My Favorite Outdoor Books

One of the things I enjoy doing is reading. Most of the time I read non-fiction. When I do read fiction books they are usually classics or literature. The thought of reading Tom Clancy or Mary Higgins Clark does nothing for me. I have read some Hemmingway, Moby Dick and other classics and enjoyed most of them.

However I strongly lean towards the non-fiction. The books that interest me the most are about traveling, exploring America or generally the great outdoors. Two years ago I mentioned in a post that I would put together a list of some of my favorite outdoor books. I finally got around to doing it. There is quite a range in topics from dogs to hitch hiking. They are in no particular order. If you read all these books, I’m sure your top ten would look different than mine so there is no need to rank them.

   Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey- Edward Abby was a park ranger at Arches N.P. before it became touristy. The roads were bad and the campground was primitive. He is very opinionated and gives his point of view on a range of topics along with stories of his time at Arches.

   Travels with Charley In Search of America, John Steinbeck- Steinbeck goes on a road trip with his dog Charley a giant poodle. They want to see the sites but it is more important for him to meet people in his travels. He traveled during the time the sixties when the country was being desegregated. Since I went to many of the same places as him out west, it is interesting how he interpreted these places compared to me.

   Everett Ruess A Vagabond for Beauty, John Nichols- Ruess was a kid that explored alone the Colorado Plateau. He went missing in 1934 and his body was never found. He loved the beauty of the west he could not live a conventional life. He needed to be outdoors soaking it all in.

   

    Walking with Spring, Earl V. Shaffer- There are many books about hiking the Appalachian Trail.   They are all equally interesting reads since everyone has different experiences. Earl happened to be the first person to thru hike the trail.

   One Life at a Time Please, Edward Abbey- This book is a series of essays. Topics range from immigration to Big Bend National Park. Abbey was not shy about his opinions. Agree or disagree with him, the topics make you think.

   

   Worthwhile Places Correspondence of John D. Rockerfeller Jr. Horace Albright

This book consists of the letters between Rockerfeller Jr. and Albright. Rockerfeller probably did more for the National Park system than any other private citizen. He donated much money, time, and land to it. He donated 55,000 acres that he purchased with his own money to add to Grand Teton. Albright was Head of the Park Service for many years. It is an extremely interesting read. Basically it is two first person accounts with thoughts and opinions from two people that cared deeply for protecting nature. If you watched National Parks America’s Best Idea by Ken Burns you will love reading this afterward.

   Riding with Strangers, Elijah Wald- This is a book about hitch hiking across the country. This guy was done it many times. He tells about the people he meets and the places he has slept. For anyone that thinks hitch hiking would be fun but will never do it because of the risks, it’s interesting to see the world through Eljah’s eyes.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place- Aron Ralston- This is the book 127 Hours is based on. This kid gets stuck in a slot canyon with a boulder crushing his hand. He has to choose between death and cutting his own hand off. Aron talks about other crazy things he has done during his life outdoors. A modern day classic that every young hiker has read.

   Into the Wild- Jon Krakauer- Another modern classic. Every true hiker knows the name Alexander Supertramp. It is about a kid that after graduating college leaves. He drifts around the west for a couple years leaving his mark on people he meets. He makes it to Alaska where he goes into the wild alone. True story well done.

   Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopald- Leopald was a true conservationist. He was one of the first to see the value in predators and fought to protect them. He was also one of the first to fight for wilderness protection. In the years since he wrote this book views have changed, science has improved but amazingly some of his theories and opinions were spot on.

   A Pirate Looks at 50, Jimmy Buffett- Jimmy goes on a three week trip across the Caribbean. Unlike some of the people on the above list, Jimmy has the money to do exactly what he wants. The book contains stories of his life. Talks of songs he has written and of course the trip itself. Buffett is one of the most interesting people alive to me because of the life he has lead and the fact that he appreciates every single memory he makes.

My very messy bookshelves

   Call of the Wild/ White Fang, Jack London- As fiction books go these are two of my favorites. Being a Jack London fan when you are outdoorsmen is a bit cliché’ but there is good reason. These two dog books are phenomenal. White Fang is about a wolf dog that starts off wild and his relationship with people grows stronger. Call of the Wild is about a giant dog named Buck that gets kidnapped from his home in California and becomes the ultimate sled dog. His heart is drawn to the freedom of being a wild dog.  Both are great books, I give White Fang the edge but Call of the Wild is the more popular of the two 

   Old Man and the Sea, Earnest Hemmingway- My favorite fiction book. I almost never read any book more than once. I’ve read this three times. In case you have lived under a rock, it’s about an old man that catches a huge fish miles from his port in Cuba. He is alone with his thoughts except for some man eating sharks that circle his small rowboat.

   My First Summer in the Sierra, John Muir- Muir took a job as a sheep herder, that is when he fell in love with the Sierra Nevada’s. First off it’s awesome to read a first persona account by such a great man. It is fun to read of him chasing bears away from the sheep herd. Muir was so far ahead of his time with his beliefs about conservation it’s not even funny.

So there you have it. This list ended up having fourteen books on it. I didn’t count them until I was done. I love all of these books.