It is obvious from this blog that the Wood Booger love hiking, but some might not know I also love history. These two things came together with two books I found on eBay and they arrived this week.
These two books are from the 1970s one is A Sierra Club Hikers Guide to the Smokies and the second is Guide to the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Tennessee and North Carolina: Cherokee, Pisgah, and Great Smokies.
How I came to acquire these two books started with finding another Sierra Club Totebook, Hiking the Teton Backcountry. I found this book at Mr. K's in Johnson City and thought it was cool. Then a few years later I found a copy of the Hiker's Guide to the Smokies at Ed MacKay's Books in Knoxville, but I decided to pass on it and I regretted that decision ever since. Of the past couple of years, I had looked for one but never thought to look on eBay (which is funny because I am an eBay Seller). So, on my first search, I found one, but it was sold together with the second book the Guide to the AT. I knew that I was going to get them, how could I not.
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| The book that started it all. |
When I got home from the Cabin I found them in the mailbox. I knew what to expect from the Smokies notebook it had descriptions of trails and hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is obvious it is this book is the forerunner of the modern guide, Hiking Trails of the Smokies, or as it is known the Smokies Bible. One difference there are trails in the old one not in its modern counterpart...like the hike to Greenbrier Pinnacle. Maybe the coolest thing was the map in the book. I love old maps and this is is a good one. Speaking of maps it came with another old one, which is obvious, it didn't come with this one. This looks like it was one you picked up at the park, in the 70s.
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| I final got the Smokiesd bok. |
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| "The Smokies Bible." |
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| But it doesn't have this hike anymore. |
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| Smokies map circa 1970. |
While I loved it, I loved the AT Guide a little more. It is just so damn cool. I have a modern version and it is interesting to see some of the stuff that is the same, but even more what is different. One of the main ones is in the title as it is divided into three parts...Cherokee, Pisgah, and the Great Smokies. It still has the AT Sections, but it has these chapters which the modern book doesn't. Once again the best part of the book is the old maps, which are in the book not separate like today. There are three maps, one for each chapter, Cherokee, Pisgah, and Great Smokies they are sweet.
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| My modern edition of the AT Guide. |
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| The 4th edition from the 70s. |
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| Cherokee Map... |
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| ...Pisgah Map... |
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| ...& Great Smokies Map. |
Oh, one more bonus even though the person I got the books from lived in Indiana the book came for of all places Johnson City. Overall, these books are a great window into how these areas were almost 40 years ago...nice!
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| Gone, but not forgotten. |
I used the Murless and Stallings book for many years. It included the wilderness areas south of the Smokies. I still have my copy.
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