Customer Reviews

Hiking Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (Regional Hiking Series)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am the author of the book above. I would suggest to anyone who has read Candace Scott's review below to take a look at the guide for themselves before letting her have influence over their decision.

I put a lot of hard work into this guide, and the truth is that editors have the final say as to the wording and content of the book. Limits are also put on the length of the book according to how large the publisher's budget is. If you are on contract, such as I was, the publisher expects you to follow their format; listing mileages, keeping non-hiking information to a minimum, limiting each hike to 1,200 words, etc. There were a few hikes I wasn't able to include due to the 90,000 word limit.

Candace mentions that there are topo maps in the guide, which is incorrect. There are trail maps along with elevation graphs (which show the elevation gain and loss). Topo maps are listed for each hike if the hiker should want to purchase them. Hazards are mentioned in the "Make it a Safe Trip" section of the book. Drinking water is mentioned there as well and in Appendix C, "Hiker's Checklist".

Everyone has a right to their own opinion. If she didn't care for the Falcon Guide format, or enjoyed some of the areas more than is reflected in this guide, that's fine and I have no problem with that. I have my own opinions also, and may not have been as enthused in some of the areas due to deteriorating trail conditions (mainly because of horse travel on the same trail). And finally, constantly reiterating the beauty of Sequoia and Kings Canyon can become redundant and tend to lose its effect. Sometimes it is best to experience the scenery in person, and we all know the Sierra Nevada is a beautiful Mountain Range to say the least.

I also disagree that there is an absence of good hiking guides to the area. I own several from different authors and feel that all of them have their merits and they all contain a wealth of information.

I can honestly say that I have put much effort into including information not found in other guides into this book. I checked and rechecked mileages, took note of native plants along each trail and identified peaks viewed on each hike. I did my best to make this the most accurate and complete guide to the best trails in Sequoia and Kings Canyon. So, if you don't want to risk it by ordering the guide online, take a look at it in your local book or sporting goods store, and decide for yourself. Meanwhile, I will try to get my publisher to request a "Look Inside the Book" feature here on Amazon.

This is an excellent guide to a fantastic and underrated backcountry resource (or short day hikes/tourist trails if you prefer). Trail selection and details are very good and the trail maps and elevation profiles are extraordinary. Unlike most guides there is no hesitation to repeat a map a couple of pages apart if it will be helpful to the reader. The primary drawback of the book is that it lacks big picture planning tools like a map that puts the different sections of the book in perspective. A downloaded trail map from the national park service web site supplements it nicely. Additionally there seems to be more detailed coverage of Sequoia than King's canyon. Overall, however, it was a very helpful guide in planning a fantastic backcountry experience.

Just spent a week in Kings Canyon-Sequoia. Took some wonderful hikes and would have been lost without this guide. Its true that the author does not wax poetic about the wonders along each trail but she tells you enough so you can make the decision about whether to take the hike or not. All the technical details and instructions where perfect for the hikes I took. Well worth the money and the only hiking guide I will carry when I visit this area again.

I was impressed by the generous fund of information in this book, and even more so when the author explained that she was operating under space and style constraints. If you look at the publishing record, there are many guidebooks that take in all or part of this region (contrary to what Candace Scott states in her review), and the maps and descriptive material in this volume outshine the vast bulk of its competition. This is an essential volume for anyone interested in exploring the mid-Sierra range and, just as the author says, those interested in poetical aspects over practical know-how are always able to consult John Muir, Clarence King and Ansel Adams.

I don't like giving bad reviews. In fact, I hate it. However, I'm indebted to give an honest appraisal of this book and explain why my wife and I agreed on a one-star rating. I've read the mostly glowing reviews from others and based my purchase of this book on them. One reviewer however, Candace Scott, gave only two stars. I now agree with her that the descriptions of each trail are flat and uninformative. The author makes some comments that space is limited and certain information is required -- both credible arguments. However, each hike has overly repetitive information. For example, each trail used by horses is prefaced by a rather lengthy section on horse etiquette. In my opinion, repetition like this can be written once in the beginning and referred to if needed. Other similar examples abound. The most glaring problem with this book it the repetition of the trials. For example, hike # 16 through 22 all begin using the same trail, each one being lengthened a bit to another destination -- leading to highly repetitive information and the unfortunate perception that you can go on essentially 7 different hikes. Clearly, this can be condensed. Lastly, there is little information of why you should go on a hike. What are you going to see? What is special about the destination? What special features of the widely varied terrain can you expect? I read this book cover-to-cover, hoping to get some useful information out of it. However, once in Sequoia, my wife and I found ourselves hiking a number of truly outstanding trails not referenced to in the book, and we went on a beautiful semi-loop backpacking trip over two passes and through some of the most interesting geographical terrain I've ever experienced in one area. This 30 mile backpacking trip is referenced, in parts, in the book, as day hikes to various destinations, again duplicating trail information, but the loop (conspicuously absent from this book are loop hikes) is not mentioned and many of the trails are not mentioned. Also lacking is some of the grand highlights, such as two passes we crossed and the startling scenery we witnessed. I highly recommend Sequoia as a grand destination. However, as the author states, we are entitled to our own opinions and my wife and I give this particular guide a very poor rating. It is the only guide book we have thrown away.

My wife and I have hiked most of the major national parks in the U.S. over the past 20 years. As a result, we have purchased many hiking guide books. We've found that the Falcon Guide series tend to be best overall. Their detailed (but not cluttered) trail maps are always excellent, the elevation profile charts are a huge help, and their standard format across all books makes it easy to go from park to park without re-learning a new system.

The Sequoia and Kings Canyon book is no exception. It follows the Falcon standard format and was very useful on our recent trip there. Using this book alone, I was able to select 10 fantastic hikes, and each time I felt like I knew what I was getting into based on the book's rich trail descriptions.

I especially appreciated the Highlights section at the top of each trail description. This allowed me to scan the book quickly to find which trails may interest us.

Another excellent resource is the "Trail Finder" section which lists the author's favorite hikes based on criteria such as "Hikes Along Streams", "Hikes with Great Views", "Hikes to Avoid if You Don't Want to See Many People."

But alas, no book is perfect, and this book (and all Falcon Guides) could be improved as follows:

1. Include an alphabetized index of trail names and other common features such as lakes, mountains, etc. So when a park ranger recommends we try the hike to "Panther Falls", we don't have to flip through 286 pages to find it.

2. Put all pertinent trail information (summary, map, elevation chart) for each hike on a single page so that I can rip that page out of the book and take it with me on the hike.

I purchased this book and Mike White's Sequoia National Park. Other than the fact White's book only covered Sequoia NP, it seemed to have a leg up on the Falcon Guide. White's guide uses topo maps. The Falcon Guide does not. White has an index, not so the Falcon Guide. White has more pictures and more detail in the hike descriptions, including more info on wildlife, flora and fauna. White covers 62 hikes in Sequoia (there is a separate book for Kings Canyon). The Falcon Guide has 86 hikes in Sequoia and Kings Canyon. But for all the 'extras' White provides, which book did I reach for more as I planned my trip? The Falcon Guide. That is for two reasons. First this book includes an "overview" map of both parks on page 1 that shows where the specific hikes are in the parks. This makes it much easier to get oriented to the parks as a whole and the hikes relative to eachother. There is nothing comparable in White. Second, the topo maps are just harder to read than the Falcon's more simple representations. Falcon covers the elevation information in a separate chart which, while more crude, is easier to grasp. So between the two I'd pick this book, the Falcon Guide. In this case, less is more.

I initially did not like this book. But then we went to the park and I found that it is actually very logically done and quite accurate. The initial problem was that I was not familiar with the park and so it did not make a lot of sense, but once there it was much better. I would suggest to the author a little more detailed introduction to the park with an overview of how the book is arranged. Well done though overall though.

All of the books we have used in the Falcon Guide Hiking Series (probably around 15) are quality hiking guides. I would highly recommend the Trails Illustrated Map of the same area to go along with any of these books. The map gives you a birds-eye view that the books don't show you. You can use the Falcon Guide as just that, a guide, and customize your own hiking trips to best suit your skill and fitness level. I give a lot of credit to Falcon Guide for my transition from city boy to someone who plans all vacations around hiking the most beautiful areas imaginable. There is something in these books for everyone wanting to get away from the crowds.

I purchased this to help prepare for a backpack trip in KK/Sequoia where I will enter from the East (Onion Valley). This book is of no use for this trip. There are only several pages that cover the east side and the information in them is minimal. This book would be good as a light hiking reference for people driving and day hiking from the road running in from the West. There are no GPS coordinates and the maps are quite basic.