Announcing the release of "Ramble On" - My new book on the history of hiking!

I’m very excited to announce the release of my brand new book on the rich and compelling history of hiking! Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World is an expanded edition of my original book, which was published in 2018. To give you a better idea of what the book encompasses, I've copied a portion of the introduction to the book, which is now available on Amazon.


Introduction:

How did hiking evolve from the upper-class European sport of alpinism and the publication of an English travel guide, into an activity that now has millions of participants all over the world? How did western cultures overcome their intense fear of mountains, and why were the social stigmas associated with walking rejected? What roles did the Industrial Revolution play in the development of hiking as a major pastime?

Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World answers these and many other key questions. It chronicles hiking’s roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the 19th century, the first trails built specifically for hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as what the early hikers wore, and what some of the key inventions and innovations were that led to our modern array of gear and apparel.

The book also includes anecdotal stories of trail development in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains, Mt. Rainier, Glacier and Acadia National Park, as well as the first trails to be blazed in the White Mountains of New Hampshire - America’s first hiking destination. It also takes a look at some of the peculiar traditions of some of the early hiking clubs, including the Appalachian Mountain Club. Among the more compelling stories is the apparel women were forced to wear during the Victorian Era, and the danger those fashion standards posed to women who dared to venture into the mountains.


Why Publish a 2nd Edition?

Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World builds upon the first edition of this book to reflect additional research, and to expand more broadly on a few topics. For example, I wanted to provide a better understanding of how the social trends that prevailed during the Age of Enlightenment influenced art, literature, religion and thought, which allowed hiking to bloom and eventually flourish. I also thought it was important to chronicle in more detail the crucial role the multi-generational Crawford family of New Hampshire played in the development of hiking. I also wanted to delve deeper into the first female hikers and mountaineers, while showing how women eagerly adopted these fledgling outdoor pursuits. As one other example, since publication of the first edition, a compelling new theory has emerged as to why Darby Field made his two ascents of Mt. Washington in 1642, which directly challenges the legend of him being the first hiker in America.

My hope is that you will you come away with a better understanding of what it took to make hiking one of the most popular outdoor activities in the world, and what we need to do to preserve our trails and the spirit of hiking for future generations to come.

To order your copy now, please click here.

Finally, I would really appreciate if you could share this post with any of your hiking friends and social media contacts who might be interested in this book!

Thank you very much!



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park