There are 46 mountain peaks in the Adirondack Park that tower over 4000 feet in elevation, kindly and cautiously dubbed “the high peaks” by locals. Hiking History takes readers on a journey high up into the clouds to the summit of each, and far back in time on an adventurous and humorous expedition of the ancient region.

Every single peak in the Adirondacks has a story. This book aims to tell the best of them. Growing up in the shadow of these ancient mountains, Erik Shonstrom is the perfect everyman guide for such a quest. With stops at Whiskey Rock, where smugglers escaping prohibition era police smashed thousands of bottles deep in the forest to escape detection, visits to the wreckage of plane crashes high on densely forested mountain sides, and explorations of the people and places defined by these northern mountains, Shonstrom guides readers on an exploration of the wild corners of the northeast. Discover the region’s geologic past while climbing Whiteface; gain insight on the indigenous history of area while summiting Esther; explore the precolonial intersection of French trappers, English military, and land-hungry settlers while hiking the peaks surrounding Lake Champlain; and, grow a fonder and deeper appreciation of the founding and future of the country’s largest State Park.

Propelled along with hilarious descriptions of battling the elements in an attempt to climb each peak, Hiking History is a thoughtful and fascinating tour of the Adirondacks.