Ira Spring, Harvey Manning
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Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Excursion Guides -> General
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Excursion Guides -> General AAS
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Walking
Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14
Average rating: 3.5 of 5
Experienced WA hiker does not recommend this book.......... 2 out of 5 stars.
27 of 37 people found this review helpful.
...and recommend in its stead : Hiking Washington's Geology, ISBN: 0898865484. I live in WA state, and have owned "100 Classic Hikes in WA" for 5 years; I repeatedly "try" to reference for new hiking ideas, but every time end up closing the book in disgust. Here is why:
1. The prose is terrible (excessively 'flowery' and overblown);
2. Non-stop negative "preaching" against the forest service, motorized vehicles, horses & dogs on the trail.
3. Hike descriptions, when not oriented on preaching, are not very descriptive of the specific features as seen on the hike.
Because of this, the valuable information, such as difficulty of hike, accesibility of trailhead, & attraction of hike (view, flowers, etc) is very hard to extract from the hike descriptions.
I consider myself an experienced outdoors-person, and hit the trails almost every weekend during good weather. Sometimes I hike with friends, sometimes I take my dog, sometimes I bring the trailer & ride with my horse, and sometimes I take a mountain bike. My point is: these men found innumerable ways to slam almost every activity I do in the mountains: according to their never-ending negativity, the only good trail is one in which only a walking human is allowed.
My recommendation to the authors is to spend less time 'educating' the public with your incredibly biased opinions and more time on the purpose of the book: educating people on the best places to go in WA for a great hike.
"Hiking WA's Geology" is a much better book, even if you are not interested in geology for the following reasons:
1. Hike descriptions are written by authors experienced in technical writing, i.e. you recieve the most amount of pertinent information in as few words as possible.
2. Many of the trails are 'off the regularly beaten path'
3. Descriptions give detailed information along each section of the hike, so the hiker knows not only the 'what & why' of what he is seeing, but also any technical challenges that might arise (paraphrased e.g.: 3 miles down the trail, the trail becomes difficult to follow, watch for campsite #22, walk to the left, find the trailhead again).
Editorial Review:
Based on their more than 100 years of combined experience in Washington's backcountry, Spring and Manning have selected their favorite trails for this compendium of classic hikes. Full-color photographs throughout supplement the authors' first-hand descriptions of the trails they have hiked many times over. Featuring spectacular views, flower-filled alpine meadows, lakes and streams, ancient forests, animals and birds, and solitude, these trails will give hikers a taste of Washington's best. Infused with a strong conservation message, this guide not only introduces hikers to Washington's gems but encourages them to become active participants in an effort to preserve and, in some cases, reclaim the remaining wilderness.
