The Mountain Knows No Expert: George Evanoff, Outdoorsman and Contemporary Hero

by Mike Nash

Overview

The Mountain Knows No Expert epitomizes George Evanoff's philosophy towards the outdoors, while presenting an intriguing contrast with the man himself. Widely regarded as an "expert," he was a knowledgeable, experienced, and practical outdoorsman, teacher, and mentor, yet ironically lost his life in the mountains in an encounter with a grizzly. Son of a Macedonian immigrant family, George was raised in Alberta, and went on to become a mountaineer, guide, avalanche specialist, and pioneer in ecotourism in British Columbia’s North Rockies.

The many themes embedded in Evanoff's life experiences encompass self-propelled backcountry travel, outdoor safety, avalanche safety and rescue, ski patrol leader, exploration and discovery, outdoor ethics, and public involvement with respect to land and resource use. George Evanoff was honoured in several tangible ways after his death, culminating in the naming of Evanoff Provincial Park in the Hart Ranges of the Rockies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770705128
Publisher:	Dundurn Press
Publication date:	02/23/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,060,171
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Mike Nash is the author of Exploring Prince George Outdoors and Outdoor Safety and Survival in British Columbia's Backcountry. He has also published more than 450 works, including newspaper columns and magazine feature articles. He lives in Prince George, British Columbia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Prologue: Path of a Hero 9

Chapter 1 Thanksgiving 1998 17

Chapter 2 Early Years and Rural Alberta, 1932-45 28

Chapter 3 A Young Man Blossoms 44

Chapter 4 Settling in British Columbia 63

Chapter 5 Big-Game Hunting 89

Chapter 6 Dall Rams the Hard Way 107

Chapter 7 Search and Rescue 115

Chapter 8 Avalanche! 131

Chapter 9 Backcountry Beckons 149

Chapter 10 Underground 170

Chapter 11 North Rockies Ski Tours 186

Chapter 12 Land and Resource Planning 207

Chapter 13 Fight with Cancer 223

Chapter 14 European Origins 229

Chapter 15 Bearpaw Ridge 236

Epilogue: Legacy of a North Rockies Man 257

Appendix I George's Mentors 265

Appendix II Backcountry Affiliations 268

Appendix III Land and Resource Planning in British Columbia 278

Appendix IV Tributes 280

Notes 288

Bibliography 302

Index 309

About the Author 319