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Karen Berger | |
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| Born | New York, N.Y. |
| Occupation | Author |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | Northwestern University |
| Genre | Travel, Hiking, Adventure, Music |
| Notable works | America's Great Hiking Trails, America's National Historic Trails, Great Hiking Trails of the World |
| Notable awards | Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards (gold), National Outdoor Book Award (silver) |
| Website | |
| www | |
Karen Berger (born 1959) is an American writer, long-distance backpacker, and speaker. She is the author of adventure narratives, guidebooks, instructional books, and essays about the U.S. national scenic and historic trails, worldwide trails, and hiking and backpacking skills and techniques. [1]
In 2000, she became the sixth woman to be recognized by the American Long Distance Hikers Association (West) for completing the Triple Crown of Hiking by hiking the Continental Divide Trail (1990), the Appalachian Trail (1994), and the Pacific Crest Trail (1997), a total of nearly 8,000 miles. [2] [3] She completed additional treks in the United States, Nepal, Japan, New Zealand, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, England, Scotland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Switzerland, and Canada. These experiences, combined with her previous work experience as an editor, led to her career path as a writer specializing in hiking and adventure travel. She lives in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
Berger was born in New York, New York. She grew up in New Rochelle, New York, and attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
After graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts in music, Berger worked as an editor first for the Instrumentalist (a music magazine), and later, for Longman Financial Services Publishing. In between, she took gap years to travel, hike, write freelance articles, and teach in outdoor education programs. [4] In 1987, she became a book acquisitions editor for Island Press, a Washington, D.C. based publisher specializing in environmental books. In 1988, she was married to Daniel R. Smith, a professor of history at Iona College in New Rochelle.
In 1990, Berger left Island Press and Smith took a sabbatical from Iona; the couple hiked the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail from Mexico to Canada. [5] On their return, they co-authored Where the Waters Divide, a book about their journey, which received national attention. Reviews in regional media (San Francisco Chronicle, [6] Flint Journal (Michigan), [7] Rocky Mountain News, [8] ) and national media (The Wall Street Journal, [9] E, the Environmental Magazine, [10] Publishers Weekly [11] ) discussed how the book combined an adventure narrative with digressions into western American history, western water policy, grazing on public lands, fire suppression policy, and the Endangered Species Act.
With publication of Where the Waters Divide, Berger embarked on her career as an author specializing in hiking and adventure travel. [12] She served as a technical consultant for Trailside, a PBS television show about outdoor adventure, for which she wrote three companion books published by W. W. Norton. She was a contributing editor for Backpacker magazine, [13] where she wrote feature articles and three books published by the Mountaineers Books. Berger became the hiking expert at GORP.com, one of the first outdoor websites on the Internet to combine community forums with activity, skills, and destination content. [14] She commissioned and edited articles, wrote feature stories, answered readers’ questions, and managed discussion groups. [15] She was one of four writers featured in a chapter in the 1997 book edition of Writer's Market about how to be a successful freelancer; [16] her career was also profiled in the American Society of Journalists and Authors publication, ASJA Monthly. [17]
Berger and Smith collaborated on two more books but separated in 2003 and later divorced. Berger moved to the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, where she divided her time between writing and teaching piano. [18] She wrote three books on music for Alpha Books' Complete Idiot's Guide series, as well as more books on hiking and adventure travel. Her articles for print and online periodicals were published in the Saturday Evening Post, [19] NBC News, [20] Outside, [21] and others. From 2000 until 2009, she wrote the instructional “Outdoor Smarts” column for Boy Scouts of America's Scouting magazine. [22] In 2012, she started the travel website, Buckettripper. [23] Starting in 2014, she wrote a series of books for Rizzoli covering the 11 National Scenic Trails, the 19 National Historic Trails, and 38 major global trails. The series received national media coverage from such publications and organizations as USA Today, [24] the Chicago Tribune, [25] Frommer's, [26] Forbes.com, [27] Afar, [28] the American Hiking Society, [29] and the Partnership for the National Trails System, [30] and was featured in best-of lists and in gift-book round-ups [31] [32] [33] in The New York Times Book Review, [34] in Associated Press-affiliated newspapers around the United States, [35] and in People Magazine. [36]
Berger has appeared as a speaker for organizations such as the Continental Divide Trail Alliance (later reorganized as the Continental Divide Trail Coalition), the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, [37] the Pacific Crest Trail Association, and the Smithsonian. In 2018, she added live piano music; her combination lecture-music-slide show was the opening night presentation at the annual meeting of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association. [38] As a result of her books, speaking, articles, and media about her activities, she became a resource for journalists writing about hiking-related subjects in such publications as The New York Times, [39] Sports Illustrated, [40] U.S.A. Today, [41] and the San Francisco Chronicle. [42] She has appeared as a guest on radio shows on NPR, [43] [44] the Martha Stewart Radio Network, and the Outside Radio Network, as well as local stations. [45]
America's National Historic Trails
Great Hiking Trails of the World,
America's Great Hiking Trails
Knots
The Pacific Crest Trail: A Hiker's Companion (with Daniel R. Smith)
Backpacking and Hiking
Be Prepared: Hiking and Backpacking
Hiking the Triple Crown
Hiking Light Handbook
More Everyday Wisdom
Everyday Wisdom
Scuba Diving
Advanced Backpacking
Hiking and Backpacking
Where the Waters Divide (with Daniel R. Smith)
Along the Pacific Crest Trail (with Daniel R. Smith, Photography by Bart Smith)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Piano Exercises
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Teaching Music on Your Own
The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Piano Chords
Journeys of a Lifetime, National Geographic, 2007. ( ISBN 978-1-42620-125-7)
Appalachian Trail Reader
You Can Do It! The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown Up Girls
National Outdoor Book Award , Silver in 2021 in “Journeys” [49] for America's Natiomal Historic Trails
Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award, Gold in 2015 for “Best Travel Book” for America's Great Hiking Trails [50]
Foreword Reviews/Indie Book of the Year Awards
North American Travel Journalists Association: 11 awards in 2012 [54] and 2013. [55]
Official Websites:
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A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hiking" is the preferred term in Canada and the United States; the term "walking" is used in these regions for shorter, particularly urban walks. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the word "walking" describes all forms of walking, whether it is a walk in the park or backpacking in the Alps. The word hiking is also often used in the UK, along with rambling, hillwalking, and fell walking. The term bushwalking is endemic to Australia, having been adopted by the Sydney Bush Walkers Club in 1927. In New Zealand a long, vigorous walk or hike is called tramping. It is a popular activity with numerous hiking organizations worldwide, and studies suggest that all forms of walking have health benefits.
The Tuscarora Trail is a 252-mile (406 km) hiking trail in the eastern United States, following the Appalachian Mountains through portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Its route is roughly parallel to, and to the west of, the Appalachian Trail.
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles east of the U.S. Pacific coast. The trail's southern terminus is next to the Mexico–United States border, just south of Campo, California, and its northern terminus is on the Canada–US border, upon which it continues unofficially to the Windy Joe Trail within Manning Park in British Columbia; it passes through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.
The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of 3,028 miles (4,873 km) between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and the border with Alberta, Canada. Frequent route changes and a large number of alternate routes result in an actual hiking distance of 2,700 miles (4,300 km) to 3,150 miles (5,070 km). The CDT follows the Continental Divide of the Americas along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. In Montana near the Canadian border the trail crosses Triple Divide Pass.
Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey and may involve camping outdoors. In North America, tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain huts, widely found in Europe, are rare. In New Zealand, hiking is called tramping, and tents are used alongside a nationwide network of huts. Hill walking is equivalent in Britain, though backpackers make use of a variety of accommodation, in addition to camping. Backpackers use simple huts in South Africa. Trekking and bushwalking are other words used to describe such multi-day trips.
The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nation". There are four types of trails: the national scenic trails, national historic trails, national recreation trails, and connecting or side trails. The national trails provide opportunities for hiking and historic education, as well as horseback riding, biking, camping, scenic driving, water sports, and other activities. The National Trails System consists of 11 national scenic trails, 21 national historic trails, over 1,300 national recreation trails, and seven connecting and side trails, as well as one national geologic trail, with a total length of more than 91,000 mi (150,000 km). The scenic and historic trails are in every state, and Virginia and Wyoming have the most running through them, with six.
The National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) was formed in 1997 as an American-based non-profit program which each year presents awards honoring the best in outdoor writing and publishing. It is housed at Idaho State University and chaired by Ron Watters. It is sponsored by the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, Idaho State University and the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. As of 2021, awards have been presented in 13 categories, although not all categories are awarded in any given year.
Thru-hiking, or through-hiking, is the act of hiking an established long-distance trail end-to-end continuously.
Ultralight backpacking is a style of lightweight backpacking that emphasizes carrying the lightest and least amount of gear. While no technical standards exist, some hikers consider "ultralight" to mean an initial base weight of less than 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). Base weight is the weight of a fully loaded backpack at the start of a trip, excluding worn weight and consumables such as food, water, and fuel. Base weight can be lowered by reducing the weight of individual items of gear, or by choosing not to carry that gear. Ultralight backpacking is most popular among thru-hikers.
Backpacker is an American lifestyle magazine publication that features information on wilderness hiking and adventure. It has been published since 1973. Backpacker magazine is currently published by Outside and is based in Boulder, Colorado.
Andrew Skurka is an American professional backpacker who is best known for his two long-distance hiking firsts—the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop and the 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route. He was named the 2007 "Adventurer of the Year" by National Geographic Adventure and the 2005 "Person of the Year" by Backpacker magazine.
Cameron McNeish FRSGS is a Scottish wilderness hiker, backpacker and mountaineer who is an authority on outdoor pursuits. In this field he is best known as an author and broadcaster although he is also a magazine editor, lecturer and after dinner speaker as well as being an adviser to various outdoor organisations.
Fastpacking is a combination of trail running and ultralight backpacking. It is described by writer Clint Cherepa as "hiking the ups, jogging the flats, and running the downs", depending on the gradient, because of the weight carried. Participants carry a light pack with essential supplies, including a sleeping bag and tent, or similar form of shelter, if mountain huts or other accommodation is not available. The weight carried will vary but fastpackers aim at no more than 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and some achieve less than 10 pounds (4.5 kg). This activity may be undertaken either unsupported, self-supported, or supported. "Unsupported fastpackers make no use of outside assistance along the route", while self-supported fastpackers will leave caches of supplies along the intended route.
Ron Strickland is an American conservationist, long distance trail developer, and author. He is the founder of the 1,200-mile (1,900 km) Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT) and of the proposed transcontinental Sea-to-Sea Route. He is the author of nine books including his 2011 memoir Pathfinder: Blazing a New Wilderness Trail in Modern America.
Robert C. Birkby is an American trail designer and an author who authors Boy Scount handbooks.
The Triple Crown of Hiking refers to the three major U.S. long-distance hiking trails:
Francis Tapon is an author, global nomad, and public speaker. He has walked across the United States four times via its three major mountain ranges. He also walked across Spain twice. He was the first person to do a round-trip backpacking the Continental Divide Trail. In addition, he thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail southbound. He has traveled to over 100 countries of the world. Lastly, he is the author of the self-help travelogue Hike Your Own Hike and the travel narrative The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us. He traveled to all 54 African countries from 2013 to 2018 and climbed to the highest point of 50 of those countries. In 2019, he was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame.
The Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 to support and promote the interests of long-distance hikers in the Appalachian mountain area and east of the Mississippi. It "was the first organization of long-distance hikers in the United States".
Elizabeth Thomas is a thru-hiking champion and former women's unassisted speed record holder for the 2,181-mile (3,510 km) Appalachian Trail. She holds the hiking "Triple Crown," having completed the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. She is the pioneer of the Chinook Trail in Washington and the Wasatch Range in Utah. She is Vice President of the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West, an ambassador for the American Hiking Society, and an outdoors writer for Wirecutter, a New York Times publication. She is also Editor-in-Chief of Treeline Review, a hiking gear publication. As of 2018, she completed 20 long-distance wilderness hikes.
Bart Smith is an outdoor photographer who concentrates on documenting America's National Trails System. Over the course of more than 25 years, he became the first person to hike and photograph all of the 11 national scenic trails and to traverse all of the 19 national historic trails. The 30 national trails go through all 50 states, with a total mileage of more than 50,000 miles.
