Every summer for years, Jill Fredston and her husband, Doug Fesler, disappear for three to five months. The Alaskan avalanche experts, traveling in ocean-going rowing shells, head to the wilderness coasts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Sweden.
The pair has written about their adventures in "Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic’s Edge" ($24, North Point Press).
It’s a well-told tale of two people’s journey through the well-drawn big picture as well as the details. "Rowing" will be a bright spot in your winter when gray clings to everything else.
"The Granite Landscape" ($27.95, Countryman Press). The granite domes of the North Cascades’ Enchantments earn a chapter in Tom Wessels’ book, aptly illustrated by Brian Cohen. Of all the granites covered, the Mount Stuart batholith is the youngest at 90 million years old. Wessels precisely interprets the environment in stories told by geology and ecology, and opens readers’ eyes to the importance of place.
"Legendary Lighthouses II" ($$24.95, Globe Pequot). John Grant and Ray Jones deliver the second volume on lighthouses, also the companion book to the PBS series. Seen mainly through the eyes of the lighthouse keepers, their families and the captains who depend upon the beacons, "Legendary" focuses on Hawaii, Alaska, Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico sentinels. Slick pages and a generous amount of color photographs make this a good package.
"American Rock" ($27.95, Countryman Press). Is rock climbing in danger of becoming bland and boring because of the influx of mainstream climbers, climbing gyms and high-tech equipment that makes it safer than ever? Don Mellor fears a homogenized future, even as he celebrates the diversity of American climbing, both regionally, historically, geologically and personality. He also argues for more sensitivity to place in this intelligently written book.
"Condors and Vultures" ($16.95, Voyageur Press). Thank the stars for condors and vultures. David Houston offers a broader perspective on the scavengers than usually found in films, where the birds are often pictured circling a lion kill. He praises as well as describes the adaptations they have made, the niche they occupy, and the challenges they face from humans.
"Snowshoe Routes: Oregon" ($16.95, Mountaineers). Want to head to the Oregon mountains this winter for a change of scenery? Why not rent snowshoes and explore at a leisurely pace with Shea Andersen’s guide. Most of the 65 routes are near Portland, Eugene or Bend. Maps and descriptions of routes from easy to difficult, short to challenging long will take you Oregon’s winter wonderland.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at P.O. Box 860, Shaw Island, WA 98286. E-mail her at songandword@rockisland.com. Or call 360-468-3964.
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