Outdoor Books: Whitewater, Idaho Paddling, Backcountry Skiing

Thomas Moran: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (Oil on Canvas, 1872)

Website Links . . .

Course Materials:
Outdoor Literature.
Outdoor Leadership.
Methods
Avalanche Safety..
Map & Compass.

A Guide to Outdoor Literature
.
(Extensive Outdoor Book Reviews, Award Winners, Lots of Reading Lists, Best Book Lists, and More)

Creative Work:

Books:
Idaho Paddling.
Winter Tales.
Never Turn Back.
Ski Camping.
Others.

Outdoor Education Professional Papers

Outdoor Resources

(Informational Articles, Equipment Lists, etc.)

Stories & Articles Index Page
(Outdoor adventure stories, profiles of old-timers, and reflections of days spent in the outdoors.)

Contact

...

Books
.
The following are books that I've written. A special thanks to Idaho State University for fostering and supporting my writing interests through the years.

Guide to Idaho Paddling | Winter Tales & Trails | Never Turn Back | Ski Camping | Outdoor Programming Handbook | Out-of-Print Books: The Whitewater River Book | Ski Trails & Old-timers' Tales

Guide to Idaho Paddling
Flatwater & Easy Whitewater Trips

Guide to ID Paddling Cover
288 pages
Paper
ISBN 1-877625-07-8
More Information

Background . . .
A.couple of years ago, I moved administrative work to a teaching position at Idaho State University. That left me with a summer off, and my wife, Kathy, and I made good use of it working on a guidebook to Idaho's easy rivers. We jumped in the truck with our canoe tied on top, and drove off, running rivers here and there throughout the state. We put a lot of loving care into the preparation of the book, doing everything ourselves: writing, editing, book design, photography, and cartography.
Information about the book . . .
This.is the first comprehensive guide on Idaho rivers which covers the state's flatwater and easy whitewater river runs. There are no death defying rapids here, just great laid-back trips down easy-going streams, and fun whitewater on exciting but safe and sane rivers.
All the runs can be done in an open canoe, but are also suitable for kayaks, inflatables and drift boats. The text is supplemented with enticing photography and beautiful, easy-to-use maps.

More Information on my author's site

Winter Tales and Trails
Skiing, Snowshoeing and Snowboarding in Idaho, the Grand Tetons
and Yellowstone National Park

Celebrating Winter . . .
Winter Tales.has a long, long history. I actually started on the earliest version of this book (called Ski Trails and Old-timers' Tales) in the mid 1970s, driving about Idaho and Montana during the winter in a Volkswagen Bug called Trolley. Trolley had the habit of breaking down in the most remote areas--and always during a storm.
By the late 1990s, I smartened up a little and began driving in a more reliable, though less personable, pickup truck and working on a new, updated version of the book. The result, published in 1998, is Winter Tales and Trails. Winter Tales has been completely rewritten from it's earlier incarnation and is ready for skiing and snowshoeing of the new millennium.

Here's what its all about . . .
Two.books in one! This 355-page book is the bible of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding and backcountry skiing in Idaho, the Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. It includes descriptions of hundreds of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails.
Backcountry aficionados will also find it invaluable with beautifully done aerial illustrations detailing snowboard and backcountry ski routes in some of the best terrain in the west. And the book is filled with stories, honoring and retracing the rich traditions of western winter travel.
To top it off, it has been carefully and lovingly designed which is obvious by its pleasing graphics, easy-to-use maps, enticing photography, and overall visual appeal.

More Information on my author's site

304 pages
Paper
ISBN 1-877625-05-1

More Information

Never Turn Back
The Life of Whitewater Pioneer Walt Blackadar

304 pages
Paper:
ISBN 1-877625-03-5

Hardbound:
ISBN 1-877625-02-7

Library Binding:
ISBN 1-877625-04-3

More Information

A Good Read . . .
Never Turn Back is the story of Walt Blackadar, the river running world's most famous personality. At the time of his death, there were dozens of other writers who could have written the book about Walt Blackadar--all of them far more widely known and more talented than I. When the Blackadar family came to me, after being approached by other authors, and asked if I would take on the project, I just stood there with my mouth open and said "Me?"
Ten years later when I was still working on Never Turn Back, some folks had come up with their own version of the title: Never Get Finished. Despite my best efforts otherwise, it did get finished. The research took me to Alaska twice. On one trip, Bob, Walt's son and I, along with others, ran the Alsek River, the river that made Blackadar famous. On that trip, we climbed Mt. Blackadar, the mountain which the Canadians named in honor of Blackadar's kayaking achievements. As we neared the summit, Bob went ahead and became the first to stand on top of his father's mountain.
Reviewers and readers have been generous to me, but it was Blackadar who really wrote his own book by the life he led. I simply retold the story of his life--and what an incredible life it was.

This is what Books In Print (the book world's main reference work) has to say about Never Turn Back:

"This fascinating and masterfully written book is considered one of the outdoor world's finest works. The Los Angeles Daily News awarded NEVER TURN BACK their highest rating for a book: `It's the best thing to come across this reviewer's desk in recent memory,' wrote Brett Pauly of the News.
    `Bully for Watters!' said the San Francisco Chronicle about author Ron Watters' wonderfully told story. William Bushnell of the Library Research Associates called it: `Magnificent...told with sparkling clarity...truly inspirational.'
Never Turn Back is the unforgettable biography of whitewater sport's most famous personality Dr. Walt Blackadar. Blackadar stunned the outdoor world when he ran the treacherous rapids of Turnback Canyon on the remote and wild Alsek River in Canada and Alaska. What made his solo journey through Turnback Canyon even more remarkable was the fact that he was 49 years old, an age when most athletes are long retired.
    Blackadar's story is powerful and uplifting. It is the story of the human spirit facing and overcoming great odds.
    Joining book reviewers in praise for the book are outdoor authorities such as World Whitewater Champion Barb Wright: `A work of art!'
    Other reviews: `A triumph! I couldn't put it down.' `Uncommonly well-written and well-edited.' `An inspiring book.'"

More Information . . .
More Information.on the book is found on my author's website.

Ski Camping
A Guide to the Delights of Backcountry Skiing

Winter's Beauty Close-up . . .
I admit. I'm a bit odd. I really enjoy camping in winter. A number of years ago, I wanted to write a book about it, and, at the same time, somehow capture the beauty and simplicity of it all. In that regard, I was helped by Phil Schofield. Phil was at the time, and still is, a National Geographic photographer. He was willing to spend long days photographing the backcountry in the winter and even accompanied me and eight others on a 10-day journey across Central Idaho's Gospel-Hump Wilderness during some the worst conditions imaginable.
I have much to thank Phil for. His dramatic and innovative black and white photos made Ski Camping much more than a run-of-the-mill instructional text, but rather a book of art and beauty.

More Information and Reviews . . .

Topics covered in the book include planning, equipment, clothing, food, trail techniques, skiing techniques, snow camping, winter shelters, route finding and winter hazards.
It has become a classic outdoor instructional book and is one of the most well received skiing books ever published. Here's what the reviewers have to say:

"This enticing book is for you who crave to ski where you make the first track, and stay out overnight as well. There are other books on this subject, but none so well done and so easily understood. Nordic skiing has been one of my favorite enterprises for 25 years, and this is the nicest introduction to that delight I've seen." - J. Baldwin, Next Whole Earth Catalog

"A splendid book with dramatic layout and striking photographs. A treasury of tips." - Lito Tejada Flores, Backcountry Skiing

"A delightful book. I kept looking for faults but came up empty handed. The array of information is vast." - Eric Evans, Nordic Skiing

"One of the most expansively and graphically exquisite winter travel books ever put together." - Ski X-C

More Information . . .
More information is found on my author's website.

154 pages
8.5" x 11"
Paper
1-877625-00-0

More Information

The Outdoor Programming Handbook

141 pages
Spiral Binding
ISBN 0-937834-12-2

This book is out-of print. Some of the chapters are reproduced on the ISU Outdoor Program website.

From the Programming End of Things . . .

I'll be honest about this book. It's getting a bit dated, but some folks may find it useful, particularly those who are setting up new programs. Largely designed for nonprofit outdoor recreation programs, it covers: liability, outdoor programming history, facilities and resources, funding and budgeting, promotion and advertising, disabled programming, goal formulation, personnel, outdoor trips, rental centers, evaluation of programs and military recreation.

I'm trying to get most of this book on-line. Three chapters of the book are currently found on the ISU Outdoor Program website: History, Approaches, Liability.)

"It does cover the basics, but with depth, conciseness and clarity one rarely sees in books covering such critical topics as outdoor liability and funding."

"The Outdoor Program Handbook is a valuable resource for coordinators of outdoor programming centers."

--Valerie Wetzel, Campus Activities Programming

Out-of-Print Books

The White-Water Book

Ski Trails and Old-timers' Tales

The White-Water River Book: A Guide to Techniques, Equipment, Camping, and Safety
TheWhite-Water River Book was published in 1982 by Pacific Search Press, a press made famous by their national best seller The Zucchini Cookbook. Pacific Search went out of business about two years after my association with them. I'm not sure if it was my book that sent them over the edge--or people were just getting sick of zucchini.
White-Water, a large format book with great photographs by Robert Winslow, was one of the early instructional books which covered both rafting and kayaking. The book also contained some terrific illustrations by Ron Lewis. I don't think the quality and usefulness of Ron's illustrations has been equaled in any whitewater instructional text published since. The Northwest Rafters Association has even used one of the illustrations for a logo on t-shirts and hats.
Contents include: Getting Started; Rafts; Kayaks and Other White-water Craft; Day and Overnight Equipment; Down the River; Reading White-Water; Kayak Technique; Raft Technique; Safety, Hazards Rescue and Emergency Repairs; Planning Multi-day Trips; River Cuisine; Camping and Lessening Environmental Impact; and Checklists
Since it is out-of-print, I'm trying to get all of the book and its illustrations on-line. Some of the text is available now on the ISU Outdoor Program website and more is on its way.

Ski Trails and Old-timers' Tales in Idaho and Montana.
Ski Trails, published in 1978, was my first book and the first by Solstice Press, a publisher from Moscow, Idaho. From the beginning, Solstice lived a hand-to-mouth existence. Not long after they published Ski Camping, my second book, the company went belly-up. Taking a dive along with Solstice were two years of royalties which I have to admit weren't much, but nevertheless, would have kept my Volkswagen Bug in good repair and on the road. During Solstice's waning days, I managed to obtain the rights to both books. Over the years since, I had Ski Camping reprinted twice. And I recently revised Ski Trails and re-published it as Winter Tales and Trails.

What's Happened to the Books Since . . .
Both of the original books are now out-of-print, but used copies can occasionally be found in stores specializing in used books. If you're interested, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other websites can do a search for you, but as I mentioned before, I hope to have a free, on-line version of White-Water on the Outdoor Program website. And, I don't recommend trying to purchase a used copy of Ski Trails. It's been extensively updated and revised as Winter Tales and Trails. The only parts from Ski Trails that I didn't include in Winter Tales were the chapters on western Montana. (A guidebook has since been written about Montana trails.)

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