by Keith and Heather Nicol
Books are always a welcome Christmas gift and 2 that might appeal to readers of this blog are from Ronsdale Press. The first book was published in April, 2025 and is called The Final Spire: Mystery Mountain Mania in the 1930's by Trevor Hughes. This book looks at the various attempts to climb the highest point in BC - Mount Waddington (initially called Mystery Mountain!). It weaves the story beginning when long time explorers Don and Phyllis Munday first glimpsed Mystery Mountain from of all places Mt Arrowsmith on Vancouver Island! The book examines various attempts to climb the mountain from various approaches - first from the ocean by the Mundays and then by others approaching from the East and includes a trip by 4 climbers from the flat lands of Manitoba. Who knew that the Alpine Club of Canada got started in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1906 and featured a woman as its first president. For those wanting to see what the climbers of almost 100 years ago had to deal with to explore BC's highest summit then this book is a must read.
Another book from Ronsdale Press that has just been reissued is Wilderness Mother: A Memoir of 13 years off the Grid. It was just revised and update and published on October 6, 2025. The book looks at a couple who raised their children in a cabin 160 km from the nearest paved road in the isolated Ningunsaw Valley in Northwestern BC. They lived there for 13 years- constructing their home and raising food in their garden. They even built a small dam to generate their own electricity! For anyone wanting to know what it is like to raise children in such a remote location and feel the seasons turn in a place of natural beauty then check out this classic wilderness book. The Ningunsaw Valley is now an ecological reserve and provincial park. Both of these books are available either online from Ronsdale Press or at your nearest bookstore.
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