Panther Gorge captures the adventure of one of the most remote, enigmatic regions of the Adirondack High Peaks.
Two thousand feet deep and lined with sheer cliffs, the rugged chasm sits between Mts. Marcy and Haystack, New York's first and third highest mountains. In between the jaws of the peaks sits an intriguing set of natural curiosities: spires, talus mazes, glacial erratics, ponds, rills, and forest. Panther Gorge begins with a detailed description of the area's topography followed by a rich history.
Step back into the 1800's and walk in the footsteps of author Alfred B. Street, surveyor Verplanck Colvin, and guides Orson "Old Mountain" Phelps and Jim Goodwin. Jump forward a century and read about the modern day pioneers of rock and ice climbing.
Part two of Panther Gorge chronicles the author's decade-long journey with other local mountaineers to develop new rock climbing and ice climbing routes . Vicariously experience a blustery winter ascent up blue ice or enjoy the serenity of exploring on a temperate summer morning.
If you are a hiker, climber, adventurer, or someone who appreciates the beauty of nature, Panther Gorge is a key addition for your collection and the only book dedicated to the subject.
Other content:
- Complete history of first ascents from 1965-2019.
- 37 firsthand accounts from 2009 through the winter of 2018.
- Foreword by Don Mellor, climber and author.
- Illustrations by Nolan Huther.
- Over 170 color photographs, maps, and route plates.
What others are saying:
Panther Gorge is one of our great unexplored frontiers, shrouded by myth and impenetrable krummholz. Kevin has done an outstanding job chronicling this remote wilderness, not only with exhaustive research, but with extensive, first-hand accounts and photography. The sheer number of climbing successes revealed in these pages leaves one slack-jawed. Panther Gorge is a culmination of Kevin's climbing skill and tireless thirst for discovery.
Jim Lawyer, Guidebook Author and Climber
A great contribution from one of our finest local mountaineers. Kevin's work has been useful to me on multiple levels. I have thoroughly enjoyed following his expeditions both on foot and paper. As a search and rescue professional, I've relied on his skills and knowledge several times during crucial situations. As an outdoor adventurist, he has taken exploration to new heights in an old landscape.
Scott van Laer, Forest Ranger (PBA of NYS)
Goodwin, Tony: - "Tony was born in 1949 and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, but spent every summer in Keene Valley. He finished climbing the Adirondack 46 High Peaks at age 11, and then worked seasonally at Johns Brook Lodge (1966-1968), as Adirondack Mountain Club "Ridge Runner" (1974), and chief of the ADK's first professional trail crew in 1979. He is a graduate of Williams College 1971 with a BA in History and graduate of Plattsburgh State College in 1980 with an MA in History. Additionally, Tony worked for the Lake Placid Olympic Organizing Committee as Venue Manager at Cross-Country and Biathlon 10/79 - 4/80. He worked as manager of Mt. Van Hoevenberg Cross-Country and Biathlon Area from 1981 to 1985. Tony is the Executive Director of Adirondack Trail Improvement Society from 1986 to the present. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Adirondack Ski Touring Council 1986 to 2014. Tony is also the editor of the Adirondack Mountain Club's "High Peaks Guide" through four editions from 1985 to the present. He served on the Citizens Advisory Committee to the High Peaks Wilderness Unit Management Plan 1990-1992."
MacKenzie, Kevin B.: - Kevin MacKenzie, also known as MudRat, first came to the Adirondacks with his parents as an infant and later moved to the Lake Placid, New York area with his wife, Deb. He is a hiker, climber, explorer, and photographer as well as an Associate Registrar at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Kevin is also a guide and serves as a volunteer for the New York DEC high-angle rescue team. He specializes in exploring the most remote regions of the Adirondack backcountry where he pioneers new rock and ice climbing routes. He continues to write online trip reports about his adventures. His articles and photographs have appeared in various publications including Blue Lines 2, Adirondack Rock, Climbing, Adirondack Life, Adirondac, Peeks, and the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies. Additional information may be found at www.adirondackmountaineering.com.
Mellor, Don: - Don Mellor is a climber, teacher, writer, and guide who has been climbing for forty-five years, most of it in the Adirondacks. His resume ranges from multi-day ascents of the biggest rock walls in Yosemite to first ascents of ice routes in Newfoundland. Locally, he's done more than a hundred first ascents, including Big Brother (NEI 5), Airie on Moss Cliff (5.12) and the first free ascent of Mental Blocks (5.12) on the big backcountry cliff of Wallface. Among his books are four rock and ice guides to the Adirondacks, the instructional Rock Climbing: A Trailside guide, American Rock, and Alpine Americas. Don also serves as a volunteer for the New York DEC high-angle rescue team and has worked on the steering committee of the Lake Placid Outing Club. He is currently an English teacher and climbing instructor at Northwood School in Lake Placid.
