Ski Camping
A Guide to the Delights of Backcountry Skiing

General Information | Reviews | Sample Pages | Sample Chapter | Ordering Info

Winter's Beauty Close-up . . .

Though the years, I've had some wonderful experiences camping in winter.  I wanted to write a book about it, and, at the same time, somehow capture the beauty and simplicity of it all.  In that regard, I was helped by Phil Schofield.  Phil was at the time, and still is, a National Geographic photographer.  He was willing to spend long days photographing the backcountry in the winter and even accompanied me and eight others on a 10-day journey across Central Idaho's Gospel-Hump Wilderness during some the worst conditions imaginable. I have much to thank Phil for.  His dramatic and innovative black and white photos made Ski Camping much more than a run-of-the-mill instructional text, but rather a book of art and beauty.

More Information and Reviews . . .

Topics covered in Ski Camping include planning, equipment, clothing, food, trail techniques, skiing techniques, snow camping, winter shelters, route finding and winter hazards. It has become a classic outdoor instructional book and is one of the most well received skiing books ever published.  Here's what the reviewers have to say about Ski Camping:

"One of the most expansively and graphically exquisite winter travel books ever put together." - Ski X-C

Sample pages from the book, Ski Camping:

Sample Pages from Ski Camping: Camping & Cooking Chapter

Sample Pages from Ski Camping: Introduction to the Winter Hazards Chapter

If you'd like to examine the text in more detail, here's a sample chapter

Purchasing Ski Camping...

Details: 154 Pages - 8.5" x 11" - Paper - ISBN # 1-277625-00-0

You have your choice between a new copy or used copies. There is

only one (1) original new copy of the book left!  The cost is $550.00.   We will have the author personalize and sign the book for you.  

As mentioned above, if you decide to purchase it, we'll have it personalized and signed. This is the only new copy left - new books are not available elsewhere. (We know. We're the publisher.)

You can find used copies of Ski Camping for much less. For used copies, click here: Ski Camping (Used Copies)

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From the Programming End of Things . . .

The Outdoor Programming Handbook

I'll be honest about this book. It's getting a bit dated, but some folks may find it useful, particularly those who are setting up new programs. Largely designed for nonprofit outdoor recreation programs, it covers: liability, outdoor programming history, facilities and resources, funding and budgeting, promotion and advertising, disabled programming, goal formulation, personnel, outdoor trips, rental centers, evaluation of programs and military recreation.

I'm trying to get most of this book on-line. Three chapters of the book are currently found on the ISU Outdoor Program website: History | Approaches | Liability.)

"It does cover the basics, but with depth, conciseness and clarity one rarely sees in books covering such critical topics as outdoor liability and funding."
--Rod Neubert, Calpoly, San Luis Obispo, The Bulletin of the Association of College Unions--International.

"The Outdoor Program Handbook is a valuable resource for coordinators of outdoor programming centers." --Valerie Wetzel, Campus Activities Programming

Purchasing the Outdoor Programming Handbook . . .

Details: 141 pages - 8.5" x 11" - Spiral Binding - ISBN 0-937834-12-2

If you'd like a copy of the Outdoor Programming Handbook, it's available directly from the Idaho State Outdoor Program.  The cost is $35 (plus $4 postage).  Drop the Outdoor Program an e-mail and they'll send you a copy.

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Out-of-Print Books

• The White-Water Book

• Ski Trails and Old-timers' Tales

The White-Water River Book: A Guide to Techniques, Equipment, Camping, and Safety

The White-Water River Book was published in 1982 by Pacific Search Press, a press made famous by their national best seller The Zucchini Cookbook.  Pacific Search went out of business about two years after my association with them.  I'm not sure if it was my book that sent them over the edge--or people were just getting sick of zucchini. 

The book, beautifully designed and filled with great photographs by Robert Winslow, was one of the earliest instructional books which covered both rafting and kayaking.  The book also contained some terrific illustrations by Ron Lewis.  I don't think the quality and usefulness of Ron's illustrations has been equaled in any whitewater instructional text published since.  In fact, a couple of recently published books tried to duplicate Ron's style but the result is not nearly as artistic and instructional as Ron's work. The Northwest Rafters Association has even used one of the illustrations for a logo on t-shirts and hats. 

Contents include: Getting Started; Rafts; Kayaks and Other White-water Craft; Day and Overnight Equipment; Down the River; Reading White-Water; Kayak Technique; Raft Technique; Safety, Hazards Rescue and Emergency Repairs; Planning Multi-day Trips; River Cuisine; Camping and Lessening Environmental Impact;  and Checklists

Some of the book's text is available here: Kayaks and Other Whitewater Craft | Rafts and Drift Boats | Planning Multi-day Rafting or Kayaking Trips

Purchasing the White-water Book

Details: 204 pages - 8.5" x 11" - Paper - ISBN 0914718665

Used copies of the book are available. For information on used copies, click here: Whitewater Book (Used Copies)

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Ski Trails and Old-timers' Tales in Idaho and Montana.

Ski Trails, published in 1978, was my first book and the first by Solstice Press, a publisher from Moscow, Idaho.  From the beginning, Solstice lived a hand-to-mouth existence.  Not long after they published Ski Camping, my second book, the company went belly-up. Taking a dive along with Solstice were two years of royalties which I have to admit weren't much, but nevertheless, would have kept my Volkswagen Bug in good repair and on the road.  During Solstice's waning days, I managed to obtain the rights to both books.  Over the years since, I had Ski Camping reprinted twice.  And I recently revised Ski Trails and re-published it as Winter Tales and Trails.

Purchasing Ski Trails

Details: 272 pages - 6" x 9" - Paper - Library of Congress Card # 78-62074

It might be possible to find a used copy of the book on-line, but I don't recommend trying to purchase it.  It's been extensively updated and revised as Winter Tales and Trails.  The only parts from Ski Trails that I didn't include in Winter Tales were the chapters on western Montana. (A guidebook has since been written about Montana trails.)