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cascadetraverser Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 1407 | TRs | Pics
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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 Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7216 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:25 am
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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 Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2014 Posts: 2653 | TRs | Pics Location: United States |
Looks like an interesting read, I've never heard of John Clarke, he sounds like quite the explorer.
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Karen² A Real Canadian Girl
Joined: 25 Jul 2002 Posts: 1367 | TRs | Pics Location: Behind the Lens |
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Karen²
A Real Canadian Girl
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Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:36 pm
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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. 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.
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cascadetraverser Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 1407 | TRs | Pics
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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 Member
Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Posts: 1238 | TRs | Pics Location: Tacoma |
Those Canadian books are certainly expensive....you cunnucks surely are rollin' in the dough
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6303 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:50 am
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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 Member
Joined: 08 May 2012 Posts: 1953 | TRs | Pics
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reststep Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 4757 | TRs | Pics
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reststep
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Wed May 13, 2015 1:53 pm
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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
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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contour5 Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 2962 | TRs | Pics
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contour5
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Wed May 13, 2015 3:04 pm
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6303 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Wed May 13, 2015 5:41 pm
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Wonderful stuff through those links.
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Pyrites Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2014 Posts: 1880 | TRs | Pics Location: South Sound |
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Pyrites
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Wed May 13, 2015 8:23 pm
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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!
Keep Calm and Carry On?
Heck No.
Stay Excited and Get Outside!
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Prosit Member
Joined: 08 May 2011 Posts: 128 | TRs | Pics
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Prosit
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Sat Sep 04, 2021 7:07 pm
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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
Mike Collins, ChinookPass
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