Scraping Heaven: A Family's Journey Along the Continental Divide Trail

“Not only are readers given the opportunity to experience the sheer beauty and at times frightening dangers of the trail, but they also watch two children grow and learn to call the trail their home. Well written, captivating, and incredibly educational, this adventure is a lesson in the simplicity of life and the beauty of accomplishment.” —Publishers Weekly

"This is both an epic adventure of the first order and the heartwarming story of the family who accomplished it." —San Francisco Chronicle

Now available for the first time in paperback and ebook, Scraping Heaven is the story of a family’s adventurous trek over the rooftop of North America—a warm and heartfelt account with a powerful message for parents, long-distance hikers, and outdoor adventurers alike.

The Continental Divide Trail, a rugged 3100-mile footpath running along the crest of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico, is infamous for its tricky mountain passes and snowy traverses. In 1993, Cindy Ross, her husband, and their two toddlers set out together on the Trail. Using llamas as kid-carriers and packers, they successfully hiked the entire route over the next five summers, covering the last 700 miles on tandem mountain bikes in 1998.

A keenly observant storyteller, Ross deftly interweaves evocative descriptions of the landscape with dramatic accounts of sudden snowstorms, gale-force winds strong enough to lift a child, and heart-pounding wildlife encounters. Through it all, her intimate reflections on marriage, family, and children provide depth and interest far beyond the high Rocky Mountain peaks. Scraping Heaven features a new afterword by the author.
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Scraping Heaven: A Family's Journey Along the Continental Divide Trail

“Not only are readers given the opportunity to experience the sheer beauty and at times frightening dangers of the trail, but they also watch two children grow and learn to call the trail their home. Well written, captivating, and incredibly educational, this adventure is a lesson in the simplicity of life and the beauty of accomplishment.” —Publishers Weekly

"This is both an epic adventure of the first order and the heartwarming story of the family who accomplished it." —San Francisco Chronicle

Now available for the first time in paperback and ebook, Scraping Heaven is the story of a family’s adventurous trek over the rooftop of North America—a warm and heartfelt account with a powerful message for parents, long-distance hikers, and outdoor adventurers alike.

The Continental Divide Trail, a rugged 3100-mile footpath running along the crest of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico, is infamous for its tricky mountain passes and snowy traverses. In 1993, Cindy Ross, her husband, and their two toddlers set out together on the Trail. Using llamas as kid-carriers and packers, they successfully hiked the entire route over the next five summers, covering the last 700 miles on tandem mountain bikes in 1998.

A keenly observant storyteller, Ross deftly interweaves evocative descriptions of the landscape with dramatic accounts of sudden snowstorms, gale-force winds strong enough to lift a child, and heart-pounding wildlife encounters. Through it all, her intimate reflections on marriage, family, and children provide depth and interest far beyond the high Rocky Mountain peaks. Scraping Heaven features a new afterword by the author.
18.95 In Stock
Scraping Heaven: A Family's Journey Along the Continental Divide Trail

Scraping Heaven: A Family's Journey Along the Continental Divide Trail

by Cindy Ross
Scraping Heaven: A Family's Journey Along the Continental Divide Trail

Scraping Heaven: A Family's Journey Along the Continental Divide Trail

by Cindy Ross

eBook

$18.95 

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Overview


“Not only are readers given the opportunity to experience the sheer beauty and at times frightening dangers of the trail, but they also watch two children grow and learn to call the trail their home. Well written, captivating, and incredibly educational, this adventure is a lesson in the simplicity of life and the beauty of accomplishment.” —Publishers Weekly

"This is both an epic adventure of the first order and the heartwarming story of the family who accomplished it." —San Francisco Chronicle

Now available for the first time in paperback and ebook, Scraping Heaven is the story of a family’s adventurous trek over the rooftop of North America—a warm and heartfelt account with a powerful message for parents, long-distance hikers, and outdoor adventurers alike.

The Continental Divide Trail, a rugged 3100-mile footpath running along the crest of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico, is infamous for its tricky mountain passes and snowy traverses. In 1993, Cindy Ross, her husband, and their two toddlers set out together on the Trail. Using llamas as kid-carriers and packers, they successfully hiked the entire route over the next five summers, covering the last 700 miles on tandem mountain bikes in 1998.

A keenly observant storyteller, Ross deftly interweaves evocative descriptions of the landscape with dramatic accounts of sudden snowstorms, gale-force winds strong enough to lift a child, and heart-pounding wildlife encounters. Through it all, her intimate reflections on marriage, family, and children provide depth and interest far beyond the high Rocky Mountain peaks. Scraping Heaven features a new afterword by the author.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781680510355
Publisher: Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date: 02/11/2016
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 352
File size: 4 MB

About the Author

Cindy Ross is the author of six books including her first, A Woman's Journey on the Appalachian Trail, which has been in print for nearly thirty-five years and has become a hiking classic. Ross's work, most often on the gifts of recreation, the natural world, and travel, has appeared in dozens of publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post, and many others. She currently writes for the website and blog of Richard Louv's organization, the Children & Nature Network. She lives in New Ringgold, Pennsylvania, and can be found online at www.cindyrosstraveler.com.

Table of Contents

Prologue 13

Part 1 The Colorado Trail, 1992-1993

1 A Dream Takes Route September 1992 17

2 On the Road June 22, 1993 34

3 The First Week July 6, 1993 41

4 The Ten Mile Range July 16,1993 51

5 The Cochetopa Hills August 1, 1993 74

6 Company Arrives August 18, 1993 90

7 The Last Stretch August 25, 1993 104

8 At Home September 4, 1993 120

Part 2 The Continental Divide Trail: Canada to Chief Joseph Pass, Montana, 1995

9 A New Dream Spring 1994 129

10 A Challenging Start July 12, 1995 136

11 Scapegoat and "The Bob" July 25, 1995 149

12 Glacier National Park August 9, 1995 164

13 Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness August 26,1995 181

Part 3 Chief Joseph Pass to the Tetons, 1996

14 The Centennial Mountains July 1, 1996 197

15 The Beaverhead Mountains July 23, 1996 206

16 The Southern Bitterroots August 7, 1996 213

17 Yellowstone August 22, 1996 223

18 The Teton Wilderness August 28, 1996 230

Part 4 Through Wyoming, 1997

19 The Great Divide Basin June 21, 1997 241

20 The Wind River Range July 21, 1997 256

21 The Mikulsky Boys Augusts 8, 1997 270

Part 5 To Mexico, 1998

22 Northern Colorado July 28, 1998 285

23 The San Juan Mountains August 15, 1998 296

24 Cycling New Mexico September 6, 1998 305

25 The Last Days September 22, 1998 326

Epilogue 335

Afterword 339

Acknowledgments 345

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