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cascadetraverser
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PostThu Apr 23, 2015 2:52 am 
I just posted this in What are you reading section, but the story is so apropos for users of this forum I thought I would post it here as well: John Clarke, Explorer of the Coast Mountains; by Lisa Baile http://www.harbourpublishing.com/title/JohnClarke Readers of this forum would love this book; just read it and highly reccomend it!

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puzzlr
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PostThu Apr 23, 2015 11:25 am 
Bummer, not available in audio format at audible yet. This would be a perfect book to listen to while exploring and bushwhacking.

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NacMacFeegle
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PostThu Apr 23, 2015 12:20 pm 
Looks like an interesting read, I've never heard of John Clarke, he sounds like quite the explorer.

Read my hiking related stories and more at http://illuminationsfromtheattic.blogspot.com/
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Karen²
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PostThu Apr 23, 2015 12:36 pm 
John Clarke is to BC sort of what Fred Beckey is to Washington. He pioneered so much here in the rugged Coast Mountains and to this day his adventures are impressive. I had the pleasure of attending a talk at my work once where he described one of his adventures many years ago before his premature death. I still remember the tuna can he had from a food cash that was flattened and fully imprinted with grizzly teeth marks. lol.gif He was a very entertaining speaker and loved to promote and educate on environmental issues. I would also highly recommend a read of this book, even if you are not familiar with the mountains here in BC.

I leave only footprints...and lens caps. http://weekendswithmarmots.zenfolio.com
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cascadetraverser
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PostThu Apr 23, 2015 2:09 pm 
Karen: It truly was an amazing read. What a brave, tough dude. When reading the book, I also thought of who the cascade equivalent was and although Fred wrote the books, I would cast my vote for John Roper as the master of the long routes and first ascents in the North Cascades.

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hikermike
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PostThu Apr 23, 2015 9:42 pm 
Those Canadian books are certainly expensive....you cunnucks surely are rollin' in the dough

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gb
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PostFri Apr 24, 2015 8:50 am 
I followed the annual adventures of John Clarke in SW'ern BC through his reports in the Canadian Alpine Journal. They were generally to me the most interesting trip reports. He traversed most of the great glaciated sub-ranges of the BC Coast Range in many two week trips solo! The glaciers, of course, are the real deal with gigantic crevasses. Don't know if he carried a long pole for some of them, he never mentioned that he did. He wasn't a climber, per se, but summited many low-5th class peaks. He was an alpine traveler with no real equal in North America. In the last several years of his adventures he was joined by climbers like Don Serl and John Baldwin on his many superb and imaginative adventures. I'd think the book would be interesting not only for the adventures but for seeing into the man. John Baldwin, who has authored a book about lengthy ski tours in the same area, many of them originated by Clarke, went on to do the same types of adventures on skis.

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AlpineRose
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PostFri Apr 24, 2015 11:24 am 
I first saw John Clarke - Child of the Wind at a film festival. It eloquently reveals a beautiful soul.

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reststep
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PostWed May 13, 2015 1:53 pm 
cascadetraverser wrote:
When reading the book, I also thought of who the cascade equivalent was and although Fred wrote the books, I would cast my vote for John Roper as the master of the long routes and first ascents in the North Cascades.
It sounds like Clarke did a lot more solo stuff than Beckey or Roper.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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contour5
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PostWed May 13, 2015 3:04 pm 
The short films on the Climbing To The Clouds website are really nice. Thanks for posting the link, AR.

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gb
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PostWed May 13, 2015 5:41 pm 
Wonderful stuff through those links.

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Pyrites
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PostWed May 13, 2015 8:23 pm 
I looked at the publishing houses's other works. Wow. Looks like a real quality regional publisher.

Keep Calm and Carry On? Heck No. Stay Excited and Get Outside!
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Prosit
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PostSat Sep 04, 2021 7:07 pm 
I had been aware of John Clarke and his remarkable solo traverses in the Coast Range for a long time, but hadn't known much else about him. I was recently reminded of him, and discovered that this biography of him existed. (I should pay closer attention to this forum so I don't miss posts like this one alerting me to such books!) I also viewed the film mentioned. (gb has a new thread on the film here: Child of the Wind film). I bought the book and though it is a hard cover, I took it with me on a trip in the North Cascades this past week. There were some rain days, and once I started reading, it was hard to put it down. What a great book to read while moving through the high country. John Clarke was a remarkable human being. His story is very inspiring, and I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Harbor Publishing - John Clarke

Mike Collins, ChinookPass
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