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Rating: 
Summary: Something for nearly everyone
Review: "...intended for the adventure-minded travelers with special affection for the outdoors and nature. Each Adventure Guide packs in outdoor-oriented activities set in different regions. There's something for nearly everyone." Midwest Book Review
Rating:
Summary: Something for nearly everyone
Review: "...intended for the adventure-minded travelers with special affection for the outdoors and nature. Each Adventure Guide packs in outdoor-oriented activities set in different regions. There's something for nearly everyone." Midwest Book Review
Rating:
Summary: Covers all the options
Review: California's magnificent Sierra Nevada mountain range packs a punch when it comes to adventuring. Join local author Wilbur Morrison as he walks you along the Pacific Crest Trail and the John Muir Trail, through King's Canyon, up to the top of Mount Whitney, and swimming in Lake Tahoe. Offering tips on exploring this fantastic area alone, Morrison also lists local outfitters who can help you plan a horseback riding trip, a hike, a biking excursion or an overnight trek.
Rating: 
Summary: Adds nothing to the literature already available.
Review: The trouble with this book is that it tries to do too much with too little space. A book with 261 pages may not seem "little", but given the multitude of adventures available in the Sierra Nevada, that turns out to be the case. The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in California that stretches from Lake Tahoe on down past Mount Whitney. Encompassed within this 400-or-so mile stretch is a diversity of topography that is world-renowned for its stunning beauty. No less is this area admired for the myriad adventuring possibilities, from the typical skiing, hiking, and fishing to the more exotic rock climbing, mountain biking, and river rafting. Unfortunately, in trying to present this smorgasbord of possibilities in its limited space, the book squeezes out quality for quantity. The book is divided into three regions: the Eastern Sierra (which includes Mt. Whitney, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, and Mono Lake); Nevada & Lake Tahoe; and the Western Sierra (which includes Sacramento, Yosemite, Kings Canyon & Sequoia, and Gold Country). Looking at the table of contents, one might be impressed by the books' seeming comprehensiveness: Under any given area one sees subheadings about its history, local transportation, information sources, cultural & historical sights, where to stay, and where to dine. And the listing of its raison d'être, adventuring, appears to be even more impressive: the table of contents is liberally sprinkled with listings for hiking, skiing, water-sports, and other activities. Looks impressive until one notices that most of these sections get only one page or less -- with fairly large print to boot. In other words, you don't get as much information as you might think you're getting. Even the activities or areas that get multiple-pages are given short shrift. The section on Tahoe rock climbing, for instance, amounts to three pages of extremely brief descriptions of a number of climbing areas; clearly, a guidebook or two to the area will be needed, and yet they don't mention any. As another example, the section on recommended Yosemite trails points out the names of the standard spots (Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, etc.) with a minor bit of description -- too minor to be of much use. You'll end up having to use a Yosemite hiking guide or some brochure available at one of the ranger stations. One is tempted to ask the authors: Why not just start with the other guidebooks or brochures? What does your book add to them? What makes your book worth purchasing? The book's main claim to existence -- the niche it has tried to carve out for itself to separate it from the scores of other Sierra guides -- is its attempt to be comprehensive in listing the adventuring possibilities in the Sierras. In this attempt the authors have failed: the listings are just too scanty to be of much use. Nothing in this book expands on the information you could get on any given area over the internet, through the mail, or over the telephone; it certainly doesn't expand on the information available in similar books. Not that the book is terrible; if you can find this book at the library, perhaps it might be of some use to you to help plan your trip. I just can't recommend anyone purchasing it; any number of popular general guides would probably serve you better. A guide on your particular specialtie/s would be better still, e.g., a guide to Sierra fishing or Sierra hikes. And the internet or a few addresses and numbers (available at any library) could get you the info that would really flesh out your trip. Even if you were into scores of outdoor activities, this book wouldn't be enough. Which gets back to my question: Why, then, pick up this guide at all?
Rating:
Summary: Adds nothing to the literature already available.
Review: The trouble with this book is that it tries to do too much with too little space. A book with 261 pages may not seem "little", but given the multitude of adventures available in the Sierra Nevada, that turns out to be the case. The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in California that stretches from Lake Tahoe on down past Mount Whitney. Encompassed within this 400-or-so mile stretch is a diversity of topography that is world-renowned for its stunning beauty. No less is this area admired for the myriad adventuring possibilities, from the typical skiing, hiking, and fishing to the more exotic rock climbing, mountain biking, and river rafting. Unfortunately, in trying to present this smorgasbord of possibilities in its limited space, the book squeezes out quality for quantity. The book is divided into three regions: the Eastern Sierra (which includes Mt. Whitney, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, and Mono Lake); Nevada & Lake Tahoe; and the Western Sierra (which includes Sacramento, Yosemite, Kings Canyon & Sequoia, and Gold Country). Looking at the table of contents, one might be impressed by the books' seeming comprehensiveness: Under any given area one sees subheadings about its history, local transportation, information sources, cultural & historical sights, where to stay, and where to dine. And the listing of its raison d'être, adventuring, appears to be even more impressive: the table of contents is liberally sprinkled with listings for hiking, skiing, water-sports, and other activities. Looks impressive until one notices that most of these sections get only one page or less -- with fairly large print to boot. In other words, you don't get as much information as you might think you're getting. Even the activities or areas that get multiple-pages are given short shrift. The section on Tahoe rock climbing, for instance, amounts to three pages of extremely brief descriptions of a number of climbing areas; clearly, a guidebook or two to the area will be needed, and yet they don't mention any. As another example, the section on recommended Yosemite trails points out the names of the standard spots (Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, etc.) with a minor bit of description -- too minor to be of much use. You'll end up having to use a Yosemite hiking guide or some brochure available at one of the ranger stations. One is tempted to ask the authors: Why not just start with the other guidebooks or brochures? What does your book add to them? What makes your book worth purchasing? The book's main claim to existence -- the niche it has tried to carve out for itself to separate it from the scores of other Sierra guides -- is its attempt to be comprehensive in listing the adventuring possibilities in the Sierras. In this attempt the authors have failed: the listings are just too scanty to be of much use. Nothing in this book expands on the information you could get on any given area over the internet, through the mail, or over the telephone; it certainly doesn't expand on the information available in similar books. Not that the book is terrible; if you can find this book at the library, perhaps it might be of some use to you to help plan your trip. I just can't recommend anyone purchasing it; any number of popular general guides would probably serve you better. A guide on your particular specialtie/s would be better still, e.g., a guide to Sierra fishing or Sierra hikes. And the internet or a few addresses and numbers (available at any library) could get you the info that would really flesh out your trip. Even if you were into scores of outdoor activities, this book wouldn't be enough. Which gets back to my question: Why, then, pick up this guide at all?
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