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Title: Moon California Hiking (Moon Handbooks)
ISBN: 1566918324
Author:
Tom Stienstra
Ann Marie Brown
Publicate Date: 2008-02-28
Publish: 2008-02-28
List Price: $24.95
Average Customer Rating: 5.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $15.91
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $12.19
Amazon Merchant Price: $16.47
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| Customer Review: |
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1: from a Northern California hiker
Three books I use and reuse for hiking: this one (I'm happy it's been updated and use it for pointing me in the right direction reference more than detailed trail directions); the Golden Gate Trailblazer for all the gorgeous trails on the San Francisco coastline and those in beautiful Marin; the Stairway Walks in San Francisco book. Someday I hope to try some of the southern California outings. This book is very thick and comprehensive.
Stairway Walks in San FranciscoGolden Gate Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Walk, Bike in San Francisco & Marin
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2: Love this book!
I actually used up my first copy of this book - I still have it but the pages are falling out and it is pretty dog-eared, so I bought the updated version. I love the rating systems (1-5 for difficulty, 1-10 for ooohs and aaahhhs), the area maps, the specific tips for each hike. My husband and I hike in the Sierras a lot during the summer and this book has taken us to some wonderful places. We even used the book to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary with a "hike" across the Golden Gate Bridge! Just about anywhere you go in California, this book can guide you to a very satisfying hike.
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3: Truth in Advertising: A New Edition of California's Hiking Bible.
Every two years or so, hikers in California are blessed with a new edition of Ann Marie Brown and Tom Stienstra's California Hiking, by far the most complete hiking guide to the state. Keeping track of all the trails and updating when necessary is no simple task. Indeed, one of the authors proudly advertises hiking, camping, and otherwise exploring the out of doors almost half the year in an effort to keep this book up to date and to "avoid .. getting a real job." The 2008 edition is the largest in several years and includes over 40 new hikes.
What has stayed the same. California Hiking still divides the state into sixteen geographical regions and lists hikes in each area. Maps of each region are provided with directions to the trail heads, and regions are organized from North (Redwood Empire) to South (San Diego County and Southern Deserts). An introduction explains how to use the guide and lists favorite hikes of the authors in multiple categories, from best wildflowers and waterfalls, to best "difficult" hikes (the authors use a slightly different aphorism) ie., hikes you might not want to take your spouse on. Each hike includes a brief description, along with directions to the trailhead. Individual trail maps cannot be included in a guide as comprehensive as this one, but the authors provide information on where to obtain available maps, along with important details like entrance fees, permits, and local government agencies.
What is new. More trails! From one end of the state to the other, the authors have added new hikes: some twenty in the San Franciso area alone. I am personally looking forward to walking the recently opened Mill Creek trail, found just south of Monterey and Carmel. Old growth redwoods are one of my passions, and any new trails of this sort are welcome. Among the new hikes in Southern California, Gray's Peak and Black Mountain Lookout both offer spectacular overlooks. Also new is Runyon Canyon in Hollywood Hills and several new trails in the Sacramento area. A few trails have been dropped from this edition. The Cedars Creek Interpretive trail, for example, has fallen into disrepair and is no longer listed in California Hiking. But for the most part, the changes are in favor of more, not less, and this edition is worth purchasing for the new hikes alone.
Other changes include updating mileages and difficulty ratings. Those of us who are absolutely exhausted after climbing to the top of Yosemite Falls will be relieved to find that this trail is now rated a "4" on the difficulty scale (which runs from 1 to 5). The authors have also made extensive mileage updates to reflect new trail alignments. Deep Creek Hot Springs is now listed as 4 miles from a new trail head, and the Ewoldson trail, probably the single most beautiful hike in the Monterey area, is now listed at 5.3 miles to include a spur trail to a stunning overlook.
Over the years I have met a number of hikers who use this book as their hiking bible for the state. More than a few of them (myself included) dream of walking every trail listed. That would require a Herculean effort, of course, but it says a lot that the authors of this book have done so multiple times and given the rest of us what is surely the most comprehensive state hiking guide currently available in the United States. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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