Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada
Boston: James Osgood, 1872.
First Edition. Hardcover. Good+. 8vo - over 7 3/4 - 9 3/4" tall. 292 pp, in original maroon pebbled cloth with beveled edges; publisher's device on title page. Cloth chipped at spine ends, corners rubbed, very mild spine lean, musty. Binding solid, text unmarked. One of the great classics of American mountaineering, western Americana, and nature writing. King was a geologist and a member of the 1864 California Survey when he made his famous ascent of Mt. Tyndall in the Sierra Nevada, which is described here, along with ascents of Mt. Whitney and Mt. Shasta and exploration of the Yosemite Valley. "King melded scholarship with carefully crafted descriptions to present a comprehensive and moving narrative of the mountaineering experience. King loved the mountains and hoped that his account would lead to increased preservation efforts, but he feared that his book would promote additional tourism and regional degradation. He was right on both accounts" (Sierra Nevada Museum). Howes K148; Cowan p. 328; Graff 2329; Neate K21; Zamarano 80 #47.
Item #12492
Sold