His style could be abrasive, but his tenacity and his insistence that hikers become active conservationists led to many lands in Washington being saved from clearcutting, motorized use, and development.
The guy also helped create a national park, among other things.
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s obituary:
Variously described by many as cantankerous and curmudgeonly, he had wild white hair and an unruly beard to match. He was also an excellent wordsmith, said his editors and publishers.
Though sometimes an abrasive one. He wasn’t of the era, or the mind-set, to run his message through a focus group, or sculpt it for political correctness.
Helen Cherullo, publisher of The Mountaineers Books, recalled getting an early e-mail from him. It started, in all caps, “WHY I AM PISSED OFF … .”
Sounds like somebody I’d have enjoyed hiking with.
A purist to the end, Manning eschewed new-fangled outdoor equipment, preferring wool to Gore-Tex, and camping under a tarp to using a tent. He liked to say the only reason people needed tents was if they were afraid of the dark, or doing something they didn’t want anyone to see.