Best Easy Day Hikes Reno (Best Easy Day Hikes Series) Review

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Best Easy Day Hikes Reno (Best Easy Day Hikes Series) ReviewBased on my experience with other books in this series ("Best Easy Day Hikes") I had expected some hikes that would be farther afield, longer, and more extensive. As the trail descriptions make clear, however, some of these trails are simply popular trails in public parks, and extend through suburban subdivisions. I did choose the hike that looked most challenging, the last in the book ("Fay Luther Interpretive Loop"), and was entirely happy with my hike (and I was able to continue much farther in the trail system than this specific hike). I was surprised to find that the trail was (a) better graded and maintained than the book suggested, and (b) much better shaded than the book suggested - which of course is not a bad thing, but just some extra information that I thought others might like to know. The Fay-Luther trail organization provides beautiful printed maps at the trailhead that you can carry with you or view online, which makes the experience all that much better. I'm curious why this book doesn't have any hikes in the Pyramid Lake area, which like the Fay-Luther area is not a long drive from Reno. Are there no trails at Pyramid Lake?Best Easy Day Hikes Reno (Best Easy Day Hikes Series) Overview

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75 Hikes in California's Lassen Park & Mount Shasta Regions (100 Hikes In...) Review

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75 Hikes in California's Lassen Park & Mount Shasta Regions (100 Hikes In...) ReviewThe old saying "You can't judge a book by its cover" simply does not apply to this new edition of '75 Hikes' by John R. Soares. Indeed, the cover photo of Mt. Lassen reflected in the pristine waters of Lake Helen is almost worth the price of the book itself. If that photo doesn't sell you on the joys of the southern Cascade range, nothing will. As soon as I saw the cover, I was already dreaming about another visit.
Just as Mt. Lassen dominates the cover of this book, trails in and around Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park dominate the text. Although the book has 5 chapters, each corresponding to a specific area, the first two make up almost 2/3 of the hikes described here. This is as it should be. Mt. Lassen is probably the most accessible of the major peaks in the Cascades. The rest of the park is also heavily geared towards hikers: numerous lakes, peaks, meadows, cinder cones, waterfalls, and thermal features invite hikers to linger in this remarkable place and Soares does an excellent job of describing short and long hiking opportunities for these destinations. Most of the routes he suggests make for pleasant day hikes but he also includes numerous backpacking options.
The material for Mt. Shasta and Lava Beds National Monument is understandably more limited. The main thing I got out of this section is that if I want to climb Mt. Shasta I should sign up with a guided expedition. I have lots of hiking and backpacking experience at high elevations, but none with ice axes and crampons on glaciers. Judging by Soares's descriptions, this is an absolute necessity for a successful climb on Shasta. Soares does list several options for hikers not intent on bagging the summit.
On the whole, this is an excellent guidebook. If you are interested in hiking northeastern California, '75 Hikes' is a good starting point. All the classics are included: Burney Falls, Captain Jack's Stronghold, Bumpass Hell Themal Works in Lassen Park, and many others. Nice black and white photos accompany the text which is well written and moderately humorous in places. In all, this book is a worthy investment for any vacation in the region.75 Hikes in California's Lassen Park & Mount Shasta Regions (100 Hikes In...) Overview

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Top Trails: Sequoia and Kings Canyon: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone Review

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Top Trails: Sequoia and Kings Canyon: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone ReviewYou might think that a book promising the to list the "top trails" in the Sequoia and King's Canyon, arguably two of the finest parks in the Sierra, would focus exclusively on those two parks. Indeed, that is what I expected after picking up this new book from Wilderness Press. I was hoping to relive some of my fondest memories from my first two summers in California when I worked in these two parks and perhaps find a new route or two to explore. But Mike White's interpretation of his topic includes numerous eastern Sierra trail heads that either barely enter the boundaries of these parks or stay exclusively in adjacent wilderness areas. Indeed, almost half the hikes (23 of 50) start outside the park. Nonetheless, after carefully reading the book and giving full consideration to the author's goal of "beautiful scenery, access, trail quality, and diversity of experience" in selecting the hikes for this guide, I have to conclude this book is indeed a great listing of "top" trails in the southern High Sierra.
Although the parks are managed as a single unit, this book considers Sequoia and King's Canyon separately. Four chapters discuss each park from eastern and western approaches and the book provides 50 hikes. The vast bulk of these are day hikes though several could be made into pleasant overnight backpack trips. I have hiked the vast bulk of the routes White describes in the western regions of the park and have no complaints about his selections. In the eastern Sierra, the book is rather heavily weighted towards King's Canyon, with the trail heads in Onion Valley and outside Bishop commanding more attention than those in the Golden Trout wilderness.
I found very little to fault in this book. I might have included a few more short walks than White did. I was amazed the book did not include Moro Rock, one of the quintessential hikes in Sequoia. I might also have included the Huckleberry Loop as another example of a fine walk among Sequoia trees with little in the way of crowds. But what really surprised me was the lack of trails entering Sequoia from the south. If we can accept the premise that a "best of" hiking guide should include 23 trails that do not originate within the park, then surely Owens Valley trail heads are not the only ones we should consider. The Giant Sequoia National Monument and Mountain Home State Demonstration forest offer spectacular hiking that access the park from the south. Hopefully some book will eventually give this area its due. In the meantime though, one can hardly go wrong with the 50 hikes author Mike White has provided in this book. He is a solid writer and these parks deserved an extended visit.Top Trails: Sequoia and Kings Canyon: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone Overview

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Top Trails Lake Tahoe: Must-do Hikes for Everyone Review

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Top Trails Lake Tahoe: Must-do Hikes for Everyone ReviewLake Tahoe is the premier vacation destination of the northern Sierra Nevada. Most people associate Tahoe with winter ski resorts but summer hiking is superb. In addition to numerous state park nature trails and wilderness hikes in the national forests that surround the Lake, the Tahoe region is also home to three of the top distance trails in the country. The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the Tahoe region and it shares some of its tread with the historic Tahoe Yosemite Trail. A third trail, which also partly overlaps the other two is the Tahoe Rim Trail, a project of the citizens of Lake Tahoe. Almost entirely built by volunteer labor, this trail circles the Lake for 165 miles. Sections of all these trails and more and well described in the new edition of this book by Mike White, a resident of Truckee and an outdoor teacher and author.
This book divides the Tahoe region into the cardinal points of the compass and includes some stellar hikes in each. I have taken hikes in each of the areas White describes and all are very nice. This book offers a wide selection, from 18 mile day hikes along the Tahoe Rim trail (the section over Relay Peak is one of my favorites) to short 1/2 mile nature trails, the best of which is outside the visitor center along Taylor Creek. White also explains all the regulatory requirements of the various wilderness areas. This is a great book for exploring Lake Tahoe, whether you want strenuous peak bagging hikes or just strolls with the family. I recommend it highly.Top Trails Lake Tahoe: Must-do Hikes for Everyone Overview

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Desolation Wilderness and the South Lake Tahoe Basin Review

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Desolation Wilderness and the South Lake Tahoe Basin ReviewThis is a nice book with a serious flaw. To understand this flaw, think about why one might buy a hiking book. Reason 1: to find out what trails exist in a given region, and how to find those trails (ie, the directions to the trailhead for each trail). Reason 2: to get detailed information about specific trails.
For me, the most important information about a specific trail is the distance in miles to one or more points on the trail and the elevations at various points along the trail. If we are deciding which trail to walk, we need to know how difficult the trail is. Difficulty is a function of BOTH distance and elevation change.
Remarkably, this book provides no information about elevations at any point on any trail described, not even the elevation at the trailhead or at the furthest destination reached on the trail. This is unusual among hiking books, and it is a SERIOUS OMISSION.
The book includes small reproductions of portions of topographic maps at the back, but the elevation numbers on the maps are rare (mainly summits) and it would take a long time to decipher the contours for each trail. I pay money for a book assuming someone has already done that for me, and summarized the information in the description of each trail.
Why not follow the example of the Yosemite National Park Service and other hiking books, and include a "trail profile" image for each hike? This image shows distance on the horizontal axis and elevation on the vertical axis, with text labels to indicate specific landmarks or trail junctions along the way. If there are side trails or alternate routes, choose one route for the main profile and add separate profiles below that for the segments of the trail that differ. Or at least state the elevations for the final destination of each side trail.
Aside from this serious flaw, it seems like a good book. The trail descriptions appear to be clear, and the organization and layout are good. The photographs of lakes set in granite bowls are superb.Desolation Wilderness and the South Lake Tahoe Basin Overview

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