An Adirondack Passage: The Cruise of the Canoe Sairy Gamp

By Christine Jerome

Book Overview

"A fine piece of work and a great delight."--John McPhee

Christine Jerome decides to repeat the 266-mile Adirondack canoe journey of George Washington Sears (pen name "Nessmuk"), a famous adventure and nature writer for the popular magazine Forest and Stream in the late nineteenth century. Part of what made his 1883 journey remarkable was the length of his canoe--a mere nine feet. The "Sairy Gamp" was the lightest of cockleshells, but could navigate rough lakes and stony rapids. Sears could heave it over his head and portage it between lakes for miles. So Jerome has a similar canoe built for herself, and sets off to see what has changed and what has remained on the water trail through the mountains.

The result is a classic of canoe literature: a beautiful paean to journeying silently in light craft. Her nature writing and knowledge of local history lends a depth and substance to every mile. She conjures up Teddy Roosevelt, the Whitneys and Vanderbilts, as well as old hermits and eccentrics. She tells of legendary crimes committed along the lakeshores, while keeping her expert ear tuned for birdsong in the trees.

An unforgettable account of traveling by canoe, and traveling back in time.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1621240002
• ISBN13: 9781621240006
• Release Date: April 2013
• Publisher: Breakaway Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

If you love to kayak, camp and canoe and a little history

What a great book! We spent a week kayaking the Adarondacks and a wonderful day at the Adarondack Museum. In it was the tiny little boat the Sairy Gamp. It sparked my interest to learn of George W Sears travels. Reading Christine Jerome's version of his and her travels was a joy to read. If you love camping, paddling and history you will love how she intertwines modern water travel with the 1800's and G.W. Sears writings. cathy

A Passage...

I came to know the work of Christine Jerome as a gift from her late husband John. For years John Jerome has been one of my favorite authors. While not, unfortunately, widely read; he remained true to his own voice. In many of his books he mentions his wife Chris, and with John gone I felt compelled to get to know Chris better, through her work. I am so glad I did. This is a fine, wonderful book. I hope to see more from Christine Jerome. Perhaps a biography of John.

An enticing piece of American history.

Christine Jerome not only covers the trips of G. W. Sears through the Adirandack but she covers the rich history of the region in detail. An excellent book for more than the canoe enthusiast.