Ilyssa Kyu spent five months traveling and researching the stories in the book. They gathered each of these stories from public libraries, historical societies, arts and cultural organizations, museums, research centers, and national park archives. They interviewed park rangers, historians, artists, curators, educators, and local residents, who all offered insights and guidance into the essence of each place, which was than used to select entertaining, diverse, and engaging writings that reflected each park and best told around a campfire. Campfire Stories focuses on these six iconic national parks:Acadia National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National ParkRocky Mountain National ParkKYellowstone National ParkYosemite National ParkZion National ParkEach story includes an "About this Story" reflection, offering insight into how Dave and Ilyssa discovered the tale, why they selected it, and some background about its writer. Dave and Ilyssa also share their own thoughts on each of the parks they visited, as well as tips on how to be a compelling storyteller.

The more you know about snow stability, the better your travel and rescue skills. And the sharper your decision making, the better you’ll be able to avoid avalanche danger and have more fun in the winter backcountry. In Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, 3rd Edition, acclaimed snow and avalanche expert Bruce Tremper provides easy-to-understand avalanche safety tips and skills, including the latest snow research and techniques for evaluating snowpack, as well how to rescue companions in the event of an avalanche. Other topics include: How to evaluate terrain and decide whether it's safe or dangerousHow avalanches workHow to test snow stabilityHow to control your exposure and lower your riskSafe travel techniquesWhat to do if you're caught in an avalancheSearch-and-rescue strategiesManaging the human factors that contribute to accidentsThis fully revised and updated third edition of Bruce's best-selling book is organized according to the structure of American Avalanche Association classes, and all topics have been updated and reviewed by peer experts. This edition also features a wholly new chapter in which Bruce pulls all the pieces together to create an organized, step-by-step system for making decisions off, and on, the mountain.As Rocky Mountain News proclaimed, "No one who plays in the mountain snow should leave home without having studied this book." Clear, comprehensive, and engaging, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain shares everything skiers, snowboarders, and other backcountry travelers need to know to stay safe in the mountains.

CLICK HERE to download a sample• The official navigation textbook used in outdoor education courses by thousands of students • Goodreads.com readers rated the previous edition 4 out of 5 stars (and now it’s even better!) • Map and compass skills remain the foundation for traveling safely in the wilderness This new third edition is a major and complete update of the popular textbook:• Improved throughout for clarity, with chapter objectives presented at the beginning of each chapter and summaries, “skills check” mini-quizzes, and practice problems listed at the end• Updated descriptions of the most current maps, compasses, altimeters, and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers• Updated declination maps for the United States and the world (declination changes over time and compasses must be adjusted for a specific location to provide correct readings)• Much-expanded GPS chapter, including interfacing the GPS receiver with the home computer, maximizing battery life, and using the GPS function on a “smart” phones (along with a description of their limitations)• Additional information on non-GPS navigational techniques• Recommended websites, apps, and other sources of useful navigational information

* Comprehensive text on building and maintaining trails* The latest in effective management of work crews of all ages* How to build "sustainable" trails to fit dwindling park maintenance budgets * For weekend volunteers, youth group leaders, outing club members, and anyone involved in caring for the landFor half a century, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) has inspired people of all ages to take part in projects that enhance the environment. In settings from city parks to backcountry wilderness, the practical skills presented in its pioneering handbook have been tested in the field by volunteer and professional work crews throughout the nation. Their input enriches every chapter with fresh approaches, new ideas, and modern applications of traditional skills.In addition to conservation crew leadership and risk management, Lightly on the Land presents the nuts and bolts of trail construction and maintenance; building with rock; felling and buckling; building with timber; bridge construction; and environmental restoration. It gets down and dirty with tools, knots, and rigging. Throughout, it teaches how to build pathways and reshape existing routes to require a minimum of attention over the years -- essential in this era of shrinking park budgets.

The Road to San Donato is an adventurous travel memoir of an American father and son tracing their Italian heritage by bicycle. With only the bare essentials on their backs, author Robert Cocuzzo and his sixty-four-year-old father, Stephen, embark on a torturous 425-mile ride from Florence, Italy, to San Donato Val di Comino, an ancient village hidden in the Apennine mountains from which their family emigrated a hundred years earlier. After getting lost, beaten down, and very nearly stranded, when they finally reach the village the Cocuzzos discover so much more than their own family story. For many Jews in the 1940s, the road to San Donato was one of exile; during World War II, dozens were interned in the village. When the Nazis came to ship them off to death camps, however, many of the villagers went to heroic lengths to save their lives. Walking and pedaling through this history, Robert Cocuzzo is determined to learn the role his family played at the time. The Road to San Donato is a story of fathers and sons, discovering lost "cousins," valorous history, and the challenge and exhilaration of traveling by bicycle.

CLICK HERE to download the sample chapter "Weather" from Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain* Provides easy-to-follow instructions on crucial avalanche safety skills* Completely revised with all of the most recent data and techniques* Ideal for snowmobilers, snowboarders, snowshoers, skiers, climbers, hunters, hikers"No one who plays in mountain snow should leave home without having studied this book." -Rocky Mountain News Winter recreation in the backcountry has increased steadily over the years and so has the number of deaths and injuries caused by avalanches. As search and rescue teams are increasingly strapped for funding, self-education has become a larger necessity for snow-sport enthusiasts. The new edition of Bruce Tremper's seminal book is organized according to the structure of American Avalanche Association classes and all chapters have been updated and reviewed by peer experts.

"If there is only one 'how to' book to read for the aspirant and expert alike, it is Freedom of the Hills. In fact, it is fair to say that Freedom is the definitive guide to mountains and climbing and has influenced pretty much every climber." -- Conrad Anker * 50th anniversary edition of the title considered "bible" of climbing * With nearly 1 million copies sold, this is the all-time bestselling mountaineering and climbing title * Printed on 100% recycled paper Since the publication of the first edition in 1960, Freedom, as the book is known, has endured as a classic mountaineering text. From choosing equipment to tying a climbing knot, and from basic rappelling techniques to planning an expedition -- it's all here in this essential mountaineering reference. A team of more than 40 experts -- all active climbers and climbing educators -- reviewed, revised, and updated this compendium to reflect the latest evolutions in mountaineering equipment and techniques. Major updates include a significant new chapter on conditioning, plus detailed and extensive revisions to rescue and first-response, aid climbing, and waterfall and ice climbing.

In 1963, the world followed the first American Mount Everest Expedition, and watched as "Big Jim" Whittaker became the first American to stand on top of the world. He returned home a hero. My Old Man and the Mountain is Leif Whittaker's engaging and humorous story of what it was like to "grow up Whittaker"―the youngest son of Jim Whittaker and Dianne Roberts, in an extended family of accomplished climbers. He shares glimpses of his upbringing and how the pressure to climb started early on. Readers learn of his first adventures with family in the Olympic Mountains and on Mount Rainier; his close yet at times competitive relationship with his brother Joss; his battle with a serious back injury; and his efforts to stand apart from his father's legacy. With wry honesty he depicts being a recent college grad, still living in his parents' home and trying to find a purpose in life―digging ditches, building houses, selling t-shirts to tourists―until a chance encounter leads to the opportunity to climb Everest, just like his father did. Leif heads to Nepal with all the excitement, irony, boredom, and trepidation that are part of high-altitude climbing. Well-known guides Dave Hahn and Melissa Arnot figure prominently in his story, as does "Big Jim." But Leif's story is not his father's story. It's a unique coming of age tale on the steep slopes of Everest and a climbing adventure that lights the imagination and fills an emotional human endeavor with universal meaning. "Whittaker writes as he climbs mountains, with courage, grace, and a dash of humility. The result is an utterly compelling tale of a young man who bravely tackles two great challenges--one made of rock and ice and one made of doubts and fears. Its's a great read." --Daniel James Brown, author of The Boys in the Boat.

CLICK HERE to download the chapter on "Backcountry Medicine" from Mountain Travel & Rescue(Provide us with a little information and we'll send your download directly to your inbox)Completely updated and expanded official rescue workbook of the National Ski Patrol, now available to other wilderness first responders and the general public* Authoritative and comprehensive mountain safety and rescue text -- your most valuable search and rescue equipment * Recommended for classroom and educational program adoption* All-new illustrationsAs a leading authority of on-mountain safety since 1938, the nonprofit National Ski Patrol has dedicated itself to serving the public and the outdoor recreation industry by providing education, and accreditation to emergency care and safety services providers. Their core mountain rescue educational workbook, Mountain Travel & Rescue (first published in 1995), was researched, written, and reviewed by volunteer members and experts from all over the country, and is designed to help ski patrollers train, rescue, and survive in mountain environments, at resorts, in the backcountry, and at any time of year. Mountain Travel & Rescue is a valuable piece of mountain rescue equipment. In addition to new illustrations, this edition offers significantly expanded lesson sections, a new backcountry medicine section, and more. Mountain Travel & Rescue: National Ski Patrol's Manual for Mountain Rescue is organized into four major sections: Survival, Travel, Backcountry Considerations, and Search and Rescue. It includes extensive appendixes, including medical equipment lists, a questionnaire, and a glossary and is a valuable tool for anyone who deals with search and rescue or is interested in mountain rescue basics.