Rendezvous at Jumbo Pass: A Twisting Tale of Wilderness Survival

By Nowick Gray

A wilderness cabin becomes a dream-box of catastrophe and survival, in this true adventure with a paranormal twist. Will, a treeplanter, hikes with a companion to meet his wife and 3-year-old daughter in BC's remote Jumbo Pass. An overnight storm pushes Will to the brink of deadly choices, at fate's mercy. Their idyll darkens with Will's hellish predicament, as the seventh dream door crashes shut. He must act under agonizing pressure, and the disorientation of clashing realities. Will he find the strength and wisdom to overcome the odds and avoid disaster? Rendezvous at Jumbo Pass breaks the mold of linear narrative by splitting its ending into multiple, coexisting plot threads, or timelines, twisting away from a nightmare hallway of seven doors. The story plays out a mystery of magic realism against the backdrop of vast natural beauty in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia (Think Groundhog Day in the heart of the Canadian wilderness). Once conceived as a "choose your own adventure" tale using hyperlinks, in this version the narrative is apparently linear... but not really. The "Groundhog Day" device of the time loop kicks in, and the main character must do the choosing himself, time after time until he gets it right. Genre categories: action and adventure, creative nonfiction, literary fiction, magic realism, metafiction, experimental "Exciting and honest writing that awakens us to our humanity and interconnectedness with nature. The gripping story technique creates a transparency in even the simplest activities of the characters, holed up in their remote cabin on the crest of a mountain, and that makes every choice, every moment verge on the miraculous." -Frank Burnaby, author of Island Born "Rendezvous took me by surprise in its utter seamlessness. Though the narrative thread twists, loops and even knots, its captivating forward momentum never skips a beat." -Sally Ross, author of The Selfward Facing Way "Suspense-filled details culminating in twists of possibilities... a slide show of white-knuckle catastrophe." -Raye Rabbitfoot, author of Ley Lines "Nowick Gray artfully weaves us through a harrowing journey of 'what ifs, ' forcing us to reflect upon those times we desired something badly and pursued it perhaps recklessly. This was an easy and enjoyable read that left me contemplating my own reasons for hiking in the wild." -Kim Maddin Topical Update: 2015 saw the end of a two-decades-long battle over a proposed mega-resort at Jumbo Pass. Italian investor Oberto Oberti had pushed the scheme relentlessly, with thousands of tourist beds, multiple ski-lifts, lodges, condos, roads, and infrastructure. Popular opposition in both the East and West Kootenay valleys rose to the challenge, bring direct action, petitions, scientific studies, First Nations claims, and wildlife issues to bear on the confrontation. Finally the developers fell short of meeting the environmental assessment requirements, and their permit expired. Yet the war goes on, as Oberti vows now to sidestep environmental process by reducing the number of beds below 2000. Learn more about the issue and see the breathtaking beauty of the area in the 2015 documentary film Jumbo Wild. Please also sign the online petition to save this unique pristine wilderness area for future generations.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1517408393
• ISBN13: 9781517408398
• Release Date: September 2015
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 114 Pages
• Weight: 0.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 8.0"