A number of Howe's accounts applaud the bravery of volunteer rescue teams, and the heart-breaking decisions that team leaders are called on to make. Among them is an incident that occurred on an August afternoon 14 years ago, when sub-freezing temperatures and winds in excess of 100 mph slammed into the Presidential Range. Under these conditions, with darkness fast approaching, a college student in charge of the Madison Springs Appalachian Mountain Club Hut had to decide between rescuing a dying man and risking the lives of rescue volunteers. Especially good about Howe's book is his reluctance to pass judgment. Instead of criticizing hikers whose poor judgment led to their undoing or the deaths of companions, he simply recounts in detail the steps that led to such terrible problems.
Readers draw their own conclusions.
In the eight months since its publication, Howe's book has sold 13,000 copies. It is about to enter its fourth printing. The New England Booksellers Association named it an Honor Book Winner. It was a finalist in the Mountain Literature category sponsored by the Banff Mountain Book Festival. We will let you know what is going on in news, sports and viewpoints.