Panther Gorge captures the adventure inherent to one of the most remote, enigmatic regions of the Adirondack High Peaks.
Two thousand feet deep and lined with sheer cliffs, the rugged chasm sits between Marcy and Haystack, New York’s first and third highest mountains. In between the jaws of the peaks sits an intriguing set of natural curiosities: spires, talus mazes, glacial erratics, ponds, rills, and forest.
Panther Gorge begins with a detailed description of the area’s topography followed by a rich history.
Step back into the 1800’s and walk in the footsteps of author Alfred B. Street, surveyor Verplanck Colvin, and guides Orson “Old Mountain” Phelps and Jim Goodwin. Jump forward a century and read about the modern day pioneers of rock and ice climbing.
Part two of Panther Gorge chronicles the author’s decade-long journey with other local mountaineers to develop new rock climbing and ice climbing routes. Vicariously experience a blustery winter ascent up blue ice or enjoy the serenity of exploring on a temperate summer morning.
If you are a hiker, climber, adventurer, or someone who appreciates the beauty of nature, Panther Gorge is a key addition for your collection and the only book dedicated to the subject.
Details
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228 pages with over 170 color photographs, maps, and route plates.
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General history beginning with its naming in the 1800's.
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Rock and ice climbing history with a complete list of first ascents from 1965-2019.
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37 firsthand accounts from 2009 through the winter of 2018.
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Edited by author Tony Goodwin.
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Foreword by climber and author Don Mellor.
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Illustrations by Nolan Huther.
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Printed in color on 70 lb. paper.
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ISBN-13: 978-0-578-48061-9.
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LCCN: 2019902719.
What Others are Saying / Book Reviews
Panther Gorge is one of our great unexplored frontiers, shrouded by myth and impenetrable krummholz. Kevin has done an outstanding job chronicling this remote wilderness, not only with exhaustive research, but with extensive, first-hand accounts and photography. The sheer number of climbing successes revealed in these pages leaves one slack-jawed. Panther Gorge is a culmination of Kevin’s climbing skill and tireless thirst for discovery.
Jim Lawyer
Guidebook Author and Climber
A great contribution from one of our finest local mountaineers. Kevin’s work has been useful to me on multiple levels. I have thoroughly enjoyed following his expeditions both on foot and paper. As a search and rescue professional, I’ve relied on his skills and knowledge several times during crucial situations. As an outdoor adventurist, he has taken exploration to new heights in an old landscape.
Scott van Laer
Forest Ranger (PBA of NYS)
Panther Gorge is proof that bold exploration is not just an endeavor of the past. The author is as indefatigable a remote explorer and climber as the Adirondacks is unique and Panther Gorge is seemingly untamable, wild and mysterious. This book depicts a dizzying array of climbing routes put up in recent years by many in the rock and ice community while demonstrating the author’s conviction that he and his colleagues will always preserve the Gorge’s mystique and “Forever Wild” character.
Dan Plumley
Mountaineer and Director, TOTEM Adirondack Consulting Group
The author presents an encyclopedic knowledge of Panther Gorge, especially its history, much of which is divulged through his own research. From the 19th century to modern-day events, the history of Panther Gorge contained in this book is, undoubtedly, the most extensive and thorough available in all of Adirondackana. For those interested in the historical aspects of the High Peaks, Kevin's book is a necessary addition to their library, and will serve as a reference for future works by other authors which touch upon Panther Gorge.
Whether the reader is an avid rock-climber, bushwhacker, Adirondack history nut, or someone who loves outdoor photos and true tales of adventure, Panther Gorge has something for everyone.
John Sasso
Adirondack Historian and Bushwhacker
REVIEWS
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Adirondack Daily Enterprise, 2019 Sept. 14
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Adirondac Magazine 2019 Nov./Dec.
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Catskill Canister 2019 Dec.
RETAILERS STOCKING PANTHER GORGE
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Adirondack Outdoor Enthusiast (Elizabethtown)
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Adirondack Wildlife Refuge (Wilmington)
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The Bookstore Plus (Lake Placid)
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High Peaks Cyclery (Lake Placid)
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The Mountaineer (Keene Valley)
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