Doc: Orra A. Phelps, M.D., Adirondack Naturalist and Mountaineer

Mary Arakelian’s biography of Dr. Orra Phelps is the story of an exceptional woman whose unselfish contribution to our knowledge of the Adirondacks is a legacy still enjoyed by lovers of the outdoors. Using letters written between Orra and her mother, the author provides an intimate portrait of Orra’s life as a physician, naturalist, botanist, hiker, mountaineer, teacher, and writer. From the hardship of growing up at the turn of the century, through her difficult years as a woman in medical school, to her writing of the Adirondack Mountain Club’s 1934 Guide to Adirondack Trails, Arakelian introduces us to a gifted woman. Phelps’s intelligence, physical stamina, and boundless enthusiasm underscore her legacy as one of New York State’s truly remarkable women of the 20th century.