<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Quite good, but now inaccurate in places
Review: Big Sur has some wonderful hiking trails, and this book provides very good, detailed descriptions of most of them. Because it was published several years ago, however, and some of the trails have been damaged in storms over the past few years, some of its information is now inaccurate, even with the several-page addendum at the back of the book. For example, the trail to Mount Manuel is "closed" -- though I understand that people still occasionally hike it. Also, during a recent visit, we were unable to cross the Big Sur River in order to hike the spectacular-looking Panorama and Hidden Trails in Andrew Molera State Park. There was no bridge and no place to ford without considerable risk of mishap, a state of affairs the book doesn't seem to consider. Of course, these inaccuracies are the fault of Mother Nature rather than of the author, and any hiker who isn't prepared for less-than-ideal trail conditions probably shouldn't be hiking in the first place. Nevertheless, to be really useful to hikers, the book should be updated yet again. I share another reviewer's frustration with the topo maps near the back of the book. They're a bit hard to use because many of the trails, even the shorter trails, run onto several pages, making it necessary to flip back and forth between pages. The topos also have tiny print, undoubtedly a consequence of having to scale them down to the book's size. There must be a way to include more hiker-friendly maps -- even hand-drawn, trail-specific maps of the kind found in the Lonely Planet guides, while not providing much topographic detail, would help hikers get more of the "big picture" of a trail's length and proximity to roads and other trails. All in all a good guide to a delightful region.
Rating:
Summary: Great but needs updating
Review: Having made about thirty different trips into the Ventana wilderness over the last several years using this great guide book, I've come to appreciate the authors maps. Regular topographic maps from the USGS do not show many trails in the Ventana or inaccuratly shown. The author has plotted the trails in detail onto USGS topos (shrunk to book size which means you must look closely, but you can still discern every contour clearly). The trail descriptions are as detailed and informative as one can expect for a book this old. Fires, El Nino's and withdrawal of funds for trail maintenance inevitably change the accuracy of Schaeffers descriptions. Nevertheless there are still many useful descriptions and comments. If you are serious about exploring this rugged widerness, the book would be well worth it for its maps alone.
Rating:
Summary: Great but needs updating
Review: Having made about thirty different trips into the Ventana wilderness over the last several years using this great guide book, I've come to appreciate the authors maps. Regular topographic maps from the USGS do not show many trails in the Ventana or inaccuratly shown. The author has plotted the trails in detail onto USGS topos (shrunk to book size which means you must look closely, but you can still discern every contour clearly). The trail descriptions are as detailed and informative as one can expect for a book this old. Fires, El Nino's and withdrawal of funds for trail maintenance inevitably change the accuracy of Schaeffers descriptions. Nevertheless there are still many useful descriptions and comments. If you are serious about exploring this rugged widerness, the book would be well worth it for its maps alone.
Rating: 
Summary: Many changes to the wilderness...
Review: I first purchased Mr. Shaffer's book back in '94 and have jokingly referred to it as "The Liar's Guide to Hiking the Ventana Wilderness". I found the book fairly accurate for the more popular trails (Carmel River Trail, Pine Ridge Trail, Skinner's Ridge), but somewhat misleading for the lesser-traveled trails. The book is in SEVERE need of updating to correct some of the inaccuracies and mainly, because over 100,000 acres in the heart of Ventana were scorched in the Kirk Complex/Tassajarra fires of 1999. The fires resulted in many of the trails being burnt almost out of existence or severly damaged. Despite its shortcomings, however, the book is worth it for first-timers wishing to hike Ventana.
Rating: 
Summary: Enough information to be dangerous
Review: I just finished a weekend hike in the Ventana wilderness. Granted, I did a lot of stupid things. But I got 18 hours of rain! I was trapped between two rivers that had risen over 6 feet in 24 hours. My down sleeping bag was soaked. Temperatures were dropping into the 40s at night. I thought I was going to die. Did this book give me any hint that there was this kind of danger? No. It makes no mention of radical changes in the environment due to weather. It mentions steady-state danger conditions for other rivers (Carmel, Big Sur and Little Sur. These the are the same ones that the Forest Service mentions, btw. Here it says that they can be impassable in the winter) but nothing about other ones. At least *some* of the narrative is correct. But for a place as rugged as the Ventana Wilderness, a book without discussion of the dangers is simply inexcusable. If this is our only source, it's no wonder there's such a high number of plaques to a "Loving husband and father" on some of the trails.
Rating:
Summary: Many changes to the wilderness...
Review: I never knew that such a place existed as the Ventana Wilderness.....and I lived nearby in Gilroy for nearly 20 years! Put simply, I plan to hike the trails that this book introduces.
Rating: 
Summary: This book details the trails of the Ventana Wilderness.
Review: I never knew that such a place existed as the Ventana Wilderness.....and I lived nearby in Gilroy for nearly 20 years! Put simply, I plan to hike the trails that this book introduces.
Rating: 
Summary: Torturously organized, severely out of date
Review: I purchased the recently updated version of Shaffer's book, but having recently hiked in the Big Sur area, I can confirm the book is still riddled with basic mistakes. These mistakes aren't of a rudimenary nature, but significant misstatements of fact, such as where to locate a trailhead, how far each hike is and where to park your vehicle. On several hikes, Schaffer describes a "locked gate" which hikers must traverse... oops, sorry... there is no gate there anymore and no access for hikers. This can be extremely frustrating to plan a morning hike and rely upon this guide, only to be misled and have the hike aborted before it even begins. In addition, the book is organized in an extremely frustrating manner. Distances are given, but no elevation gains or indication of whether the trek will be easy, moderate or strenuous. This is an inexcusable omission. The only reason to buy this guide is because good hiking books on the Big Sur region are few and far between. I use Schaffer because it's the only guide out there, but it has many serious deficiencies. Know this before you purchase it and don't expect a stellar guide. Also be aware of the errors in trailhead directions and outdated material.
Rating:
Summary: accurate and informative
Review: I thought that this book was very useful. With accurate descriptions and topo maps, the best(almost only) guidebook you can get on the area.
Rating:
Summary: Small market, hence only 1 player. The beauty of competition
Review: This book is the only detailed guide to the Ventana wilderness. It is very difficult to follow and you definitely sense that it has not been updated since 1987. The topo maps in back are hard to read and you constantly have to flip back and forth to see where you are going. I give it a 4 because it is the only book out there, but in terms of usability it is a 1. My advice: buy the book and call the ranger station to get the skinny before heading out into the wilderness. Also, I will definitely refrain from pointing out my favorite hiking destination...it is a jewel.
<< 1 >>
|
