AMC book: "At Timberline"

[arghman]

OK, I'm trying to find info on the book "At Timberline" by Fred Steele, published by AMC. Does anyone own a copy? What kind of plant species do they cover, and if I rattled off a few, could you check to see if they are included? I'm not sure when I'll be able to get to a decent bookstore that might have a copy.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I have a copy at home - somewhere. I will try to find it and look tonight and get back with an answer if someone doesn't beat me to it.

And yes, I would be happy to look up some info if I can put my hands on the book.

Keith

 

[arghman]

cool, OK, here are some "shibboleth" (look it up on wikipedia) species:

alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina)
cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus)
dwarf birch (not sure what its bot. name was at the time that book was published... either Betula nana or Betula glandulosum?)
Hornemann's willow-herb (Epilobium hornemanni)

I typically use the first two to decide whether or not to buy a plant ID book.

 

[bcskier]

cool, OK, here are some "shibboleth" (look it up on wikipedia) species:

alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina)
cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus)
dwarf birch (not sure what its bot. name was at the time that book was published... either Betula nana or Betula glandulosum?)
Hornemann's willow-herb (Epilobium hornemanni)

I typically use the first two to decide whether or not to buy a plant ID book.

The book describes, with illustrations, all four of your shibboleths though the dwarf birch is called alpine birch (Betula glandulosa) and the Hornemann's willow herb is called alpine willow herb (Epilobium Hornemanni) The bird illustrations are full color and all the others are black and white. FWIW the book weighs 13 oz. according to my postal scale.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

cool, OK, here are some "shibboleth" (look it up on wikipedia) species:

alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina)
cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus)
dwarf birch (not sure what its bot. name was at the time that book was published... either Betula nana or Betula glandulosum?)
Hornemann's willow-herb (Epilobium hornemanni)

I typically use the first two to decide whether or not to buy a plant ID book.

I found all of them in the book. The dwarf birch is actually listed in the book as an alpine birch (Betula glandulosa). The Hornemann's willow-herb is actually called the alpine willow herb in the book. Its a first edition with a copyright of 1982. The price listed on it is $13.95. Don't remember how long ago I bought this.

If you want more info let me know.

Keith

 

[arghman]

thanks both of you. Now I will have to buy a copy. I should have guessed, as Steele is (was?) one of those White Mtn botanists in a long line that goes something like Belknap, Cutler, Peck, Oakes, Boott, Robbins, Tuckerman, etc. I'm running out of shelf space...

I still wish AMC hadn't let its "Field Guide to the New England Summits" go out of print