Will their wilderness skills be enough to survive the dangerous Rocky Mountains? First a Canadian Rockies avalanche kills their parents. Then Children’s Services threatens to separate them. That’s when the three Gunnarsson kids decide to run away into the mountains and fend for themselves until the oldest turns eighteen and becomes their legal guardian. Not many would dare. But Jon, Korka, and Aron’s parents ran a survival school. Turns out their plan is full of holes. When food and equipment go missing and illness and injury strike, things get scary. They’re even less prepared for encounters with dangerous animals and a sketchy woods dweller. On top of that, grief, cold, hunger, and sibling infighting threaten to tear them apart, while the search parties are closing in on them. Do Jon, Korka, and Aron really have what it takes to survive? A satisfying, action-packed story of survival and hope. ― Kirkus Reviews Details about their survival techniques are abundant and illuminating....The narrative balances scenes of action with quieter moments of introspection. ― Foreword Reviews Mountain Runaways is a non-stop thrill ride of a book, taking readers deep into the Albertan wilderness even as it explores some weighty family issues. In the vein of classics like My Side of the Mountain , Pam Withers combines a story of adolescent independence with actual survival techniques that are sure to keep young readers engaged (and with no small amount of warning that it might not be the best idea to go traipsing off into the woods). Readers will connect with the trio of siblings and find themselves looking at the great outdoors with a new appreciation ... and maybe some aspirations toward a far safer camping trip of their own. ― Wesley King, #1 New York Times bestselling author of OCDaniel Fast-paced and full of action, it's Hatchet for this generation. ― Colleen Nelson, author of The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. and Harvey Holds His Own A breathless, heart-pounding alpine tale about the bonds of family and the call of adventure. ― Alisha Sevigny, author of the Secrets of the Sands series Pam Withers is an award-winning author of over twenty young adult novels, including Red Maple nominees Tracker’s Canyon and Stowaway . She lives in Vancouver. Chapter One Edge of Willmore Wilderness Park in west-central Alberta, Canada It’s the family’s last day together, but nobody knows that yet. Nobody knows anything except that they’re all tired after a full day of February snowshoeing on the mountain above their log house, and that the mist is floating down, wrapping all five in a shroud. They can’t even see their tiny mountain town of Peakton below. Jon’s snowshoes crunch to a stop as he squints through the blanket of white. His father’s face, ruddy as his wool scarf, turns to Jon and his siblings, Korka and Aron. “So, kids, what do we do when visibility is bad?” Dad asks. “Stay put,” Jon says with full confidence. As if he even needs to be asked. At seventeen, he knows more than most of the adults who file through his parents’ two-week wilderness-survival courses. “Or ―” “― use a compass if there’s still a sightline left,” his younger sister, Korka, finishes for him, flipping her thick blond braid back with gloved fingers, her blue eyes sparkling. At fourteen, she annoys Jon with her constant attempts to prove herself. The two watch Aron plop down in the snow with the angelic smile of an eleven-year-old. It’s his way of saying that when you’re fogged in, you should stay where you are. And who cares about weather, anyway? If you’re with the only four people who matter to you in the world, all is well. “Good, kids,” their mother, bundled in a parka, says in her enthusiastic teacher’s voice. “And why do we not just continue to march forward?” “Because without a compass ―” Jon begins. “― we’ll end up going in a circle without meaning to,” Korka finishes. Aron rolls onto his back and kicks one leg up in the air like a baby moose trying to right itself, chuckling as his snowshoes send white stuff flying. Their mom interprets: “Because we all have one leg slightly longer than the other, which means no matter how hard we try, we can’t walk in a straight line without a sightline or compass.” She leans down to tickle Aron through his padded snow vest. “Good answer, my young Viking.” Jon watches Aron wrap his mittens around her ankles and tug her off-balance, sending her into the snow beside him. She screeches with laughter, and they create synchronized mother-and-son snow angels. Warmth radiates through Jon’s chest. It’s always good watching Aron come out of his shell. “We have a compass,” Korka declares, folding her arms and frowning at her dad like she’s keen to get home. She’s always got places to go, things to do , Jon reflects. Fog’s not about to slow her down. Jon, on the other hand, is happy to linger in the soup. Not only does he love an outdoor navigation chall