On Mount Hood: The Paperback
Though it’s not really my bag, it is part of my job to spread the word about On Mount Hood.
And so today, just a quick note and a very early save the date: the paperback version of On Mount Hood: A Biography of Oregon’s Perilous Peak will be released by Sasquatch Books on Tuesday, April 23, 2013. The next night, a celebration kickoff at Powell’s City of Books — and not the Hawthorn store, which was great for the launch of the book in 2011, but the big daddy at 1005 W. Burnside in Portland.
From the Sasquatch Books Spring 2013 catalog:
Brave on the page
Earlier this summer, Oregon writer Laura Stanfill commented on a picture I’d posted of On Mount Hood on sale at Powell’s. Then another author I met this year, Kim Cooper-Findling, passed my contact info on to Laura so we could connect.
I’m glad we did.
Laura graciously invited me to be a part of a pretty great book project she was putting together, Brave on the Page: Oregon Writers on Craft and the Creative Life. The book collects interviews and essays from 42 Oregon authors, including Cooper-Findling, Bart King, Matt Love, and many others. It’s also got one of my favorite mountains on the cover.
Laura published the book in a unique process through her own startup publishing house, Forest Avenue Press. The official release was yesterday, Oct. 8, and the book is available through the Espresso Book Machine at the downtown Powell’s and through ondemandbooks.com.
I don’t have my copy yet, but I’m looking forward to getting one. Anyone who’s interested in Oregon writers, craft and the creative life should be, too.
Thanks again, Laura.
On Mount Hood — on sale at Powell’s!
OK, so “On Mount Hood” didn’t get one of the coveted facing-out slots on this nice display rack of Sasquatch Books titles at Powell’s, but it’s part of it. (Second row from top, second book in.) And I’m not complaining. A great display, a great sale and price, and my favorite bookstore ever. Couldn’t ask for much more.
Mount Hood Gifts
A quick and last-minute list of some Mount Hood gifts for that alpine aficionado in your life:
1. On Mount Hood: A Biography of Oregon’s Perilous Peak — Shameless, I know, but sometimes that’s just the way the world works. If you’re in the Portland metro region, it’s not too late to get a signed copy for Christmas for just $15. You can also find it at Powell’s, Annie Bloom’s, Broadway Books and most other local bookstores. Here’s a list of stores outside of Portland, and you can always find it online at Powell’s, Abe Books, Biblio and Amazon.
2. A donation to Oregon Wild or Bark —
Feeling a little more philanthropic this holiday season? Consider making a donation to some of the great environmental groups that have worked — and are always working — to protect the region’s wild places, including, of course, Mount Hood. (Bark’s mission is more Mount Hood-centric, while Oregon Wild covers the entire state; both have played major roles in protecting Mount Hood and the Mount Hood National Forest.)
And as a bonus: both organizations are all about getting out and exploring the places they protect, so each offers regular outings as well.
On tap on Mount Hood from Oregon Wild at the moment: snowshoeing to Twin Lakes, Lost Creek and White River, all in January. And from Bark (in partnership with Cascadia Wild), a winter tracking snowshoe in the Mount Hood National Forest on Jan. 13.
For more information about either of these groups, visit www.bark-out.org or www.oregonwild.org. Note, too, that all donations to Oregon Wild through December 31, 2012, will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Mountain Rose Herbs.
3. Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries Lidar Map of Mount Hood — DOGAMI released this double-sided, water-resistant map last November. It includes 75 trails around Mount Hood, wilderness areas, roads, campgrounds, information for climbers and hikers, and a geologic overview. Just $6 at Nature of the Northwest.
4. Timberline Lodge Ram’s Head Fire Poker — Fashioned after the larger fireplace tools used at the storied Timberline Lodge, this hand-forged wrought iron poker is classic Timberline through and through. I met Darryl Nelson, the blacksmith behind much of the ironwork that’s been installed at Timberline over the past 30 years or so, and he told me guests regularly try to heist these out of the rooms. Not good. Instead, find them at the Timberline gift shop for $75. The shop also has a nice array of vintage-looking posters and artwork, books, souvenirs and more. Check it out.
Picking books
It had been a while since I’d stopped in my favorite book store, Powell’s City of Books, so I dropped in today after a meeting for work. In addition to some browsing, I picked up a couple new books. One, Bruce Cameron’s A Dog’s Purpose, has been repeatedly recommended by some trusted sources. The other, Andrew Krivak’s The Sojourn, I grabbed on impulse after hearing an engaging interview with the author on my way to Powell’s. I considered some of Jim Harrison’s novels too, after reading a profile of him in the latest issue of Outside magazine, but I had to draw the line somewhere.
Before leaving, I of course had to scan Powell’s Oregon section and the mountaineering section. Glad I did.
On the shelf
I just got back from a quick trip back to Ohio for a great family wedding and weekend with some hometown friends. It started off with a redeye, which doesn’t do much for sleep, and ended with a few tornadoes in Cleveland canceling my flight last night. Delta rerouted me through Atlanta this morning — had a 4:15 a.m. wakeup call — but they at least hooked me up with first class for the four-and-a-half-hour flight back home.
So, I’m feeling a little drained.
But I did get a nice little jolt once I got off the plane at PDX — and it wasn’t from the java I so badly needed. Instead, it came as I passed through Powell’s Books inside the airport. I was taking a quick gander, just to see if they were carrying a certain book on their shelves just yet.
They were.
On MOUNT HOOD 