The New Scudder's Guide (2nd ed. rev. 2005)

Originally published by Bondcliff Books (1995) and then reprinted by High Top Press (2000), Scudder's White Mountain Viewing Guide has now been released in a 2nd revised edition by High Top Press. It features 6 panoramic line drawings from the various compass points from 54 summits of mountains mostly in NH but a few in VT, ME, and QC. The first edition had 43 summit panorama sets. New ones include Mt. Hight, Milan Hill (fire tower), etc. Also new to this second edition are GPS waypoints of 53 mountain summits. This is NOT a guide book to trails, Scudder warns, but an aide to identifying what you see from the summit. There's a short bio of Scudder at the end. I never knew much about him, indeed was not even sure he was still alive when I used the first edition. He's got a degree in meteorology, spent a year in Anarctica, three at the South Pole, and got "Scudder Peak" named after him. Beyond the line drawings, there are interesting tidbits in this book. For instance, Scudder anticipates t-storms (he spends a lot of time on summits so naturally worries about them) by carrying a small battery-powered A. M. transistor radio and listening between stations for static. He says it often gave him 2 hour warnings on approaching t-storms (p. 317). That's a new one to me!

Im very excited about it! My copy is supposed to ship from Barnes and Nobles on Thursday. Not in time for the weekend, but it will be here for NEXT weekend . I think the idea of the book is very cool!
Brian

???

Where were two of the three years spent at the South Pole if not in Antarctica?

Raymond said:

Where were two of the three years spent at the South Pole if not in Antarctica?

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Raymond, thanks so much for correcting my typo. For "three," read "three months."

I get it now.

Is Scudder Peak in Antarctica?

I wonder, too, where he got the transistor radio. Are they even made anymore? That's a great idea, though, to carry one and listen for the static.

A walkman will do as well, as will any other AM radio tuner. With a bit of practice, you can gauge the storm's range, although direction is a guess.

About a year after the first edition came out, he was advertising for someone to climb mountains all over Maine on clear days and to take panoramic pictures for a Maine version. I never saw one get published.

I just heard about this book on Saturday. Some folks (Gram & Peter) brought some photocopies to the top of Mt. Jackson for Flags on the 48. I picked up a copy at the Highland Center on the way home I was so intrigued.

Paradox said:

I just heard about this book on Saturday. Some folks (Gram & Peter) brought some photocopies to the top of Mt. Jackson for Flags on the 48. I picked up a copy at the Highland Center on the way home I was so intrigued.

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Welcome to the club! This has been my favorite book for the 54 peaks he covers since I discovered the 1st Ed. (which had only 43) a couple of years ago. I think I can mention without betraying a confidence that Brent Scudder is a VFTT'er, with a screen name that doesn't sound anything like Brent Scudder. He isn't a frequent poster, however.

Waumbek said:

I never knew much about him, indeed was not even sure he was still alive when I used the first edition.

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A couple winters ago I was on a group hike on a coolish day that included Mr. Scudder, I actually sat next to him at the restaurant afterwards but did not talk about his book. I guess after Antarctica nothing else seems cold. Since then I have twice seen people on Carrigain with his book, they even carried the whole book and not just photocopies.

That hike series seemed to also be an authors' tour, including Dan Allen who will talk about mountain safety with anybody and Julie Boardman who considered her book over & done with although one of the subjects of the book was also on the hike.

Saw Mr. Scudder at Staples yesterday with sketches for his new book, roadside panoramas for people (like himself who don't get up mountains as often any more

Didn't think to ask when it will come out

Long ago soon after the first edition, he or someone else was looking for hikers to get panoramas for various summits in Maine for a strictly Maine edition. Although it was probably doomed as a commercial success, darn I wish I had one.

Brent S. shelved plans for a Maine edition when he decided that panoramas for summits he hadn't been to himself weren't practicable.

I am happy to hear that he is making progress on his "roadside panoramas" volume, on which he has been working for several years.

Can't wait to get a copy. Thanks for posting