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In two weeks of July, with a 21-pound pack and boundless curiosity, Daniel Ford walked across New Hampshire's White Mountains. He met trail bikers, through hikers, peak baggers, Girl Scouts, juvenile delinquents, and the workers who repair the Old Man of the Mountains. In less crowded moments, he delved into the romantic past and uncertain future of this legendary greenbelt.

Daniel Ford: The Country Northward

"In The Country Northward, the self-reliance that distinguished our ancestors is very much a part of Daniel Ford's daily progress walking west to east across the White Mountain National Forest.... You are there with him to suffer the initial aches and pains of the first few days on the Appalachian Trail and to share in his sense of well-being on the fourth day out, when he hits his hiking stride....

"Ford's narrative is meaty fare, well marbled with facts and observations about the terrain he traverses, its history, the weather and how he copes with it, people he encounters along the trail, what he eats, where he sleeps, and how he finds his way when he leaves the beaten track for more solitary byways. Ford travels light, most of the time eating only pemmican, dried fruit, nuts, and freeze-dried bacon bar 'all jumbled together and run through a meat grinder,' with orange-flavored breakfast drink powder dissolved in water to quench his thirst."--Country Journal

Publishing history: This book was published in hardcover and softcover editions by New Hampshire Publishing Company in 1976. A large-format paperback edition is available for $19.95 from iUniverse in a program sponsored by the Authors Guild. It's now available at Amazon's online bookstore -- but see below!

Updated: Alas, now I've actually gotten my hands on a copy of the reprint, I can't recommend it, except to someone who wants to read the story for some reason. The text of course is excellent :) but the photos are like a run-of-the-mill xeroxing job. Too bad! The Authors Guild facsimile program worked fine for the novels, but it was a mistake in a book with photographs and other design elements. My advice is to look for a second-hand copy of the New Hampshire Publishing hardcover or paperback. There are usually one or two for sale on Amazon -- click here to see the "Collectible" items on offer. -- Dan Ford

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