Book Description

Ramble On: A History of Hiking How did hiking evolve from the upper-class European sport of alpinism and the publication of an English travel guide into an activity that now has millions of participants all over the world? Who built the thousands of miles of trails that now crisscross America? What did early hikers wear, and what were some of the key innovations that led to our modern array of hiking gear and apparel? And what were some of the reasons why people hiked, and how have those changed over time? Ramble On attempts to answers these and many other questions. This book chronicles hiking's roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the nineteenth century, the first trails built specifically for hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as the evolution of hiking gear and apparel. The book includes anecdotal stories of trail development in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, such as Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains, Mt. Rainier and Acadia, as well as the first trails that were blazed in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, America's first hiking destination. It also takes a look at some of the peculiar and quirky traditions of some of the early hiking clubs. One of the most compelling stories was the apparel women were forced to wear during the Victorian Era, and the danger those fashion standards posed to women who dared to venture into the mountains. Ramble On also takes a look at some of the issues that currently impact hikers and trails, such as overcrowding and social media, and takes a peek into the future on how some of these trends could unfold.