Top Trails Yosemite: Must Do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails)
by Jeffrey P. Schaffer
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jeffrey P. SchafferEdition: Paperback
Published: 2007-03-31
ISBN: 0899974252
Number of pages: 383
Publisher: Wilderness Press
Book Reviews of Top Trails Yosemite: Must Do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails)
Book Review: An Excellent Addition to the Top Trails Series
Summary: 5 Stars
Wilderness Press originally conceived of the 'Top Trails' series as a set of hiking guides to the best trails in an area. This purpose sets these volumes apart from typical hiking guides which tend to fall into two categories: comprehensive guides to all trails in a region, or descriptions of short day hiking opportunities in an area. The idea was to give visitors to a region quick access to the best hiking and to facilitate ease of use. Perhaps no area of California needs a 'Top Trails' guide as much as Yosemite and very few authors are as qualified to write one as Jeffrey Schaffer.
This book is divided into seven chapters: one for each region of the park. Each chapter lists 5 to 8 hikes ranging in distance from the 1/2 mile walk at Bridalveil Falls to a 33 mile excursion among the High Sierra Camps. Obviously, some of these trails are more suitable for backpacking, a feature that distinguishes this book from others in the 'Top Trails' series. All the great hikes are included. Readers will find route descriptions for Half Dome, the Tuolomne Grove of Sequoias (my favorite grove in the park), Clouds Rest, Hetch Hetchy Resevoir, Glacier Point, and many more. In all, there are 45 trails and routes described here.
What makes this book so good are the standard features found in other 'Top Trails' guides and the expert commentary of Schaffer. Each chapter begins with an overview of the region, a trails summary page listing distance, difficulty, and some highlights of the trails, followed by detailed trail descriptions and carefully drawn maps. Schaffer is one of the top cartographers in the west and his maps are second to none. But in addition to these standard features, Schaffer also offers an extended commentary on the geology, geography, and plant and animal communities found in the park. His theory that Yosemite Valley's rock walls were formed by faulting and vertical fracture planes, not solely by glaciers, is explained in these pages, along with the evidence for it, so that non-specialists can easily understand what they observe as they hike. This sort of expert commentary adds immeasurably to the joy of hiking. That is why I strongly recommend this book by Schaffer. It can enhance any vacation to Yosemite.
Summary of Top Trails Yosemite: Must Do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails)
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the amazing number of choice destinations in Yosemite National Park--Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, and many other famed locales. Top Trails Yosemite helps you sort through the options. It doesn't describe every possible hike in the Park, only the best. Jeffrey Schaffer has selected 46 of the "must do" hikes in the Park and vicinity. Whether you're looking for a scenic stroll, a full-day adventure, or even a spectacular backpacking trip, you'll find it here. And with at-a-glance information for each hike, visitors can determine which hikes are most suitable to their skills, schedules, and preferences. Books in the affordable and easy-to-use Top Trails series feature elevation profiles, detailed maps, driving directions, and "don't get lost" trail milestones and innovative trail-feature charts.General Books
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