Two in the Far North, Revised Edition: A Conservation Champion's Story of Life, Love, and Adventure in the Wilderness

About the Book

Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award A Northern classic and beloved favorite, Two in the Far North chronicles the incredible story of Margaret "Mardy" Murie, called the Grandmother of the Conservation Movement, and how she became one of the first women to embrace and champion wilderness conservation in America. At the age of nine, Margaret Murie moved from Seattle to Fairbanks, not realizing the trajectory life would take her from there. This moving testimonial to the preservation of the Arctic wilderness comes straight from her heart as she writes about growing up in Fairbanks, becoming the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and meeting-and then marrying-noted biologist Olaus J. Murie. So begins her lifelong journey in Alaska and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where along with her husband and others they founded The Wilderness Society to protect nature and wildlife and speak out for ecological consciousness. From adventures of traversing over thin ice with dog sleds, camping in woods surrounded by bears, caribou, and other wildlife, to canoeing in streams with geese nearby, and more, Murie embraced nature as a close neighbor and dedicated her life to advocating for wilderness protection and conservation. First published in 1962, this edition features a new foreword by Frances Beinecke and an afterword from Donald Murie. Margaret Murie inspires readers to join her in finding life, love, and adventure in the beautiful remote Alaskan wilderness and the natural world beyond.

Table of Contents:

• preface
• foreword
• part one: fairbanks
• 1 to the north
• 2 freeze-up
• 3 the town
• 4 winter
• 5 mail day
• 6 spring
• 7 summer
• 8 the trail
• 9 and over the mountains
• part two: the upper koyukuk
• 10 home to romance
• 11 anvik
• 12 nulato
• 13 willow river
• 14 alatna
• 15 “and beyond”
• 16 bettles
• 17 one day of it
• 18 on the river ice
• 19 wiseman
• 20 the mountains
• part three: the old crow river
• 22 tanana and yukon
• 23 the porcupine
• 24 the old crow
• 25 by main strength
• 26 geese
• 27 downstream
• part four: sheenjek
• 28 north again
• 29 at lobo lake
• 30 both sides of the river
• 31 up the valley
• 32 tundra and mountain
• 33 caribou
• 34 to the head of the river
• 35 autumn in august
• part five: return to the mountains
• 36 again north
• 37 sheenjek again
• part six: afterward
• 38 1967 alaska
• 39 another new alaska—1975
• 40 outside—1975 to 1989

About the Author :
Born in Seattle, Washington, in 1902, Margaret E. Murie was a naturalist, conservationist, and author who has been called the “grandmother of the conservation movement” for her efforts in helping establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. She received several awards for her conservation work, including the Audubon Medal, the John Muir Award, and the Robert Marshall Conservational Award. In 1998 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton, and in 2002 the J.N. Ding Darling Conservationist of the Year Award. Murie was also made an Honorary Park Ranger by the National Parks Service for her passion and commitment to preserving the natural world and wildlife. She died at her home in Moose, Wyoming, in 2003 at the age of 101.

Review :
"This book, first written in the 1950s and still in print, is authored by the grand dame of the wilderness movement, Margaret Murie. Margaret has helped generations of men and women understand the need to preserve wild landscapes. In Two in the Far North, she describes her life in Alaska: her growing up in Anchorage and her adventurous trips into the Alaska wilderness with her husband and biologist, Olaus. It is a wonderful read and a true American wilderness classic." "Reminiscences of Alaska told from a woman's angle go back to the steamboat, goldmining days of 1911 when the writers's stepfather became Assistant US Attorney and the family moved from Seattle to Fairbanks. Her childhood's impressions of the social round, whist, sewing and church clubs in an isolated boom town are succeeded by a lyrical account of three expeditions to untouched areas in Alaska on which the author accompanied her biologist husband. It was at first difficult to adapt herself from the relative comforts of smalltown life to the demands of outdoor living during months-long trips by husky-drawn sleigh, by boat or on foot. However, the people, wildlife and terrain are enthusiastically and knowledgeably described in her book. Her pioneering spirit stands out in this account of her adventures which is marked by a gift for detail and a sense of humor. In addition, it is a timely reminder of the need for taking steps to preserve wildlife in America's most northern State on which the bulldozer is fast encroaching."