Customer Reviews

Backpacking California

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a detailed survey of a good number of excellent hikes in California. While there are other books which contain many, many more locations, this book stands out because of its level of detail and vastly superior maps. Each trail description is headed up by important information, like number of days, type of route (one way, out and back, loop), elevation gain/loss (very nice), etc. The trail descriptions are written with a bent towards useful information rather than mere description. This is the only place for example, where I have seen warnings about old industrial sites with possible water pollution issues for the Lost Coast trail. It would be nice if these types of books would include an index by number of days required, so that weekend trips could be easily located. Highly recommended book for anyone interested in overnight backpacking trips in California.

After several years of planning trips with topos, multiple books, websites and word of mouth recommendations I discovered this book. It turned out that every trip I had done, heavily considered, or that was on my "to do" list was included. Any book that tries to cover a topic as broad as "Backpacking California" is going have limitations - but the authors pick the absolute best of the coast, Desolation, south Cascades, Tahoe, Yosemite, Kings/Sequoia, Ansel Adams, Inyo and more. There is also good variety of distances and almost a third of the trips are loops. The maps are very good and trail statistics are helpful. My only complaint is the absence of elevation profiles (a total gain/loss number is offered) so the "Sierra South"/"Sierra North" books make good companions to this one. However, if you are going to own just one backpacking guide for your first 5 years of backpacking in CA or are just visiting and want to pick from the best, this is the book to have.

Obviously, I'm not happy with this book. I have 6 books in this series titled backpacking by Wilderness Press. Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and now California. I believe I use these books for their intended purpose, to evaluate and plan a backpacking trip, not necessarily needing to be from the area. Most of the books in the series, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Idaho follow a standard. These books give elevation gain for each day, shuttle mileage listed easily, and score for scenery, solitude, and difficulty. These books display a trip summary chart which is very nice. Also, their maps list mileages on the map along with frequent elevation along the route, except for Idaho. All these things are missing in the California book, which is what made the above books so good. In addition, over 15 of the hikes in my opinion are not backpacking trips, they are just day hikes. This was what I was trying to get away from in the Falcon guide books. California for some reason just had to be different, maybe it's because of all the different contributors, instead of just one. Either way it's a let down, and the Wilderness Press should stick to the previous standard that made Douglas Lorain's Backpacking books so great.

Backpacking California is a "user friendly" compenium of tips from experts gather over thirty years of backpacking experience under one cover, with seventeen authors providing keys to over sixty backpacking routes in California. Maps, trailheads, elevation and campsite information pack a guide which will prove essential for any planning a backpacking journey.

I've done trip 7(The San Bernardino Mountain Traverse) and trip 22 (Mineral King to Little Five Lakes) since receiving this book in August. I've found the trip descriptions accurate, up to date and, most importantly, enthusiastic. That feature has prodded me to go from "gee, it'd be nice to be out in the backcountry" to actually doing it more often. I find that the difficulty ratings are a little overdone, but, especially for newbies, that's probably the safest course. Also, the "variations" sections are skimpy ("Reverse the directon of this route") or nonexistent. All in all, a great guide to some of the most beautiful and challenging backcountry on the planet! I'll consult it before planning any Sierra trip.

I've always been a fan of Wilderness Press books and this one won't disappoint! I used this book to help plan a trip to Lost Coast (Oct '02), but had to change plans at last minute when I got to Calif. We did the Lassen Loop also described in the book and it was great. Highly recommend this book.

I've been a fan of Wilderness Press since the early 70's. This book presents some of the best trips in California, several of which I can personally vouch for.