Fun Facts About the AMC White Mountain Guide

Guide to the Paths and Camps in the White Mountains was the original name of the AMC White Mountain Guide. Named changed to Guide to Paths in the White Mountains and Adjacent Regionswith the publication of the second edition. In 1928, AMC published the seventh edition and changed the title going forward to AMC White Mountain Guide.

The first edition, published in 1907, sold for $1.

The first edition described camps and paths in only the northern and eastern portions of the White Mountains.

Charles W. Blood joined the Guidebook Committee and served for 54 years, from 1915-1969, making him the longest-standing committee member.

The second edition, published in 1916, marked the longest term (nine years) between two editions in the entire history of the guide.

The third edition, published in 1917, marked the shortest term (one year) between two editions in the entire history of the guide.

The ninth edition, published in 1934, included significant revisions due to the “explosive increase in the popularity of skiing and the intense activity of the Government in the construction of new trails and highways.”

The eleventh edition, published after the “longest period there had been between editions with the exception of the first and second,” was due to extensive trail rewrites caused by the Hurricane of ’38.

Guide attributed the six-year postponement of the twelfth edition update to the U.S. entrance into WWII, which “also created the serious problem of trail maintenance because of the acute shortage of man power, and the rationing of gasoline made regular inspection of the more remote trails a difficult task.”

Guidebook committee warned members that the 1946 edition would have the same bright orange color as the 1940 edition. “Thick waterproof covering is practically unobtainable, but what we reluctantly accepted is pre-war stock.”

Editions of the AMC White MountainGuidein the 1940s included the following formula for “Pinkham Notch Fly Dope” “in use by hutsmen for many years,” with the warning that it was “not recommended for delicate complexions or sensitive nostrils.”  Ingredients include 3 oz Pine Tar, 2 oz Citronella, 1 oz Olive Oil, 1 oz Oil of Pennyroyal, 1 oz Creosote, 1 oz Powdered Camphor, 1 large tube Carbolated Vaseline.

Waterproof maps offered separately starting with the 1946 edition.

The 1955 edition noted the impact of three hurricanes – Carol, Edna and Hazel – which hit New England in 1954, resulting in washouts and blowdowns from Evans Notch to Franconia Ridge. This edition also noted trails abandoned by the WMNF, including Swift River, North Riverside, and Old Mill.

Beatrice Lord, the first woman contributor, joined the Guidebook Committee in 1955.

The sixteenth edition, published in 1960, introduced the AMC Four-Thousand Footer Club and noted that 46 summits comprised the official list.

The following scenic areas were added to the seventeenth edition, following the Forest Service announcement in 1961 recognizing the creation of six scenic areas in the WMNF designed to preserve lands of outstanding or unique natural beauty: Gibbs Brook, Lafayette Brook, Pinkham Notch, Rocky Gorge, Sawyer Ponds, and Snyder Brook.

The twentieth edition, published in 1972, introduced “Guidelines for Wilderness Hikers and Campers,” including guidelines such as not cutting boughs for bedding, camping in designated areas, using portable stoves, and using special care above timberline.

The first color photography was added to the cover in 1983.

More people worked on the twenty-fifth edition than on the first 13 editions combined.

The first digitally rendered maps were introduced in the twenty-sixth edition, published in 1998.

The guide was rewritten in “plain English” in the twenty-sixth edition, marking a departure from the Victorian-era prose of earlier editions.

The twenty-seventh edition received the 2003 National Outdoor Book Awards Work of Significance, stating that, “If it's not quite gospel, it's darn close. No space is wasted: no graphics, no photos, and no nonsense. Just reliable and accurate information. With six full-color, pull-out maps, it is a ready-to-go package.”

The centennial edition is published in 2007.

Gene Daniell marks his twenty-fifth anniversary as editor with the publication of the twenty-eighth edition.