Great Hikes in Northern Vermont [Map]

Leslie Schomaker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1999

Great Hikes in Northern Vermont offers a unique, new, user-friendly format that makes hiking a more pleasurable experience. Rather than a book, which is cumbersome to use on the trail, this is a set of individual "hiking cards". Each colorful and graphically pleasing card combines trail map, route description, elevation gains, level of difficulty, historical notes, best picnic spots, explanation of mountains seen from overlooks, directions to trailhead and much more. The hiking cards come with a clear, protective map-carrier that can be worn around your neck or carried in a pocket of your pack for quick reference. Carry just a single card with you for more information than most books have to offer. Hikes are selected for great views and interest. They are suitable for novice and serious hikers alike, and make great gifts or souvenirs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Better than a book, because it's easier to carry & refer to while walking, easier to find the needed information, & easier to select the best hike to do... If you plan to hike in New England, this looks like the way to go." -- Robert Scott Milne, TravelWriter MarketLetter, 8/99

"See article titled Handy hiking cards: Hitting trails in a new way" -- Gabrielle Griswold, The Mountain Ear, 7/16/98

"See article titled Jackson woman is blazing new trails with unique hiking guide." -- Bart Bachman, The Conway Daily Sun, 7/22/98

"Why it's cool: This collection of a dozen cards is chock full of information about some of Vermonters' favorite hikes, including a small map..." -- Jennifer Spagnuolo, Burlington Free Press, Gear Watch, 8/26/99

With her Great Hikes "card and carrier" guides, which detail trails for the entire state of Vermont, Leslie Schomaker can become your personal trail guide. And you won't need to flip through endless pages to locate information on where you're headed. -- Tim Dumas, The Bennington Banner, 6/19/99

From the Author

I started hiking late in life, after moving to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When I met some women who were hiking NH's highest peaks, not knowing anyone else, I joined the group. It was a case of love at first hike. I loved the beauty, the camaraderie, the physical exertion, and the exaltation of relaxing on top of a summit gazing down on the awe-inspiring landscape.

When my husband and I went to England for a wedding, we continued on to the Lake District for some hiking. While rambling, I noticed that many hikers wore clear map carriers around their necks to hold their trail maps. It seemed like a brilliant idea - so much easier than having to get a book out of a pack or unfolding a large map, then finding the right page or place. But why not include more information than just a map? So it was at a lovely inn on Lake Windemere that the idea for Great Guides was formulated.

The next year was spent on design and production - hiking the trails while dictating descriptions and trail notes, learning how to use graphics software and a scanner, working with a graphic designer to perfect the "look", deciding what information to include. Because I started hiking later in life, my priorities were different from most writers of guides who had trekked the wilds most of their lives. I wanted to know where the best picnic spots were, where you could find wild blueberries, where the last good toilet was, something of the history and geology of the area, and what other peaks you saw from the overlooks. I learned from the trip to England that when you only had a few days to hike in an area, reading through a book with many dozens of hikes, some good and some boring, was a real chore. I felt that a smaller selection of dependably great hikes, geographically dispersed with different lengths and levels, would be easier to deal with.

Great Hikes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire became available July 1998. The response from users was so positive, that the next year was spent creating similar guides for Central New Hampshire and Vermont. There are now five guides available in the Great Hikes series by Great Guides for Outdoor Fun. Stay tuned for future publications.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Map: 12 pages
• Publisher: Great Guides for Outdoor Fun; 12 Card Set edition (May 15, 1999)
• ISBN-10: 0966364120
• ISBN-13: 978-0966364125
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,816,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good start for new hikers, Not so good for the experienced, June 13, 2001

By 

Kevin A. Mccoy "CTown reader" (Charlestown, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Hikes in Northern Vermont (Map)

I purchased this product because I frequently find myself in Northern Vermont and wanted a way to find a few good trails. This product contains several maps (each map features only one hike) for hikes in Northern Vermont. The maps are done in a neat format where they show the views from mountain summits as well as sharing some good information with you. The maps however are incredibly basic. A serious hiker would be better served by more detailed maps.

I also found the information on mileage and timings to be questionable. I am a fairly experience hiker and have never questioned the distances or the times so much as I did with this product. Also, there is no information on Vermont hiking in general. I went up to do some late season snow shoeing and found myself right in the middle of mud season when many trails were closed. It would have saved me a good 2 hour car trip if I knew about this ahead of time.

All in all, I think this would be a great product for those who are less serious or newer hikers. For those more serious, check out the Green Mountain Club's line of books.