50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips, Fourth Edition (50 Hikes Series)

Rating:
Summary: a definite must for any PA hiker
Review: I only began hiking at the end of September but have done 6 hikes so far. I've done 2 hikes in this book (Bohen Run (#36) Pine Trail and Hemlock Mtn (#41?)), which were my first hike and my most difficult hike respectively. I've also done 4 hikes in Thwaites' Eastern PA book. This author is almost always very precise and descriptive. Even as a beginning hiker I found his text so easy to follow. He points out neat things to check out, side trails, etc. but also leaves some surprises out. Some are good, some are not so good. Sometimes his descriptions leave out things like climbs, which beginning hikers need to know. And some trails are badly blazed or have hunters, which should be noted. Some trails need to be updated. But overall, I can't recommend his books enough. Thoroughly interesting, accessible, and informative. I always feel completely safe with his book in my hands. I still don't see how he did Pine Trail and Hemlock Mtn in only 6 hours though! He must be in great shape! We usually finish about an hour less than the hike time, but that one was difficult. He is definitely the authority on hiking! I hope he keeps writing and finding new trails for us to explore!

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: Mostly a very good resource. Speaking on a pure scenic level, the author shows you some fantastic views and pretty trails. However, he fails to tell you sometimes when the trail is incredibly rocky or steep. Overall, though, definately worth the money

Rating:
Summary: Practical, but uninspiring
Review: This is a decent book describing the basics of 50 different hikes. The book has two pages of text plus a small map of each hike. The text tells you how long the hike is, provides basic driving directions, and indicates whether the hike is rocky or wet. However, I felt uninspired after reading about the hikes. I was left wondering whether it was really worth a two hour drive for some of these out of the way hikes.

The author does not present this book as the 50 best hikes, only as a list of 50 decent hikes. I would have liked to see color photos, better maps, a better list of what to look for on the hikes, rankings of the most enjoyable hikes, and a numerical rating of aspects such as rockiness, steepness, and wetness, so I could better determine how certain age groups would fair on the hikes.

Rating:
Summary: Good Resource
Review: This is an good book describing several trails in the area. Some of the trail descriptions are a bit on the short side, but overall it does a good job locating overlooks and trail descriptions.

The only thing I could suggest is setting up a website to go along with this book. Something that could keep track of errata and trail conditions along with a messageboard and such. The first time I used this book, we did hike #6, the Maple Run Trail and found out that the book says to go out 2.8 miles out Maple Run Road for the trailhead, but in reality, it is only 1.3 miles. We lost a day of hiking because of the error. If there was an easy way to monitor such errata, it would help.

Rating:
Summary: Great resource--we owe a lot to the author
Review: Tom Thwaites has done a lot for the Pennsylvania trails, and is the father of the Mid State Trail, which is my favorite trail to day hike. This edition of 50 Hikes in CPA is nicely updated from the last edition, and the hikes are all excellent. Dr. Thwaites loves great views, and so do I, and this book will get you to the best of them. One thing I especially like about this book is the careful research that has gone into relating the history of the areas you are hiking in--it's nice to know a little something other than where you are! About the only complaint I have about this indispensible guide is the fact that some of the suggested hikes are quite arduous and long for me. I'm a big guy, so I wear out easily, and this may not apply to you. What I've done, though, is used this book in combination with the MST maps to make my own day hikes with the same destinations. I've also done some of his recomended hikes as overnighters. Between this and Jean Aron's "The Short Hiker" you have a great start on hiking in this area. Kudos to Dr. Thwaites and his efforts!