MOUNTAIN SUMMERS is an extraordinary collection of letters & diary entries which offers a rare, first-hand-female account of exploration & adventure in the White Mountains of New England during the late nineteenth century. Captured within these vivid & eloquent chronicles are the early days of recreational hiking & trail building in the northeast, a saga of which these women were an integral part. The women of MOUNTAIN SUMMERS & their families frequented the White Mountains for many years, taking up residence at various boardinghouses usually for the full length of the summer season. From these hostelries, they explored their surroundings, botanized, surveyed new paths & trails, & composed beautiful letters to each other about their discoveries. Their excursions, which would still be considered adventurous, primarily took place in what is now the White Mountain National Forest. The unique & inspiring relationships that develop throughout MOUNTAIN SUMMERS grow stronger over the years, perhaps due to "...that knitting of friendly ties for which the mountains have so subtle a power." Foreword by Laura & Guy Waterman. To order contact: Gulfside Press, P.O. Box 55, Gorham, NH 03581; 603-466-2658. Price: $16.95 plus $2 shipping.