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The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier
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Author:
Barcott, Bruce
Published:
Sasquatch Books 2011
Status:
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Description
A “provocative, highly original” profile of Mount Rainier—capturing the majestic beauty and deadly allure of one of the largest active volcanoes in the U.S. (Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air)
 
Mount Rainier is one of the largest and most dangerous volcanoes in the country, both an awesome natural monument and a formidable presence of peril. In The Measure of a Mountain, Seattle writer Bruce Barcott sets out to grasp the spirit of Rainier through an exploratory, meandering, and deeply personal journey along its massive flanks. From forest to precipice, thinning air to fractured glaciers, he explores not only the physique of Rainier but the psychology and meaning of all mountains—and the deep connection that exists between humans and landscape.
 
What he finds is a complex of moss-bearded hemlocks and old-growth firs, high meadows that blossom according to a precise natural timeclock, sheets of crumbling pumice, fractured glaciers, and unsteady magma. Rainier’s snow fields bristle with bug life, and its marmots chew rocks to keep their teeth from overgrowing. The mountain rumbles with seismic twitches and jerks, seeing one-hundred-thirty earthquakes annually . . . Rainier is an obsession, a temple that attracts its own passionate acolytes—from scientists and priests to rangers, and mountain guides—as well as a monument to death. Referred to by locals as simply “the mountain,” it is the single largest feature of the Pacific Northwest landscape—provided it isn’t hidden in clouds. Visible or not, though, Rainer’s presence is undeniable.
Filled with adventure, poignant personal reflections, and fascinating mountain lore told by Indian chiefs, professional guides, priests, and scientists, The Measure of a Mountain is one man’s stirring quest to reconcile with a dazzling creation of nature, at once alluring and sometimes deadly.
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Nature
Sports & Recreations
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Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
02/01/2011
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781570618000
ASIN:
B004VRMDAS
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APA Citation (style guide)

Bruce Barcott. (2011). The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier. Sasquatch Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Bruce Barcott. 2011. The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror On Mount Rainier. Sasquatch Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Bruce Barcott, The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror On Mount Rainier. Sasquatch Books, 2011.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Bruce Barcott. The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror On Mount Rainier. Sasquatch Books, 2011.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Date Updated:
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      • bioText: Bruce Barcott contributes major articles on environmental and adventure topics to Outside magazine. He is a former staff writer at the Seattle Weekly and has contributed to The New York Times Magazine, Men’s Journal, Harper’s, and Slate, among other publications.
      • name: Bruce Barcott
publishDate
2011-02-01T00:00:00-05:00
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title
The Measure of a Mountain
fullDescription
A “provocative, highly original” profile of Mount Rainier—capturing the majestic beauty and deadly allure of one of the largest active volcanoes in the U.S. (Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air)
 
Mount Rainier is one of the largest and most dangerous volcanoes in the country, both an awesome natural monument and a formidable presence of peril. In The Measure of a Mountain, Seattle writer Bruce Barcott sets out to grasp the spirit of Rainier through an exploratory, meandering, and deeply personal journey along its massive flanks. From forest to precipice, thinning air to fractured glaciers, he explores not only the physique of Rainier but the psychology and meaning of all mountains—and the deep connection that exists between humans and landscape.
 
What he finds is a complex of moss-bearded hemlocks and old-growth firs, high meadows that blossom according to a precise natural timeclock, sheets of crumbling pumice, fractured glaciers, and unsteady magma. Rainier’s snow fields bristle with bug life, and its marmots chew rocks to keep their teeth from overgrowing. The mountain rumbles with seismic twitches and jerks, seeing one-hundred-thirty earthquakes annually . . . Rainier is an obsession, a temple that attracts its own passionate acolytes—from scientists and priests to rangers, and mountain guides—as well as a monument to death. Referred to by locals as simply “the mountain,” it is the single largest feature of the Pacific Northwest landscape—provided it isn’t hidden in clouds. Visible or not, though, Rainer’s presence is undeniable.
Filled with adventure, poignant personal reflections, and fascinating mountain lore told by Indian chiefs, professional guides, priests, and scientists, The Measure of a Mountain is one man’s stirring quest to reconcile with a dazzling creation of nature, at once alluring and sometimes deadly.
reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: Utterly absorbing . . . A marvelous bio
      • content:

        "With distinctive wit and uncommon intelligence, Bruce Barcott has penned a . . . provocative, highly original appreciation of a great mountain. He is a hell of a writer." --Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air "

      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        September 29, 1997
        High above the domiciles and roadways of Seattle looms Mt. Rainier, a beautiful but forbidding shape that dominates the landscape and draws people of the region to discuss, view, climb and possibly to die in their attempts to understand and tame the volcano. A mixture of first-person narrative and natural history, this book from Seattle Weekly columnist Barcott chronicles the past, present and possible future encounters with this impressive monolith of the Northwest. Barcott is not a cavalier outdoorsman. He describes his attempts to understand the ecology and history of Mt. Rainier with a genuine fear of the harshness and severity of high-altitude climbing, and with wonder at the ecosystems he finds above. A chapter called "Aerial Plankton" details the activities of winter insects living on the snowy slopes of the mountain. "Volcano" describes a scenario in which the mountain does not erupt but collapses, sending millions of cubic meters of mud, water and ice into the surrounding populated areas. Many of these musings take place on the trail, and we share in Barcott's deep happiness and gratitude for a warm shower and dry bed after days on the mountainside. Providing clear information on the heritage, history and fascination this mountain creates, Barcott captures the glowing spirit that surrounds Mt. Rainier and, at times, those who are drawn to it.

popularity
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shortDescription
A “provocative, highly original” profile of Mount Rainier—capturing the majestic beauty and deadly allure of one of the largest active volcanoes in the U.S. (Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air)
 
Mount Rainier is one of the largest and most dangerous volcanoes in the country, both an awesome natural monument and a formidable presence of peril. In The Measure of a Mountain, Seattle writer Bruce Barcott sets out to grasp the spirit of Rainier through an exploratory, meandering, and deeply personal journey along its massive flanks. From forest to precipice, thinning air to fractured glaciers, he explores not only the physique of Rainier but the psychology and meaning of all mountains—and the deep connection that exists between humans and landscape.
 
What he finds is a complex of moss-bearded hemlocks and old-growth firs, high meadows that blossom according to a precise natural timeclock, sheets of...
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      • code: SPO029000
      • description: Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering
      • code: TRV025130
      • description: Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)