Ramble On: A History of Hiking

How did hiking evolve from the upper-class European sport of alpinism, and the publication of an English travel guide, into an activity that now has millions of participants all over the world? Who built the thousands of miles of hiking trails that now crisscross America? What did early hikers wear, and what were some of the key innovations that led to our modern array of hiking gear and apparel?

Ramble On: A History of Hiking answers these and many other questions. It chronicles hiking's roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the 19th century, the first trails built specifically for hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as the evolution of hiking gear and apparel.

The book also includes anecdotal stories of trail development in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains, Mt. Rainier, Acadia and Glacier National Park, as well as the first trails to be blazed in the White Mountains of New Hampshire - America's first hiking destination. It also takes a look at some of the peculiar and quirky traditions of some of the early hiking clubs, including the Appalachian Mountain Club. One of the most compelling stories was the apparel women were forced to wear during the Victorian Era, and the danger those fashion standards posed to women who dared to venture into the mountains.