The Mountain Trail and Its Message

by Albert W. Palmer, with commentary by Charles P. Fisk

(Publisher's press release)

This second edition of Albert W. Palmer's 1911 book contains the text of the original as well as many of the original photographs, taken by the author on his summer outings with the Sierra Club in the Sierra Nevada in the early years of the twentieth century. Sierra Club founder John Muir was Palmer's companion on some of these month-long mountain sojourns. A personal letter from Muir is included in this volume.

Palmer's grandson, Charles Palmer Fisk, has provided an introduction, photographs, and extensive notes and commentary to the text, the first of twelve books Palmer wrote. For those who already know and love the Sierra Nevada range, this book will evoke a strong sense of nostalgia.

For those who love mountains in general, but are not yet familiar with the "Range of Light," this book may provide a strong incentive to experience its splendors.

The Mountain Trail and Its Message is a resource for all who sense the spiritual nature of their relationship with God, with planet Earth, and with other people, particularly as experienced in wilderness places. The 96-page book is printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper.

Read excerpt from 1911 edition: A Parable of Sauntering which includes Palmer's account of a conversation with John Muir, who told Palmer he hated "hiking" - both the word and the thing!

A book jacket summary for this book is also available.

Source: Sixth Street Press, an independent publisher located in Fresno, California.

[This 1997 edition also contains an Epilogue by Palmer's great-grandaughter, Holly Van Houten, a Letter from John Muir to Walter Palmer dated Novermber 9, 1908, Biographical Notes about Contributors to the Second Edition, and Suggested References.]

Note: Use caution in purchasing: though the book is listed on several sources as being available in hardbound, paperback, or as a Kindle ebook on Amazon.com, those editions appear to be a simple reprint of the 1911 edition rather than the Sixth Street Press edition of 1997 with the added commentary by Palmer's grandson Fisk and additional notes and photographs.
First edition is also available free online from openlibrary.org

An free audiobook edition is available on YouTube, read by Bo Greigh, posted by Warren Smith, on YouTube.

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