Books published by Patagonia Books

A Modern-Day Pilgrimage to the Land of the Mythical Twenty-Pound TroutWhen the North American rivers turn icy and the grass turns brown, fly fishermen retreat to the fishing holes of their imaginations. In the great tradition of fishing literature, Chasing Rumor is the chronicle of one young angler's attempt to experience the fishing utopia he had created in his mind's eye. As with all rumors and imaginings, in some ways his journey fell short of expectations. In others, the highlight reel he'd created could not possibly prepare him for the adventures of this captivating and mysterious fisherman's mecca in a unique, pristine part of the world. Cameron Chambers first experienced Patagonia while working as a fishing guide on Chile's Futaleaufu River. Cameron's articles have appeared in Fly Fisherman, American Angler, Traveling Angler, and other magazines. When he is not fishing in Patagonia, Cameron is a firefighter in Seattle. He has also served as a smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service.

What do you think of when you think of Nature?Prolific author and National Geographic writer Doug Chadwick's fresh look at human's place in the natural world. In his accessible and engaging style, Chadwick approaches the subject from a scientific angle, with the underlying message that from the perspective of DNA humans are not all that different from any other creature. He begins by showing the surprisingly close relationship between human DNA and that of grizzly bears, with whom we share 80 percent of our DNA. We are 60 percent similar to a salmon, 40 percent the same as many insects, and 24 percent of our genes match those of a wine grape. He reflects on the value of exposure to nature on human biochemistry and mentality, that we are not that far removed from our ancestors who lived closer to nature. He highlights examples of animals using "human" traits, such as tools and play. He ends the book with two examples of the healing benefits of turning closer to nature: island biogeography and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. This book is a reflection on man's rightful place in the ecological universe. Using personal stories, recounting how he came to love and depend on the Great Outdoors and how he learned his place in the system of Nature, Chadwick challenges anyone to consider whether they are separate from or part of nature. The answer is obvious, that we are an indivisible from all elements of a system that is greater than ourselves and should never be neglected, taken advantage of, or exploited. This is a fresh and engaging take on man's relationship to nature by a respected and experienced author.

As featured in the documentary, DamNation (Patagonia, 2014).During his first summer, Spencer built a sheltered viewing platform, a place to sit with Sis and his notebook, and observe the denizens of the pool for months, and, finally, years on end. Shortly before setting up camp during his first season, Spencer cut the points off the hooks of all his steelhead flies, freeing himself to see more deeply the beauty of his surroundings. As the predatory urge faded, a kind of blindness went with it, and Spencer¿s eyes and mind became figurative hooks, enabling him to capture the stunning lives and behaviors of these charismatic wild creatures with an intimacy that has rarely been offered before.A distillation of fourteen years of detailed observations, in this surprisingly engaging almanac, Spencer records a natural history teeming with fish, water, vegetation, birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians, seasonal changes, and interesting events and stories. Spencer is a modern-day Thoreau, and the steelhead pool is his Walden Pond.

Sixteen-year-old Allen Steck made his initial climb, a first ascent of Mount Maclure in the Sierras, with no hardware, no ropes, no experience. But the event turned his into a mountaineer¿s life. Over 70 years later Steck has had a prolific climbing career, including a 1954 expedition to Makalu, a 1963 first ascent of the south face of the Clyde Minaret, and a 1965 first ascent of the Hummingbird Ridge on Mount Logan. In 1967, with Steve Roper, he co-founded and edited Ascent magazine. Two years later, his interest in the far reaches of the world led him to partner in Mountain Travel, Americäs first true adventure travel company.These are stories from the days when mountain climbing was discovery, when men like Steck forged new routes, both literal or literary. With dry humor and detailed recall, he captures the excitement and intrigue of a time when there were few rules and no guidelines. As he says, ¿We do not deceive ourselves that we are engaging in an activity that is anything but debilitating, dangerous, euphoric, kinesthetic, expensive, frivolously essential, economically useless and totally without redeeming social significance. One should not probe for deeper meanings.¿ With amazing photographs, many published for the first time, this memoir is a treasure, an inspiration, and an anchor to the foundation of the life-changing sport of alpine climbing.

Collectibles/Photography “The most fun and affordable Hawaiian vacation you will ever take.” Mark Cunningham, Bodysurfer“When I put on my aloha shirt, not only do I feel better but I’m certain that those who notice what I’m wearing feel a little something too. Such is the power of the aloha spirit.” From the Introduction by Gerry LopezNow completely updated and revised, The Aloha Shirt is the most colorful and complete book on the most enduring souvenir ever invented: the Hawaiian shirt.Overflowing with hundreds of images, this book recounts the colorful stories behind these marvelous shirts: as cultural icons, evocative of the mystery and the allure of the islands, capturing the vibe of the waterman culture and lifestyle—casual, relaxed, and fun.Drawing from hundreds of interviews, newspaper and magazine archives, and personal memorabilia, aloha shirt designer Dale Hope traces the splashy history of Hawaiian shirts from their beginnings right after the Great Depression to today, when they are enjoying a revival. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of full-color shirt images, vintage black-and-white photographs, and priceless examples of "Hawaiiana," the book features separate chapters on the innovative artists, risk-taking manufacturers, and stories behind the success of the world’s most famous shirt.The Aloha Shirt is both a dazzling, fun-to-browse art book and a fascinating chronicle of the world’s love affair with Hawai‘i.

Companion to the classic Yosemite in the Sixties, this book uses the words of the climbers of the time and artfully restored photographs to chronicle the historic first ascents of Yosemite’s “mile-high” granite walls, the legendary personalities who risked their lives to climb them, and how their endeavors initiated the birth of adventure sports.Better than half a century after the first ascent of El Capitan, the deeds of Yosemite’s 1950s-era Iron Age are no longer viewed as climbs or mere adventures. Rather, they are assaults on the human barrier, pushing that much higher.Yosemite in the Fifties gives the stage almost entirely over to the original source material, the first-person narratives, archive photos (artfully restored), and memorabilia particular to the seminal ascents of the era.These words, images, and design, when cast from critical angles, all reach across generations to resurrect vanished worlds. Yosemite in The Fifties is fashioned not so much as a book but as a wormhole back to an enchanted time in the history of exploration, and a classic era of Americana now lost in time.

Ramon Navarro, a third-generation subsistence fisherman and farmer who lives on the coast of Chile at Punta Lobos, learned to surf on a busted surfboard left by a visiting surfer. Since then he has become one of the top-ten big wave riders. He has used his surfing accomplishments to protect his home break, and he is admired around the world as an environmental activist: he fights resort development on the point, the building of pulp mills along on the coast, and sewage pipes that pollute the ocean off Pichilemu. Editor Chris Malloy created the film and book The Fisherman's Son, which focuses on Ramon's rise to big wave fame and how Ramon is using that notoriety to make his voice heard on activism issues. Contributors to the book include Gerry Lopez, Josh Berry, and Jack Johnson. Part of the proceeds to the book and film will be used to support Ramon's environmental efforts.

In the tradition of Douglas Chadwick''s best-selling adventure memoir, The Wolverine Way, Gobi Grizzlies creates a portrait of these rarest of bears'' fight for survival in one of the toughest, most remote settings on Earth. He demonstrates why saving this endangered animal supports an entire ecosystem made up of hundreds of interconnected plants and animals, from desert roses to Asiatic lynx and wild double-humped camels, all adapting as best they can to the effects of climate change. A parable of environmental stewardship in a legendary realm.