Sam decides to capture one and train it to become a hunting falcon. One day while helping an old lady pick strawberries, Sam notices a peregrine falcon flying overhead. Sam soon becomes adept at catching fish and gathering fruits, nuts, and vegetables to eat. He also seeks the assistance of a librarian to help him find the old Gribley farm. Sam relies on the help of an old man to teach him how to properly build a fire. Sam is an intelligent boy who has read a lot about nature and how to survive in the wild, but early on he struggles to catch food and make a fire.

He then hitches rides with truckers into the mountains in search of his great-grandfather’s old rundown farm. Sam hops on a train with nothing more than a penknife, a ball of cord, an ax, flint and steel, $40, and the clothes on his back. However, Sam’s determination pushes him not to go back. Sam’s parents allow him to venture off into the mountains, expecting Sam to come back the next day.

Seven months prior, Sam leaves his crowded New York apartment and 11-person family in pursuit of a quieter life. Forced to stay inside his tree house home during the storm, Sam tells the reader about the events and circumstances that led him to this moment. The story begins in the middle, with Sam trying to survive his first winter snowstorm. It is narrated from Sam’s first-person point of view and relies on journal entries, notes, and drawings that Sam makes throughout his adventure. My Side of the Mountain is a fictional story of Sam Gribley’s survivalist adventure into the Catskill Mountains.

Novel my side of the mountain