Customer Reviews

The Short Hiker : Small Green Circles, 3rd Edition

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

 

 

I loved this book. Easy to follow, lots of details. perfect for anyone visiting State College, PA for a Penn State game with some extra time. Excellent job.

I feel William Ames review of Jean Aron's 'The Short Hiker' is unduly harsh. Her writing has a conversational tone to it and is interspersed with gentle humor and asides. While perhaps not what he expected to encounter in a trail guide, it does provide friendly encouragement and advice to novice hikers, newcomers and old timers who wish to hike the special trails of Central PA. I agree that the maps could be clearer and easier to read. It should be noted that the author has worked within the constraints of a limited budget to publish this guide, and thus maps, graphics, etc. have been kept modest. I've always found her trail descriptions accurate and easy to follow. As an added bonus she includes useful information about special plants, seasonal birds and other significant features likely to be encountered while hiking each trail. The introductory remarks concerning preparations for hiking are sound, sensible and of value to both novice and experienced hiker. Some people may dislike Aron's writing style, but others find it reflective and enjoyable, reminiscent of the regional writers of New England. All in all, this is the best book available for introducing residents of central PA to the fascinating hiking possibilities available.

We have all three editions of this book and have used it for the 23 years we have lived near Rothrock State Forest. It was great when our children were little and we could use it to select the easier hikes. Then when we could do the hard hikes, it gave lots of options. Jean's style makes it even more a treasure. You can tell the love she has for the forest and hiking and it means a lot to go and do the hikes she enjoyed because you know that they are the best.

DNADEB

This book has clear, simple, directions and maps. All small-to-medium hikes ranging from very easy to moderately strenuous.

Anyone interested in getting started hiking in the central Pennsylvania area should have a copy.

This book is a dream to us, beginner hikers. I find the descriptions delightful and her tips helpful. It will be a valuable resource when my husband and I travel through the state this summer.

Jean Aron has done a lot for the hiking community in State College, PA, and her trail guide points out some very nice hikes. I particularly like the fact that many of her hikes can be completed in an evening, after work. They don't require a whole day of weekend or vacation time. What is bad about this book is the writing--it's pretty bad. Jean Aron may be an accomplished hiker, but she should leave the writing to a ghost writer, or at least get a good editor. Her style rambles and includes 'poetic' language and additions that will make you groan. Some of her insights are nice, but mostly it's just bad amateur poetry. The hand-drawn maps and poor page layout are another downside--the maps miss important points, landmakrs and directions on getting there, and they look childish. The page layout is also poorly thought out, and makes it difficult to read. She should pay somebody a few dollars to redraw the maps and design better pages. Also, be careful if you take some of the longer hikes in this book, as they are innacurate. Ms. Aron is getting on in years, and she hasn't visited or researched some of these trails in quite some time. I found myself on a 4 hour boot buster I wasn't planning on! Still, with its faults, this is the best guide to short hikes in the State College Area, and you'll probably find it a good resource.

I was glad to find this book, since I was looking to explore some of the hiking trails in the area. The trails are good, but I'll admit that some of them are hard for an older person like myself to accomplish. Still, I would have been completely unaware of many of the trails without this guide. Like many self-published books, the writing and "look and feel" of the book leave much to be desired, but the basic information is there, should you care to sift through the "prose and poetry" to get to it! My wife, who teaches English at a local university described the writing as "quaint and rambling" and typical for non-authors. I skipped it and tried to follow the routes.