Customer Reviews

Hiking the Bigfoot Country(A Sierra Club Totebook)

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

 

 

This little (fits in a jacket pocket. Handy!) book is a masterpiece and worth every penny. Not only do you get detailed maps and descriptions of trails in the Kalmiopsis wildland, Red Buttes and High Siskiyous, but you are also given good advice: walk it(don't ride, bike or drive). Pack everything out with you (rather than burying it. The bears *will* dig it up). John Hart tells you how to access some very obscure and little-known trails, how to follow trails which are faint, neglected and devastated by natural or human-inflicted disaster(s), gives you a "heads up" about areas where you might otherwise unwittingly trample salamanders and/or rare plants and speaks about wilderness areas that were (and still are) threatened by the activities of loggers and miners in Northern California and Southern Oregon. He gives potentially life-saving information, pinpointing locations of clean drinking water and shelter, weather conditions and recommendations for clothing and gear. Even if you never get off the sofa and go for a hike, this book is a terrific read!

I bought this book in Northern California at a Ranger station. I asked what book to buy and was directed to this one. The descriptions of nature - the flowers, trees, animal life - is a pleasure to read. If you can't actually be there, just reading about the beautiful places is satisfying. Also the author's love for this natural country and his awareness of how precious it is, and how endangered, is moving. All of the places he describes are in danger of being logged or abused by grazing cattle, and in fact I noticed both in some of the hikes I did based upon his book. The most beautiful place I visited was Young's Valley. I highly recommend visiting there if you can. It is 17 miles into the wilderness on a dirt road which can be traversed by auto, though the last couple of miles are very rough and have to be taken extremely slowly. You'll come to a large pond before the final stretch. Stop and take a look. There are flowers around but what you'll be struck by the most is the absolute quiet. Look in the water. It is filled with Western newts! Then drive the last couple of miles, park and hike down into deeply forested country below. You'll find abundant meadows on all sides, fragrant white Azaleas wherever you see water running, flowers of all kinds....Once you come to Young's meadow you'll find a huge expanse of grass and wildflowers with many smaller meadows around and snow-topped mountains ranging around. At the bottom end of the meadow you'll find a trail which follows a creek, ranging through deeply forested country with mossy rocks along side the creek. Red monkey flower adornes the creek and other flowers grow along the banks where there is some sun or opening in the forest. All I can say is it is beautiful country and I hope to God it is not destroyed. The author has done his best to insure that these beautiful places are kept that way for posterity.

This book is great for those people who have the combined interests of hiking and searching for Bigfoot.

There is no better guide to the Siskiyous than this book...but be forewarned, it is dated and there have been some changes in these mountains and some of the trails since it was written....get local info before you travel. Since this book was written we have seen the addition of two Wilderness areas, formerly Primitive areas, and a National Monument.

Very readable and an informative guide to one of the most beautiful and diverse mountain ranges in the country.