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Impossible Beyond This Point: True Adventure Creating A Self-Sufficient Life In The Wilderness
The true story of one family's struggle and triumph creating a self-sufficient life in the wilderness. Join the Horn family on the adventure of a lifetime. Learn how a couple from the city moved to the wilderness with three small boys and carved out a life in the middle of nowhere that has endured for nearly 50 years.
With nearly 400 pages and over 100 photos, Impossible Beyond This Point is a compelling must-read for anyone interested in (or contemplating) getting away from it all.
Excerpt
1-A New Beginning
A cool breeze drifted through tall Douglas fir and ponderosa pine and fluttered the leaves in clumps of black oak as they sat on rocks amongst their scattered possessions on the red clay dust of Backbone Ridge in the far Northern California wilds of Trinity County. The blue Ford station wagon would go no further, for from this point on, two miles of treacherous trail picked its way down to a lonesome canyon where a shell of a shack stood waiting. This would be their home. Virgil and Marcy, along with their three young sons, came to this juncture through an untamed notion to find a way of life that would give them independence, dignity and contentment.
Virgil sat across from Marcy and his blue eyes twinkled. “I hope we made the right move, Ma. There’s no returning now.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “We made the right move.”
It was the beginning of June and the year was 1967.......
Excerpt
The sun had gone down and heavy clouds were piling up in the west. If it snowed now and turned cold, Virgil doubted they could get out in time to finish the school year. A purple haze settled in the gulches, making it difficult to distinguish objects like trees or rocks that they were beginning to find hard to avoid.
By the time they passed Wind Dance Lookout, it was dark. Below Wind Dance Lookout lay deep unbroken drifts and the dropping temperature formed a crust that supported them all. Partway down Marcy suddenly broke the crust and fell through to her hips in the snow. Exhausted, she struggled to get the leverage to free her legs. “I can't pull my legs out! I’m going to freeze to death!” she sobbed. Seeing his mother crying put Gaines in a panic and he frantically dug the hard corn snow away from her legs with his bare fingers until she managed to climb free.....
Excerpt
Darkness fell and they heard the rain pound the roof over the roar of the river. The boys had a hard time concentrating on their schoolwork and it was just as well because about eight that evening the incandescent light started dimming. “Power’s going out,” Kelly announced.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the light. “Yep,” Gaines confirmed. “Can’t be from lack of water!” he laughed. “The creek must be really roaring up there and I bet it tore out the intake.”
As the light faded to yellow and then orange, Virgil got up and took a book of matches from his front pocket and lit a candle bug. “I’ll go turn the valve off so it doesn’t drag crap down the line,” he said as he headed out the door.
The family fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof. The first few times the river had come up in the early years, Virgil and Marcy had nervously gotten up every few hours to check the water level but they never got up to check anymore.
Marcy awoke around midnight and listened to the rain. The river was quieter and she sleepily turned over, drifting back to sleep. Suddenly she remembered something Red had told them. “As long as the river is roaring, it isn't so dangerous, but beware if it gets quiet," he’d warned.
She looked at the phosphorescent face of her Big Ben clock. Noting it was a quarter to one in the morning, she concentrated on the sound of the river again. The hushed river was no longer relaxing, but foreboding. Unable to go to sleep, she got up and put on a coat, lit her candle bug and stepped out on the porch. Tom, his fur glistening with drops of water, yowled loudly and she let him in the house.
Crystal water ran from the eves and splattered in a puddle in the pathway leading from the porch. She walked to the summer kitchen area and down to the gravel bar where the sawmill was located. At the edge of this bar, she came to a sudden stop. Right in front of her, muddy waves of debris-laden water slammed against the gravel only two inches from the top. The river was three feet higher than she’d ever seen it, which was a huge difference considering that the three additional feet of depth was spread across 300 feet of width and moving at a greatly increased speed. Apprehension overcame her.
Though a candle bug is great for casting a soft diffused light for walking, it’s impossible to see beyond eight feet when using one, and in the streaming rain the visibility was even less. Marcy could only listen to what was going on beyond the cone of yellow light. Rumbles, hissing, sucking, splashing and surging, all in varying levels, met her ears.
Quickly she headed back to the cabin. Virgil was asleep and she...
With nearly 400 pages and over 100 photos, Impossible Beyond This Point is a compelling must-read for anyone interested in (or contemplating) getting away from it all.
Excerpt
1-A New Beginning
A cool breeze drifted through tall Douglas fir and ponderosa pine and fluttered the leaves in clumps of black oak as they sat on rocks amongst their scattered possessions on the red clay dust of Backbone Ridge in the far Northern California wilds of Trinity County. The blue Ford station wagon would go no further, for from this point on, two miles of treacherous trail picked its way down to a lonesome canyon where a shell of a shack stood waiting. This would be their home. Virgil and Marcy, along with their three young sons, came to this juncture through an untamed notion to find a way of life that would give them independence, dignity and contentment.
Virgil sat across from Marcy and his blue eyes twinkled. “I hope we made the right move, Ma. There’s no returning now.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “We made the right move.”
It was the beginning of June and the year was 1967.......
Excerpt
The sun had gone down and heavy clouds were piling up in the west. If it snowed now and turned cold, Virgil doubted they could get out in time to finish the school year. A purple haze settled in the gulches, making it difficult to distinguish objects like trees or rocks that they were beginning to find hard to avoid.
By the time they passed Wind Dance Lookout, it was dark. Below Wind Dance Lookout lay deep unbroken drifts and the dropping temperature formed a crust that supported them all. Partway down Marcy suddenly broke the crust and fell through to her hips in the snow. Exhausted, she struggled to get the leverage to free her legs. “I can't pull my legs out! I’m going to freeze to death!” she sobbed. Seeing his mother crying put Gaines in a panic and he frantically dug the hard corn snow away from her legs with his bare fingers until she managed to climb free.....
Excerpt
Darkness fell and they heard the rain pound the roof over the roar of the river. The boys had a hard time concentrating on their schoolwork and it was just as well because about eight that evening the incandescent light started dimming. “Power’s going out,” Kelly announced.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the light. “Yep,” Gaines confirmed. “Can’t be from lack of water!” he laughed. “The creek must be really roaring up there and I bet it tore out the intake.”
As the light faded to yellow and then orange, Virgil got up and took a book of matches from his front pocket and lit a candle bug. “I’ll go turn the valve off so it doesn’t drag crap down the line,” he said as he headed out the door.
The family fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof. The first few times the river had come up in the early years, Virgil and Marcy had nervously gotten up every few hours to check the water level but they never got up to check anymore.
Marcy awoke around midnight and listened to the rain. The river was quieter and she sleepily turned over, drifting back to sleep. Suddenly she remembered something Red had told them. “As long as the river is roaring, it isn't so dangerous, but beware if it gets quiet," he’d warned.
She looked at the phosphorescent face of her Big Ben clock. Noting it was a quarter to one in the morning, she concentrated on the sound of the river again. The hushed river was no longer relaxing, but foreboding. Unable to go to sleep, she got up and put on a coat, lit her candle bug and stepped out on the porch. Tom, his fur glistening with drops of water, yowled loudly and she let him in the house.
Crystal water ran from the eves and splattered in a puddle in the pathway leading from the porch. She walked to the summer kitchen area and down to the gravel bar where the sawmill was located. At the edge of this bar, she came to a sudden stop. Right in front of her, muddy waves of debris-laden water slammed against the gravel only two inches from the top. The river was three feet higher than she’d ever seen it, which was a huge difference considering that the three additional feet of depth was spread across 300 feet of width and moving at a greatly increased speed. Apprehension overcame her.
Though a candle bug is great for casting a soft diffused light for walking, it’s impossible to see beyond eight feet when using one, and in the streaming rain the visibility was even less. Marcy could only listen to what was going on beyond the cone of yellow light. Rumbles, hissing, sucking, splashing and surging, all in varying levels, met her ears.
Quickly she headed back to the cabin. Virgil was asleep and she...
382 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
208 people are currently reading
484 people want to read
About the author
Joel Horn
9 books10 followersBarely five years old when his family moved from southern California to the wilderness, Joel Horn and his two brothers grew up in the rugged Trinity Alps, learning how to do the numerous and varied tasks necessary for survival while carving out a life in the remote paradise they dubbed the Flat. Living this self-reliant life and tutored by the best of teachers, their dad and hands-on experience, they achieved a level of self-sufficiency rarely seen in modern times.
Joel is a veteran with three deployments during his 20 years as a UH-1 and UH-60 crew chief in the California National Guard. In addition to writing, Joel is also an artist and jeweler and works from home in the family businesses, Horn's Jewelry and Rock Climbing Jewelry. Joel continues to live on the Flat today, with his wife of two-plus decades and his brothers close by.
In addition to Impossible Beyond This Point, his true adventure creating a self-sufficient life in the wilderness, Joel has published his first novel, Lost Coast Rocket, and his second work of fiction, Hatching the Phoenix Egg, books one and two in the Mare Tranquillitatis Series.
Joel is a veteran with three deployments during his 20 years as a UH-1 and UH-60 crew chief in the California National Guard. In addition to writing, Joel is also an artist and jeweler and works from home in the family businesses, Horn's Jewelry and Rock Climbing Jewelry. Joel continues to live on the Flat today, with his wife of two-plus decades and his brothers close by.
In addition to Impossible Beyond This Point, his true adventure creating a self-sufficient life in the wilderness, Joel has published his first novel, Lost Coast Rocket, and his second work of fiction, Hatching the Phoenix Egg, books one and two in the Mare Tranquillitatis Series.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 21, 2014
Imagine you are getting close to forty years old, you have a family to support, an established life and a home, and then deciding to pack it all up and move to the wilderness. That is exactly what Virgil and Marcella and their three young sons did in the late 1960s. After deciding to purchase land in the Trinity Alps in northern California which also included a gold mine, they packed up their family and left their southern California home to start a new life. And although it wasn't easy by any means, and they had many setbacks, together as a family they persevered.
Told in a way that makes you feel you are following along on their journey, Impossible Beyond This Point chronicles the highs and lows that the Horn family experienced as they carved out their lives in their new home in the wilderness. From their first years in the tiny cabin to the building of their permanent home, you read almost every detail of their experience. I enjoyed the stories of the people they met, the animals they encountered, and the triumphs they experienced. It is truly an inspiring story, one you will ponder over long after you've finished reading it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a true life adventure.
Told in a way that makes you feel you are following along on their journey, Impossible Beyond This Point chronicles the highs and lows that the Horn family experienced as they carved out their lives in their new home in the wilderness. From their first years in the tiny cabin to the building of their permanent home, you read almost every detail of their experience. I enjoyed the stories of the people they met, the animals they encountered, and the triumphs they experienced. It is truly an inspiring story, one you will ponder over long after you've finished reading it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a true life adventure.
November 5, 2016
These are the kind of people who built America. Hard work,danger, ingenious problem solving, planning, repairing, repurposing, and recycling were a part of their daily life. My Grandfather was cut from the same cloth as the Horn' s. He was the go-to guy in his neighborhood when something "couldn't be fixed". Before throwing anything away he was given a chance to salvage spare parts. If he didn't have a part to fix something, he'd make it in his shop.
This family, and others like them, are who will survive any catastrophes that may occur in our crazy world. Just stockpiling food and water will be so inadequate beyond a couple of months. When the water, electricity, transportation, and communications are lost, these are the people who will repopulate the world. Truly, survival of the fittest. This is what the future of mankind will depend on.
Review by THE HOLEY ONE
This family, and others like them, are who will survive any catastrophes that may occur in our crazy world. Just stockpiling food and water will be so inadequate beyond a couple of months. When the water, electricity, transportation, and communications are lost, these are the people who will repopulate the world. Truly, survival of the fittest. This is what the future of mankind will depend on.
Review by THE HOLEY ONE
July 3, 2017
Interesting read..
The way kids should be raised. Maybe if more of this happened kids would learn how to think for them selves. Imagine that☺
The way kids should be raised. Maybe if more of this happened kids would learn how to think for them selves. Imagine that☺
July 11, 2020
Oh my gosh! I never wanted the book to end. When I woke up this morning I wondered how Marcella and Virgil were doing. I felt like I was part of your family. I was so impressed with the way the children were allowed to participate in all the repairs and creations. What intelligent and creative people you all were. Thank God you were allowed to follow your intuition. I hope you can write more about your family. My family lived with my Uncle Clayton in Oroville, Washington on the banks of the Smilikameen River near Nighthawk Wa. in the mid 60's I was a young teen. He had a gold mine there and a little gift shop which sold little homemade items like necklaces, key chains, rocks and aanything else they could create. It was off grid. My Aunt cooked on an old wood cook stove. I miss those times and how simple everything was. No running water. No electricity. They lived that way until they died of old age. Your book brought back many good memories. Thanks for writing it! Be blessed.
April 30, 2020
Look, I get it. I was born in the 50's and know all about the 70's. This book was either a bunch of b.s. or this couple committed servere child abuse. If they wanted to live in filth and starve yourself, find go for it but to subject your children to that in addition to some very dangerous conditions is irresponsible and neglectful. I'm sorry but this turned my stomach. I did read it through mainly to see the outcome but honestly between the abuse and the unending litany of machine talk I don't know how I did. If I could give this book negative stars I would. In closing, I would also like to say I love reading non fiction about "off the grid" and have read many which I thoroughly enjoyed but this was really hard to find interesting or believable. Sorry
April 20, 2020
I enjoyed this book. As a guy that started my off-grid homesteading lifestyle back in the late 1970's I was struck by how many similarities the Horns had with my own experiences. I made my share of mistakes and misjudged many times and as I read Impossible Beyond This Point, I found I wasn't alone making errors. But the Horns displayed courage and tenacity to overcome the obstacles that were thrown their way. It was an adventure and learning experience. They had a can do attitude and a penchant for being creative and making do with what was at a hand. A rare quality. Bottom line, if the going got tough, I'd want the Horns on my team.
December 16, 2019
Yes, way technical which at first was discouraging. But I love No California, lived in Sonom Co. and had been thru Weaverville and many tiny towns in these mountains. What kept me GOING was the level of resourcefulness, tech ingenuity and strength of character in all of the family (tho I'd say that Virgil had more of the stubbornness gene). Also personal growth of all n learning, based on keen observation. I'm full of admiration for this family and I salute them. I do wonder about how Virgil is now. And Marcella, what a woman!
August 26, 2017
One untamed tale
Fascinating story. Needs a good editing to clean up the grammatical errors and to bring focus to the narrative.
One wonders what happened after the book ended. Did the family's gold mining and jewelry making finally make them truly self sufficient? Did they ever face food shortage again? Did the couple live out the rest of their lives on The Flat? And did the sons choose to continue this way of life?
Fascinating story. Needs a good editing to clean up the grammatical errors and to bring focus to the narrative.
One wonders what happened after the book ended. Did the family's gold mining and jewelry making finally make them truly self sufficient? Did they ever face food shortage again? Did the couple live out the rest of their lives on The Flat? And did the sons choose to continue this way of life?
November 26, 2017
This book was well written and interesting but ... I️t is super technical. In other words, at times I️t reads as a DIY car fix I️t and small machinery manual. So, if that is what you are interested in, you may find this book more compelling than I️ did. I️ was very amazed by the family’s ingenuity and self sufficiency.
November 7, 2020
True Grit!
This family was so amazing, courageous, unbelievably determined and just plain tuff! Everything they did took such ingenuity and fortitude that ppl just don’t seem to have today. They sure weren’t looking for handouts, and could build just about everything they needed and did! Grate read.
This family was so amazing, courageous, unbelievably determined and just plain tuff! Everything they did took such ingenuity and fortitude that ppl just don’t seem to have today. They sure weren’t looking for handouts, and could build just about everything they needed and did! Grate read.
March 22, 2019
Good book what a rough life I just can't get enough of these "family's on the frontier" books
👍what a good book I just can't get enough of these "families on the frontier" books
Oh come on now
👍what a good book I just can't get enough of these "families on the frontier" books
Oh come on now
February 9, 2022
Genuine family adventure
The book was a joy to read. The families way of dealing with adversity was entertaining. The lessons and knowledge passed to their children was truly inspiring. A feel good story.
The book was a joy to read. The families way of dealing with adversity was entertaining. The lessons and knowledge passed to their children was truly inspiring. A feel good story.
March 7, 2019
Great view of an alternative style of life
Hated to see it end. Enjoyed the fact this was a true family with all the adventures and hardships of living off the grid.
Hated to see it end. Enjoyed the fact this was a true family with all the adventures and hardships of living off the grid.
January 26, 2020
Family Biography
What strong and brilliant people. Modern day pioneers. Amazing. Wish it had more pictures. I really enjoyed this book. Wish I could be there.
What strong and brilliant people. Modern day pioneers. Amazing. Wish it had more pictures. I really enjoyed this book. Wish I could be there.
September 1, 2021
Togetherness
Amazed to read of the ingenuity involved in attempting the environment. Brings to mind the true meaning of family. Enjoyed every page.
Amazed to read of the ingenuity involved in attempting the environment. Brings to mind the true meaning of family. Enjoyed every page.
February 7, 2015
Uprooting your life from one of familiarity and comfort, where you're surrounded by family and friends, to a future that's uncertain with completely different living conditions, takes a lot of courage. That's exactly what the Horn family did when they moved from their town of Sylmar to a mining site in the wilderness. This true story is written in a way that really made me feel as though I was part of each step of the journey. Each story is extremely detailed, and I grew to really like each member of the family. Reading about the ups and downs the Horn family experienced left me feeling a whirlwind of emotions ranging from joy during successes to agonizing sadness during failures and hardships. This is a great book for anyone curious about what it's like to be self-sufficient in all aspects of living or who are contemplating living a more simple life. A very enjoyable read with a very happy ending!
I received this book through a Goodreads first reads giveaway.
I received this book through a Goodreads first reads giveaway.
January 21, 2015
Great book. Full disclosure, I know the author. This book is full of great stories and words of wisdom. Such as: "...the evident truth that the individual is the basis for a free society."
"..words spoken under the spell of wine lack wisdom".
"By morning the rain was over and a new day in June on top of a wilderness mountain is like a new gold coin to spend'.
"...never cut firewood so close when your young..save that stuff for when you're too old and decrepit to go any distance for your wood. And for heaven sakes, don't ever make anything temporary, because it'' always stay that way"
"Its of little use to argue with boys whom you have taught that the truth is what they have observed for themselves.
"Over the years, Virgil gave Marcy the best compliment possible, he wore them all the time" (gloves she had made)
"Total responsibility is total freedom"
Thanks Joel, Kelly and family
"..words spoken under the spell of wine lack wisdom".
"By morning the rain was over and a new day in June on top of a wilderness mountain is like a new gold coin to spend'.
"...never cut firewood so close when your young..save that stuff for when you're too old and decrepit to go any distance for your wood. And for heaven sakes, don't ever make anything temporary, because it'' always stay that way"
"Its of little use to argue with boys whom you have taught that the truth is what they have observed for themselves.
"Over the years, Virgil gave Marcy the best compliment possible, he wore them all the time" (gloves she had made)
"Total responsibility is total freedom"
Thanks Joel, Kelly and family
June 22, 2016
Dream and adventure
This book contains dreams, hard work and disappointments it takes to achieve a new life style. It contains description on dredging that I skipped over for lack of understanding. Since it was done by someone who understood it, it made sense. I learn a lot by reading it.
This book contains dreams, hard work and disappointments it takes to achieve a new life style. It contains description on dredging that I skipped over for lack of understanding. Since it was done by someone who understood it, it made sense. I learn a lot by reading it.
September 28, 2016
The Horns in the Canyon
Very well written account of a family making a home on a river in a canyon. The father taught three boys to make things from scraps found in junkyards and other places and ended up with electricity, a dredge boat for finding gold, working on vehicles and many other things. I was amazed at how the boys thought out whatever needed to be done.
Very well written account of a family making a home on a river in a canyon. The father taught three boys to make things from scraps found in junkyards and other places and ended up with electricity, a dredge boat for finding gold, working on vehicles and many other things. I was amazed at how the boys thought out whatever needed to be done.
August 23, 2016
This was a really good book and I felt the adventure the whole time I was reading it. I really recommend this book to anyone who needs an inspiring story about adventure and family. I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
August 5, 2015
Loved every minute of it!
This is a very interesting read that lets you journey with this family, sharing in their triumphs, set backs & determination! They were very ingenious and resourceful! This was a fantastic adventure, so glad they shared it with me!
This is a very interesting read that lets you journey with this family, sharing in their triumphs, set backs & determination! They were very ingenious and resourceful! This was a fantastic adventure, so glad they shared it with me!
June 10, 2015
Great book, I suppose growing up in Trinity County could influence my opinion. Not to mention Helena is one of the greatest places on earth. Otherwise a good read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews