Customer Reviews

Alpine Sierra Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Ski, Bike, Fish and Drive from Tahoe to Yosemite (Trailblazer)

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This is the granddaddy of the respected Trailblazer travel book series, which also includes the Golden Gate Trailblazer (San Francisco and Marin County) and five books on the Hawaiian islands (Kauai Trailblazer, Maui Trailblazer, Oahu Trailblazer, Hawaii the Big Island Trailblazer, and No Worries Hawaii: A Vacation Planning Guide). It covers the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains from the Lake Tahoe basin to Yosemite National Park. A great deal of this glorious stretch of high country makes up Alpine County, California. It's a mountain area second to none as the wonderful black-and-white photography makes clear, and, as with every Trailblazer guide, there are outdoor activities galore. The "Best Of" section helps you zero in on great places to go for wildflowers, fall colors, family strolls, falls and cascades, lakes with a view, and much more. Each walk or hike (they come in all sizes, even as short as a small fraction of a mile) is carefully described, not to mention the excellent directions and maps for getting to the trailhead or starting point. Round-trip hiking distances and elevation gained are provided. Appropriate topographical maps are also recommended. For those who would rather just putter on, there are some wonderfully organized driving tours through this most picturesque part of the northern Sierra Nevada range. Practical information is plentiful, from phone numbers to things to do with the kids, as well as recommended Do's and Don'ts--all based on decades of careful exploration. Highly recommended. The Alpine Sierra Trailblazer will enhance your mountain experience big time.

This is a wonderful guide to a part of the Sierra that attracts far less attention than Tahoe (to the north) or Yosemite (to the south), but has its own unique charms. By focusing on a relatively small area, the authors are able to achieve considerable breadth (covering the whole spectrum of outdoor recreation) without sacrificing depth (e.g., their hiking recommendations go well beyond the usual suspects). As others have noted, it is beautifully designed and very well organized. Anyone who wants a comprehensive Sierra Nevada library should buy this book.

I stumbled on this book in a resort giftshop near Tahoe. For me it opened up a sleepy area in California that still remains untouched by malls and freeways. The book contains alot of challenging bike rides and the hikes took me into the heart of wilderness and trout heaven. I'm looking forward to putting it to the test when snow falls. Most of all, its well organized and written by locals who convey their special sense of place.

Alpine Trailblazer is a terrific guidebook that feels good in the hand, looks good, and- most importantly- works well at introducing folks to the unspoiled, less-explored Sierra between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. Everything in this book seems of the highest quality: the maps, the photos, the organization and indexing, the design, the writing. But best of all is its usefulness; it's hard to believe how much solid information these Alpine County locals have been able to fit into a guidebook that can fit nicely in the outside pocket of a backpack. Bookended by quotes from John Muir, this handy volume gives you essential information for hiking, backpacking, cross country skiing, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking, rafting, horseback riding, camping, wildflower sighting, etc. etc. The heart of the book is the excellent, clear trailhead descriptions with good directions, advice, elevations, difficulties, maps, and so forth. In addition you can find driving tours, information on local flora and fauna, resource links to regional services and sights and events, fascinating historical background on this unique area, and even a campside cookbook. My favorite parts of Alpine Trailblazer, however, are the hilarious Glossary to Understanding Alpine Culture and Customs (Example: "Sign of summer: snow shovels are off the porches.") and the witty and wise :"Free Hiking Advice and Opinion." However, the best part of the guidebook is its practicality, usefulness, and abundance of information. If only all guidebooks had this combination of practicality and quality!

We are a family of four and live at Lake Tahoe. For the past two years we've used this book for all sorts of outings. It has its own style and personality and sense of humor. The authors are local and go beyond just dryly listing trails. The maps and photos are just enough to whet the appetite and help you know what to expect. We also like it because most of the listings are reachable within two hours of our house. We're checking the hikes off one by one and now have completed a little over thirty, saving the Sonora Pass Yosemite areas for this summer. For local lore, fishing, kayaking, skiing and that extra spark that most authors aren't allowed to include, this book can't be beat.

I didn't think places like this existed anymore. I come up to the Sierra a couple weekends a month and have barely scratched the surface. This guide lists all the main trails plus scads of other places only locals know about, like Poor Boy and Thornburg canyons just outside of Markleeville. The authors really know their stuff. For cross country routes I take along a USGS topo map but have found that most of the trails are well marked and coincide with the authors descriptions. Alpine Trailblazer is my faithful hiking buddy.

I had never been to the eastern side of the Sierra before. With this book as my guide I crisscrossed the Pacific Crest Trail and camped the wild remote areas only these authors know. The possibilities they offer of things there are to do between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are mind boggling. Especially noteworthy were Mono Lake and the Yosemite hikes. This book makes for a never ending summer

Hope Valley and Yosemite have always been places I gravitate to when I want to recharge. I like to dayhike and have found this book to contain some real gems just off what I think are the most beautiful passes in the Sierra: Carson, Ebbetts Monitor, Tioga and Echo. The authors have really done a fantastic job organizing the trails and maps into one densely packed guidebook. This isn't your standard dry book of hikes. It's lively and infused with humor and insights only a local author would know.

Whether you're a visitor who is looking to hike (or ski, or bike or fish or drive) anywhere in the Sierra, from Tahoe to Yosemite, or a local who is interested learning even more about this little slice of the Range of Light that we call home, Alpine Sierra Trailblazer is a must-have for your bookshelf.

Before you even open the book up, you can see why it is a perennial favorite. A beautiful, sepia-toned cover, set off by bold black and white and rust, paired with a satin-matte finish make this one of the most attractive guidebooks to the area that can be found.

The inside of the book lives up to the promise made by the cover. Beautiful black and white photos accompany a layout that is bursting with both character and information. The character part is a welcome change from guidebooks that are either too dry or too cutesy to be of much help. The information part is enthralling, and even seasoned trailblazers will find new facts, tidbits, and tips to make their time in the Sierra more fun and productive.

My favorite part is the "Free Hiking Advice and Opinion" section, particularly the disclaimer which about sums up both the character of the authors and the value of information that they are providing: "By following the directions and engaging in the activities suggested in this book, you may be bitten, burned, buoyed, bummed-out, broken, buffed, bent, befriended, bewildered, enlightened, injured, elated, energized, unnerved, lost, discovered, loved, lonely, betwixt and between. The authors and publisher can take neither credit nor blame for any of it, but sincerely do wish you the happiest of trails."

And after all, isn't that just about the very heart of the Sierra experience?

Two books you most definitely need if you're hanging out at Tahoe is this one and the Tahoe Rim Trail guide. This area has some of the best hiking in the western U.S. We found both books to be extremely current and clearly written.

So far we've used them for both dayhiking and and overnight backpacking trips up at the north end of Lake Tahoe and due south around Carson Pass. Having two to compare has given us extra ideas for sidetrips. We're a family of four and have gotten alot of use from these top notch trail resources.