Heaven Up-h'isted-ness

As its title implies, Heaven Up-h'isted-ness! The History of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers and the High Peaks of the Adirondacks consists of two main parts. The first is a comprehensive history of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers: the origin of the sport of "46ing;" its impact on the Adirondack landscape; and the evolution of the organization from a Sunday School class in Troy, New York, whose members gathered socially to share hiking adventures, to an organization, with members from around the world, committed to conserving and preserving the High Peaks' environment.More than just facts and dates, the Club's history is illuminated through profiles of the individuals who molded the direction values and traditions that today's 46ers embrace in the dual role of "hiking partners" and "mountains stewards." Profiles include those of the first 46ers, guide Herbert Clark #1, and brothers George #2 and Robert "Bob" #3 Marshall; Grace Hudowalski #9, the first woman to climb all 46 peaks, and her husband Ed #6, who were instrumental in the founding of the club; and Adolph "Ditt" Dittmar #31, James Goodwin #24, Glenn Fish #536, and Edwin Ketchledge #507, all of whom provided insightful leadership for the club's growth. Their stories elucidate the excitement and satisfaction derived from exploring the Adirondack High Peaks, and what it means to be a Forty-Sixer.The second part of the book offers in-depth profiles of the 46 High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. Selections from the reports, journals, and diaries of the explorers, scientists, philosophers, and writers, as well as images from the artists, who were among the first visitors to the area in the 1800s, reveal a region of pure, majestic beauty. Expanding upon the research contained in Russell M. L. Carson's Peaks and People of the Adirondacks (1927), each chapter presents a thorough discussion of first ascents, the origin of mountain names, and descriptions of geology, flora and fauna, and history of the region, as well as anecdotes of personal experiences on the trails.