The Beast And The Boys

In this memoir, a grandfather reflects on times spent alone, and with family and friends over five decades in the mountains of the eastern United States. His relationship with his four grandchildren grew out of his desire to spend time individually with each of them in the summer doing an activity that they both enjoyed. Two grandsons came to love hiking and camping and those adventures are recounted here along with the wisdom and insights gained by spending time together. More broadly, this is a charming glimpse into a loving and supportive family.

The subject of The Beast And The Boys all started in 1978 with a challenge I gave myself. The mountain names come back to me as friends: Marcy, Katahdin, Washington, Clingmans Dome, Rogers and Mitchell. This was the order in which I first climbed to each of there summits between 1978 and 1986. Back then I set my self a goal to climb to every high point in the states east of the Mississippi that had one at least over five thousand feet. Between 1978 and 1986 summited them all for the first time. Some would earn return trips with family, friends and especially, starting in 2017, with two of my grandchildren, Tyler and Justin. The Beast And The Boys is the story of these adventures.

Jonathan (Jon) Corle, AKA The Beast, Is the proud grandfather of four grandchildren. In 2010 he retired from a forty-two -year career in financial services. He then taught as an adjunct professor in the Close School of Entrepreneurship at Drexel University using the experiences he learned from founding and transferring a family firm. Jon is a published poet, and loves writing, reading, golf and backpacking . He supports and enjoys Drexel Women's Basketball and Crew. He lives in Pennsylvania near his two married children with his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Diane.