Erik Schlimmer grew up in the Adirondacks but now lives in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Not surprisingly, he is a prolific writer of books about hiking and climbing. His work includes “Thru Hiker’s Guide to America,” “Blue Line to Blue Line,” “History Inside the Blue Line,” “Among the Cloud Splitters,” and “My Adirondacks,” which won the Adirondack Center for Writing’s prestigious Best Memoir award. He has also written for national periodicals including Canoe and Kayak, Mountain Biking Magazine and National Geographic Adventure. According to his website, erikschlimmer.com, he has won the State University of New York Merit Award for Teaching three times along with the Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award. He has “hiked more than 12,000 miles, climbed 2,000 peaks, and slept outside more than 1,000 nights.” I’ll be reviewing two of his newer books in this column.

First, “Cranberry Lake Fifty Place Names: The Tiny Toponym Tome” is in fact a tiny book only 55 pages long. Cranberry Lake Fifty refers to a 50-mile public hiking trail; a toponym, as you may have guessed, is a place name with a topographical feature. According to the author, this book “introduces readers to a tapestry of toponyms that reflect the region’s historical and natural variety.”

True to form, we learn the history of the trail and of the topographical features in and around the trail, some of which are most likely familiar to those who live and visit the Adirondack region. Helpfully, the places are alphabetized by their current names but also include history on their name changes. For example, Cranberry Lake was first recorded as Lake Oswegatchee (with several spelling variations) in 1795, then over time, the named changed to Oswegatchee See or Sea or Flow. Around 1871, Cranberry Lake was used in the Utica Morning Herald in a column about fishing. Cranberry toponyms are very popular in New York, 23 other states, and Nova Scotia. Place names refer to animals (bears, deer, fish), directions (south, east, west), high things (rocks, falls), and of course people (Glasby, Simmons, Thompson). For a hiker tackling the Cranberry Fifty trail, this book would providing useful information. Maps of the trail are also available online.

Second, “Wicked Awesome Adirondack Chronology: 1524 to 2024” is a proper tome. At over 460 pages, it lists dates and a brief description of towns settled, forts built, wars raged and industries established. There are massacres, floods and tropical storms. Planes crash, hikers and hunters die and wildfires rage. As a reference book or for research, the chronology of events in the Adirondacks is detailed and thorough.

Both of Schlimmer’s books serve as solid reference books for Cranberry Lake hikers and lovers of Adirondack history.