Enter the Forest: Book Review

[coach hale]

Enter the Forest: Book Review

By Jamie Hale

Enter the Forest by Christopher Nyerges provides readers with a comprehensive look at the San Gabriel Mountains. Nyerges thoroughly describes and explains the flora, fauna, varied geology, and conditions during fires and storms that occur in the San Gabriel Mountains. He also reveals information concerning the Native Americans who once lived there. In addition to the information on the San Gabriel Mountains Nyerges discusses basic outdoor safety skills that can benefit everyone. He also provides readers with references to some of his favorite books.

Who is Christopher Nyerges


He is the author of seven books, and writes outdoor articles for various newspapers and magazines. He is currently the editor of Wilderness Way magazine. He teaches courses on Survival Skills, Wild Food Identification and many other topics related to the outdoors. He has been featured on local Los Angeles TV stations and appeared on Fox TV’s “X Show” where he demonstrated survival skills on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. He is a native of Pasadena, California who has explored the Angeles National Forest since early childhood. He has taken over 30,000 children and adults on outings.

Below I have provided a brief overview of the main sections as they appear in the book.

Earth


This section of the book begins with describing earthquake faults. Two basic fault lines are discussed including: a thrust fault, and a strike slip. This information is probably novel to many readers. I found it very interesting. Next, Nyerges explains the formation of the mountains. He takes us back 60 million years as he vividly begins describing the process, which gives us the mountains we see today. The section ends with a discussion of some of the animals, which reside in the Angeles National Forest. Footprints of some of the animals are shown in the book. Safety guidelines are also given in case you come into contact with an animal.

Air


Before venturing into the wilderness it is a good idea to be aware of the weathering systems. With changing weather conditions what can we expect? What type of weather can we expect in different locations? Four major weather systems are explained. Newspapers and the weather service are not the only ways to predict weather. Careful observation of the current conditions can help predict future conditions. Nyerges says, “Birds perch more and fly lower before a storm because the low-pressure air makes it harder to fly.” Many more useful tips similar to that one are given throughout the book. “ A red sunset generally indicates fair weather, and a red sunrise may foretell rain within 48 hours.” The final part of this section discusses Navigation Through the Forest. Have you ever thought it would be cool to be able to find your way using the sun or the stars? If so your wish has came true. Nyerges tells you how. He also gives advice on navigating with maps, compasses, wristwatches etc.

Water


Can I drink the water in the Angeles National Forest? It looks clean is it safe to drink? Drink the water only after it has been purified. Various purification methods are discussed in this chapter. To purify water you need to find it first. At certain times of the year, parts of the Angeles National Forest become desert like. In fact, part of the forest is a desert. Nyerges explain ways to find water that have proven successful even in the harshest conditions. Nyerges also gives a detailed description of a personal rainy day experience in the San Garbriel Mountains.

Fire

I found this chapter very interesting. The subtitle Learning to live with Fire grabbed my attention. Nyerges tells readers why controlled burning is good for the area. Benefits include killing bacteria that are harmful to trees, kill mainly sick and diseased animals, and decreases outbreak of plague and other diseases. Controlled burns decrease the chance of huge out of control forest fires. Nyerges says, “Without controlled burns, the fuel in the Forest builds up and large-scale fire catastrophes will be inevitable every few decades.” At the end of the chapter various fire building techniques are discussed. The primitive method of the bow-and-drill is discussed in detail. Nyerges does a great job describing this method. Other issues covered in this section include making fire in the rain and proper campfires.

History


Nyerges takes readers back in time and tells them how the Native Americans in this area once lived. This was a time when survival was determined by skills not high tech equipment. Tools were made from stones, bones, shell and wood. Cooking was done on flat rocks or in pots carved out of steatite. What was the food supply like in this area? Various plant foods and animal foods are identified. Learning about the Native Americans and the way they lived will give you a feeling of confidence when you venture into the woods. It also teaches us that high dollar fancy gadgets are not necessary for survival or happiness.

Safety


You need some basic gear when venturing into the wilderness. The gear should suit your needs not the needs of a sales person. I completely agree with Nyerges It Depends attitude. Your needs depends on several factors. Nyerges tells readers what these factors are and how to prepare for various conditions. The author points out gear essentials for day hikes and overnight trips. If you insist on traveling as light as possible there are a couple of things you definitely need including: a knife and magnesium fire starter. If you are going to hike for extended periods of time you need food. The quantity of food you need when day hiking will be different than the quantity needed while taking overnight trips. Nyerges points out that there are no Hiking Foods per se. Nyerges says, “Forget about what you read in some backpacking book about what foods you should carry. Simply select quality foods you enjoy.” Tips on avoiding accidents and treating injuries are also provided. The chapter ends with a discussion on Igloo building. I really enjoyed the Igloo building tutorial. I liked it so much I went to Youtube and watched various videos on Igloo construction.

Epilogue


Nyerges tells readers why he spends so much time in the wilderness. It is evident that Nyerges is very passionate about preserving and learning as much as he can about the wilderness. He has devoted his life to these causes.

My thoughts


Nyerges’s personal stories and descriptive writing style provides readers with an entertaining and educational look at the San Gabriel Mountains and basic survival skills. I found the book easy to read and informative. I plan on using the book diligently in preparation for future multi-day camping trips. The book has also sparked my interest in controlled burnings and their effect on the environment. The book contains 151 pages and costs $9.50. That is not a typo it costs $9.50 (ridiculously cheap). My knowledge of outdoor survival has improved due to reading this book. Now it’s time to put some of it into action.

Thanks,
Coach Hale
www.maxcondition.com

[LisaS]

Having grown up in the shadow of the San Gabriels this sounds really interesting. I may have to pick it up. My nephews also grew up hiking all the trails with Boy Scouts so they might like it as well. Thanks for the tip.

Speaking of fire, if you didn't know, we just had a major fire up through the backcountry there from mid-Aug to mid-Sep.