Relates the history and folkways of an indigenous Northern Appalachian subculture that flourished for nearly a century amid the desolate beauty of the Shawangunk Mountains. "The stories told to me by those whose formative years were shaped in this rustic environment are often poignant and highly revealing-- at other times, scandalously entertaining. Many discovered here a profound sense of community: for some, the mountain itself became almost personified and left upon their lives an indelible impression."