| North Rockies Man | |||||||||
|
Eldest son of a Macedonian immigrant family, George Evanoff set his roots deep in the mountains of northwest Canada. The Mountain Knows No Expert tells the story of a man raised in Depression-era rural Alberta who, in his spare time, went on to become a ski patrol leader, ski guide, avalanche specialist, conservation advocate, mentor, and pioneer in ecotourism in Canada’s northern Rocky Mountains. A product of the 1930s, George Evanoff first embraced Canada’s wild places through what he knew best from his youth—skiing, fishing and hunting. Over time, his interests broadened and he became increasingly concerned with conserving wild spaces and wildlife. Evanoff understood the mountains and nature, knew how to enjoy being there, and could stimulate others to a similar awareness, encouraging them to tread lightly on the land. Although widely regarded as an expert in the outdoors, he resisted that label, and ironically lost his life in a tragic encounter with a grizzly bear in 1998. His honours include the naming of Evanoff Provincial Park near Prince George, British Columbia.
Reviews
"Evanoff was not just the discoverer and first explorer of the cave, but a tireless proponent of wilderness conservation. Fang [Cave] is the reason that there are northern cavers at all—there’d have been no NBCCC without it—and the book’s account of the discovery and exploration of Fang makes for enthralling reading." BC Caver
"Evanoff, while an expert on snow conditions, avalanche formations, and other forms of outdoor intelligence, always maintained a wary respect for the power and unpredictability of nature that some of today’s outdoor enthusiasts could stand to learn from." Chetwynd Echo
"Nash deserves ample praise for walking the reader into the varied and ever unfolding mountaineering journey of George Evanoff... The title, The Mountain Knows No Expert, is a fit and fine guide for the biography. Evanoff was killed by a grizzly bear in 1998. Many other mountaineers with the highest qualifications have died in the mountains from a variety of accidents. The mountains always have the final say and sway, and even experts are not immune from the unpredictable nature of the wild and untamed backcountry—truly a basic lesson one and all should heed. The Mountain Knows No Expert is the sort of book that will hold the reader throughout the day and night. It’s hard to put down." North Call
"Evanoff offered leadership in the Alpine Club of Canada as [a] founding member of the Prince George Section, and his vision brought much needed leadership to the growing industry of ecotourism in the area he called home." 2009 Canadian Alpine Journal
Banff Essay
YouTube Preview!
Publisher's Web Site - Book
Publisher's Web Site - Author
Author's Web Site
© Michael Nash, March 2012
|
Dezaiko Range at sunrise with George Evanoff's hallmark walking stick in the foreground,
looking towards the peak on which the book's cover photo was taken (photo by Mike Nash)