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Liked It “If you are the type of people who enjoys the outdoor as much as i do, then this iis a must read book. When I first read the book I thought that the book is going to be based about california in the saquoia national park, but i was wrong. The plot actually took place right here in Minnesota up in...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“If you are the type of people who enjoys the outdoor as much as i do, then this iis a must read book. When I first read the book I thought that the book is going to be based about california in the saquoia national park, but i was wrong. The plot actually took place right here in Minnesota up in the boundary water. To those who likes to camp this is a book that will make you think twice before you start your hike through the woods of Minnesota, Boundary Water. ”
Yang Pao L wrote this review Monday, March 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Quick read about 2 different young men who get lost in the N. Minnesota boundary waters area. Well written tales of survival.”
Sue C wrote this review Wednesday, July 16 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I first posted this review in my blog and adapted it for here...
Sagecoveredhills wrote this review Wednesday, May 14 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The Boundary Waters and the Quento, in North Minnesota and Western Ontario, are vast wilderness areas. It’s hard to traverse this country without a canoe and it’s a place where the mastery of outdoor skills and the ability to read maps are essential. Yet, even with such skills, there will always be dangers as Griffith demonstrates as he tells of two skilled outdoorsmen who were lost in this region.
Jason Rasmussen was a medical student. With some time off, he planned a backpacking trip on the Pow Wow Trail in the Boundary Waters. It was late October 2001. He was well supplied, but got confused as the area he was hiking in wasn’t well marked and there were many blow-downs and old trails left over from the logging days. He made a wrong turn and spent his first night camping off the main trail. Thinking he was somewhere he wasn’t, he continued on the wrong path the next day. He also took out his map and, putting it inside his jacket, where it fell out. On his third day, without a good map, he took some snacks and went out scouting, trying to find his way back to the main trail with plans to head immediately to the trailhead. This time, he lost his way and the weather changed, the rain turning to snow. Unable to find his tent, he sought shelter in a hollowed trunk of a dead tree, where he spent the next seven nights. Although he had an orange tent, the snow covered it up, keeping rescue planes from spotting it. After a bit of warmer weather, the tent appeared and dogs were dispatched, and Jason was found, less than a mile from his tent.
Dan Sommers was a 22 year old guide for the Charles L. Sommers Boy Scout Canoe Base in Ely. In August 1988, he was leading a group of scouts and two adult leaders on a wilderness trip north into Canada and the Quetico. Looking for a portage, he went into the woods and never came out. The scouts and their leaders waited for a long time. When he never came out or returned their call, they moved on to find the portage and to set up camp. They kept going back and looking for Dan, but he never appeared. Dan, it turned out, had fell and hit his head. When he got up, he was confused and wandered around. As he gained his senses, he realized his problem. He started navigating by the stars and the sun—placing sticks in order to determine the way south, which was the way he knew offered his best chance for rescue. Along the way, Dan built shelters by stripping bark from trees. While he was fighting his way through the woods and against the mosquitoes, the scouts (whose radio wasn’t working), headed toward a remote ranger station where they were able to summon help. A search was just beginning to get underway when Dan ran into another scout group. He had spent three nights in the wilderness.
Griffith adds details to make you feel as if you’re with both Jason and Dan as well as with the rescue parties and the scout unit that had lost their guide. He alternates chapters, jumping back and forth from Dan to Jason. After a few chapters, I felt like I was watching a tennis match and gave up and read Jason’s story (skipping over Dan’s), then went back and read Dan’s straight through. The writing is engaging and the book is exciting. I read this book in just a couple of days. Wanting to finish it and know how things worked out, I put all other books aside. I recommend this book, especially to those who like wilderness travel, but I still think that Deep Survival (I reviewed it late last year), is a better all around book.”
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