Nicolas Howe’s eminently readable Not Without Peril does not strictly deal with skiing, but is packed full of history about Mount Washington. Much of that history is vital to mountaineers and backcountry skiers that visit the rock pile for earning turns. This richly researched book details several cases of outdoor recreationalists that decided to undertake an outing on Mount Washington that turned tragic and often fatal. Each case is meticulously reconstructed from start to finish by Nicholas Howe who uses a wealth of research to walk the reader through the most likely course of events based on recorded evidence and known details.

Recreational skiing only entered the Mount Washington scene during the past one hundred years with widespread use of the ravine only developing in the later third of the time frame covered by Not Without Peril. Despite only a few brief accounts of skier mishaps, backcountry skiers will gain invaluable wisdom about not challenging Mount Washington when the weather and/or snow conditions are not favorable. Turning back should always be the first option considered when plans go bad.