Hiking the Grand Canyon: A Sierra Club Totebook [Paperback]

John Annerino (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sierra Club Totebook | Publication Date: March 1, 2006

Fully revised and updated, Hiking the Grand Canyon, the third edition of this celebrated Sierra Club Totebook® is an information-packed guide to America's best-known national park--destination of more than four and a half million visitors annually.

Hiking the Grand Canyon provides detailed, authoritative descriptions of more than one hundred of the best trails--from easy, level day hikes along the Canyon's North and South Rims, to rigorous but rewarding rim-to-river treks and trans-canyon expeditions. Author and seasoned Grand Canyon adventurer John Annerino offers invaluable information to help visitors plan their trips, ensure their safety and comfort, and enhance their enjoyment of the Grand Canyon's natural wonders--including sage advice on hiking equipment and technique, clothing and food requirements, and map selection; vital information on water sources and on climate and weather; and tips on lodging and camping, as well as on how to book guided hiking, rafting, and muleback or horseback trips. The book also features chapters on Grand Canyon National Park's natural history and geology and on its Native American history.

For first-time visitors as well as adventurers familiar with the Grand Canyon's many attractions, this is the most user-friendly and comprehensive guide to one of our nation's premier natural wonders.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wherever you go in the Grand Canyon, you're likely to be treading in the footsteps of John Annerino. There's no one better to tap for insights on Grand Canyon lore, history and geography. . . Here, canyon master John Annerino unveils the greatest tales of Grand Canyon history."
-- National Geographic Adventure

"John Annerino's Hiking the Grand Canyon is an indispensible trail guide and should be consulted in concert with a topographical map of the canyon when you're planning your trip."
-- Conde Naste TRAVELER

"Annerino's Hiking the Grand Canyon is the AAA Triptik, a canyoneering primer full of useful details . . . He urges canyoneers to start with the easy stuff -- maintained rim-to-river trails. Then venture onto non-maintained trails."
-- Outside Magazine

"This is the Grand Canyon trail guide I turn to most often. Anytime someone asks me a Grand Canyon I can't answer off the top of my head, this is the book I pull from the shelf."
-- Grand Canyon Trekker

"Hiking the Grand Canyon is a great resource with mileage logs, trail descriptions, ratings, history, water caches, and just about everything else you need to overnight or spend a couple of weeks in the Canyon."
-- Grand Canyon Treks

From the Author

Southwest Books of the Year              
* View images from this photo collection at johnannerinophotography.com
* Read the author's illustrated biography at johnannerino.com
* Get updates about the author's published work at Author Central
* Order now from Amazon
* Autographed and inscribed copies available at johnannerinobooks.com

Images from the author's Grand Canyon photo collection were featured in:
* Arizona: A Photographic Tribute, Centennial Edition
* Arizona Highways Magazine
* Desert Light: A Photographer's Journey through America's Desert Southwest
* Grand Canyon Wild: A Photographic Journey
* The Photographer's Guide to the Grand Canyon
* Travel & Leisure Magazine

"Hiking the Grand Canyon is the revised and updated third edition of John Annerino's classic guide. A former cross country running star, John went on to explore the deserts of the Southwest and become an award-winning photographer and author. He has personally covered all of these trails and knows his stuff. It's comprehensive, knowledgeable and well written -- a must for anyone planning to hike in the Grand Canyon."
-- Southwest Books of the Year

"Many Grand Canyon hikers are familiar with this author. John Annerino has written one of the most comprehensive trail guides ever for the Grand Canyonn. Annerino also has a great section on physical AND psychological training. This book is an invaluable resource!"
-- Hit the Trail

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books; 3rd edition (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578051509
• ISBN-13: 978-1578051502
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #724,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John is pleased to share the exciting news two of his new photography and literature books were published on January 24, 2012: the "Land if Enchantment's" 100 Year Centennial Edition, New Mexico: A Photographic Tribute; and the "Grand Canyon State's" 100 Year Centennial Edition, Arizona: A Photographic Tribute. His third new book, The Virgin of Guadalupe: Art and Legend, will be published by Gibbs Smith on March 1, 2012. His landmark photograph commemorating the World Trade Center was recently published in the 2011, 10th Anniversary editions of the New York Times No. 1 bestselling books, LIFE One Nation, America Remembers September 11, 2001, and LIFE In the Land of the Free. The iconic image and others can be viewed online at www.johnannerinophotography.com. John Annerino's indelible photographs were published previously in the New York Times No. 1 bestselling book, America 24/7: 24 Hours, 7 Days, Extraordinary Images of One American Week, and the Grand Canyon state sequel Arizona 24/7: Amazing Photographs of an Extraordinary State. John is the author and photographer of many books, among them 17 distinguished photographic essays and thirty-two single-artist calendars, including Wild & Scenic Arizona, Wild & Scenic New Mexico, La Virgen de Guadalupe, and the award winning books Indian Country, Desert Light, Grand Canyon Wild, Vanishing Borderlands, Canyons of the Southwest, The Wild Country of Mexico, and Roughstock: The Toughest Events in Rodeo, (acclaimed by the Rodeo Hall of Fame). John's credits include Arizona Highways Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, LIFE, Newsweek, People, Scientific American, Time, Travel & Leisure, and many prestigious clients worldwide. In his quest to explore the renowned landscapes and secret places of the Great Southwest and Old Mexico with a camera and pen over last 25 years, John has climbed its hallowed mountains, rafted its wild and scenic rivers, journeyed on foot through its mystical chasms, and crossed its alluring deserts. He has photographed and come to know the region's Native peoples and ceremonies, Western cowboys and traditions, and Spanish heritage and celebrations. John Annerino is a member of The Authors Guild, New York. Visit his illustrated bio online at www.johnannerino.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Are they reading the same book as I am?, March 10, 2002

By 

Canyon "canyon3" (Fairport, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking the Grand Canyon,Revised and Expanded (Paperback)

I bought this book based on the reviews I read and all I can say is, are they reading the same book as I am? This book has the basic information about the trails and other interesting information like who was the first to climb each of the formations. There are no actual illustrations of the trails in the book, only textual descriptions. It tells you how long you will live without water based on the temperature. Seems to me you should know that before you head out. It is a compact size which makes it easy to lug around all that useless information. It does have some interesting history about the Grand Canyon and contact information for hotels and rafting. Again, information that is not very useful once you are on the trail. It has a listing of water sources but any serious hiker will check with the back country office before hitting the trail, which for the records the book does recommend. It also came with a useless map which is suitable for coloring. If you are planning on hiking into the canyon, I would recommend the book by Adkison over this one.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK book, April 5, 2000

By 

GARY M. LABELLA (Malta, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking the Grand Canyon,Revised and Expanded (Paperback)

The first couple of chapters gave a very good overview of the canyon formation, good to know tourist information for the backpacker, and a map. Unfortunately, I found the map difficult to read because of the colors used to format it. I was also hoping for more depth and discussion about the various trails from the South Rim to the river. This is a well rounded book. It does give a quick (but vague)overview of what a backpacker needs to know. This "guide" lives up to its claim for being just that. I would recommend this book for the novice Canyon goer

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best-ever Grand Canyon hiking guide!, September 25, 2003

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking the Grand Canyon,Revised and Expanded (Paperback)

I hike rim to rim to rim several times a year in the Grand Canyon, so I know the inner corridor trails pretty well. This book should now be considered the definitive guide for hiking in the Grand Canyon and the strong points of this book are worth noting. The maps are excellent, as are the descriptions of how to get to trail head. However, the book is incomplete in certain areas and outdated. The Grand Canyon has implemented a shuttle system to stem the horrific crowds (I don't see much improvement) and hikers now can't drive to the South Kaibab trail or Hermit's Rest trail. The directions in this book are therefore rendered confusing due to the new restrictions.

Most importantly, the authors neglect to stress that in order to successfully complete long hikes at the Grand Canyon, you must be physically prepared. Several times a year I hike rim to rim and then back the next day. This is 24 miles of hiking with some serious elevation gains. Oftentimes I pass many sick, debilitated and unprepared hikers who quite obviously didn't do any physical preparation for this hike. Physically fit people should be able to do it in 3-4 hours coming up, but many are stuck on the trail for 12 hours and suffering. This could be avoided by exercising and hiking for months in advance in order to enjoy and relish the spectacular experience.

The author does detail the debilitating and life-threatening heat conditions that exist in the Canyon. I recommend to anyone planning long hikes *not* to attempt them in the summer! Temperatures frequently exceed 110 degrees and heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke can result. The best months to hike in the Grand Canyon are October, November and April.

The Grand Canyon (even with the terrible crowds) is a sublime experience and Phantom Ranch is the best part of the canyon. Forget the mule and use your own two feet. It's a magical experience, a great hike and one you will want to do again and again!