Book Description
The acclaimed author of The End of Nature takes a three-week walk from his current home in Vermont to his former home in the Adirondacks and reflects on the deep hope he finds in the two landscapes.
Bill McKibben begins his journey atop Vermont’s Mt. Abraham, with a stunning view to the west that introduces us to the broad Champlain Valley of Vermont, the expanse of Lake Champlain, and behind it the towering wall of the Adirondacks. “In my experience,” McKibben tells us, “the world contains no finer blend of soil and rock and water and forest than that found in this scene laid out before me—a few just as fine, perhaps, but none finer. And no place where the essential human skills—cooperation, husbandry, restraint—offer more possibility for competent and graceful inhabitation, for working out the answers that the planet is posing in this age of ecological pinch and social fray.”
The region he traverses offers a fine contrast between diverse forms of human habitation and pure wilderness. On the Vermont side, he visits with old friends who are trying to sustain traditional ways of living on the land and to invent new ones, from wineries to biodiesel. After crossing the lake in a rowboat, he backpacks south for ten days through the vast Adirondack woods. As he walks, he contemplates the questions that he first began to raise in his groundbreaking meditation on climate change, The End of Nature: What constitutes the natural? How much human intervention can a place stand before it loses its essence? What does it mean for a place to be truly wild?
Wandering Home is a wise and hopeful book that enables us to better understand these questions and our place in the natural world. It also represents some of the best nature writing McKibben has ever done.
Customer Reviews:
A Connection to the Land.......2007-06-26
I have spent much of my recreational time in the two places Bill McKibben writes about in this book -- The Adirondacks of New York and the Champlain Valley of Vermont. They both offer some of the most beautiful, pastoral scenery in the US. From Lake Champlain itself you can see the Green Mountains of Vermont on one side and the Adirondack Mountains of New York on the other. As Mr. KcKibben points out, while they may look similar and proximate from afar, each is quite different from the other. The Champlain Valley is more pastoral, bucolic and New England-like. The Adirondacks are much more rugged, wilderness-like and rough around the edges. Both can call to you in a way that becomes a lifetime's pursuit.
This book is an easy and short read. It is engaging, paints wonderful pictures with words and gets you to think about the tension between a simpler life closer to the natural world and modern society and progress/development. He is fair in his assessment of the joys and the struggles associated with a simpler life closer to nature. I don't know who would enjoy this book more - the person who has enjoyed this simpler life or one who can only imagine it through books like this one. I highly recommend this book for people who love this part of the world or who have thought about getting closer to the land and living a simpler life.
An Insight into Place and Community........2006-10-17
Bill McKibben describes a walk through place and community. The community is bound by a geographic region but the displaced reader is imperceptibly drawn into the mind-set of McKibben and his guests. You are introduced to a group who love the land on the Vermont/New York border and recognise it as one of the few "wild" places left in America. It is their passion to preserve and conserve that comes through and it is infectious. The book inspires the reader to analyse their relationship to place and modes of behaviour driven by place. The antithesis of economic consumption exists in all of us, however repressed. Bill brings it to the fore. The effect on the distant reader is such that you will join the community despite being so far way. Bravo Bill !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review of Bill McKibben's "Wandering Home".......2006-05-15
Bill McKibben walks for sixteen days through the Adirondack Mountains to share his love of the land with his readers but what makes the book so special are the people Bill introduces, walks with, and talks with (and about...) along his journey. I was a Travel Agent for five years and was lucky enough to be sent to some of the best, first class places in America and this journey that Bill McKibben takes us on with his words is more meaningful than many of those places I went to which include the Grand Canyon & Scottsdale, AZ; the San Francisco Bay Area; Paradise Island & Nassau, Bahamas; Manhattan; the Sierra-Nevada Mountains (by train); and New Orleans & Mississippi River Cruise!
Each authentic and real person that McKibben joins on his trek lends a hand in telling the story. The book is as much about the beauty of the people as it is of the land. I grew up twenty miles away from the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, and presently I am a steward and guardian of 400 acres of land in central PA with my husband, his uncle, and my husband's brother and I share and appreciate Bill McKibben's deep love for the power of nature, the wild, and the people. I found John Davis (owns a bicycle, no car) as one of the most interesting characters in the book. I also like the stories of Chris Shaw, who has the good sense of memorializing the people who have passed on but that once lived in the Adirondacks and give the book historical authenticity. My favorite stories in the book are from Donald Armstrong and especially Armstrong's memory he shares with McKibben (and us) about Don's wife, Velda and a fly-fishing event. I laughed so hard I cried! It is a funny moment, but this husband-wife story is so cute and sweet, and gives one a feeling of nostalgia. (The church steeple is a cool part, too.) This is a gem of a story and Wandering Home is a gem of a book.
I am a people person and for the first few chapters of Wandering Home I'm thinking that it is too bad Bill McKibben spends all this passion on the Adirondacks. I imagine what his passion could do to improve the lives of the infirm or impoverished people. Much to my chagrin, in the last few chapters McKibben admits this deficit with charm and honesty. He admits he should spend more time helping the less fortunate, and then justifies his love and preservation of the Adirondacks as his way of giving something back to people. And, I agree that he has. Furthermore, he explains that he tries not to be a drain on the planet. If only we could all think this way, maybe our global warming and environmental problems would vanish. For the first time in my life, I realize the full extent of the impact that people have had and still have on our surroundings and I am saddened and sickened by it. (I imagine a sunrise or a sunset over a mountain, or an ocean breeze I thank God there are still a few areas left in this world that man / woman hasn't been able to get his / her hands on.)
I do have one eco-criticism of Wandering Home. Bill writes that he and John Davis climb to the top of Owl's Head on page 93 of his book. Owl's Head is a considerable distance away from Bristol, and is not included in the path outlined on the inside covers of his book. But, every author has to create mystery in some way, right? Judging by the description of Owl's Head I can see why McKibben would include it in his "walk" since Owl's Head sounds like a stunning place with it's 390 degree view of the Adirondack mountains. On my map, Owl's Head is about sixty miles north of Lake Placid one way, as the crow flies.
Dr. Robert Bernard Hass (English Professor, poet, writer, and Robert Frost expert at Edinboro University) and I got into a discussion about hyper-individualism in class one day. Dr. Hass told me about his friend named Bill McKibben and how McKibben writes about hyper-individualism and that a good place to start on the subject would be Wandering Home. I am grateful that Hass recommended the book to me. It was a book that I was sad to see end, but a journey I will always remember in more ways than one. I was so inspired that I am planning on a short family vacation to the Adirondacks for this summer. I will do my best to demonstrate a sense of forest preservation and protection while I'm there, visiting the wild of the Adirondacks.
Thin but worth reading.......2006-04-06
This book is thin. I mean literally. It is really just a somewhat longish essay. I was disappointed that there was not more depth, more history, more "more."
This is the story of McKibben's amble from Vermont to the central Adirondacks, with a crossing by row boat of Lake Champlain. McKibben is a good writer and he loves this landscape and is very concerned about it and its place in the global environment, but I could not help comparing him and this book to another Bill-namely Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Bryson is a much more energetic writer. In my opinion, he is funnier and deeper than McKibben. A Walk in the Woods is a great book, Wandering Home is light weight by comparison.
McKibben has some very good thoughts on environmental issues and expresses an admirable moderation in this book. He is especially sensitive to the complexity of many environmental issues and actively criticizes the "knee-jerk" environmentalists for over-simplifying the issues in many cases. On the other hand, McKibben is something of a romantic airhead. Often his ruminations are fatuous and patronizing; for example, his dogma that those simple Vermont farmers and old Adirondack loggers that he's met are more "authentic" than you or I (McKibben makes this claim more than once in Wandering Home).
Nevertheless, I liked this book and enjoyed reading it. McKibben loves the Adirondacks and so do I. In this short book he's managed to capture something of the flavor of the hidden Adirondacks, that fortunately so few people know. The Adirondack Park of New York is the most beautiful sylvan landscape in the world. McKibben's book raises, but barely starts to answer, such questions as why and how to protect and preserve the Adirondacks and other similarly blessed places.
A dangerous book.......2005-10-24
Bill McKibben is a thoughtful writer. Most of all, this book made me wish I could take a hike with him and meet the land he loves so much. Be warned that this book might make you homesick, even if you've never been to Vermont or the Adirondacks. But beyond that, the book has some serious points to make.
I'm a suburbanite trapped in the cycle of debt that has sucked in so many Americans (in my case, student loans and a mortgage). I work for the Department of Commerce. I have a husband. I have a child who is addicted to video games. I don't have the money or the freedom to move to the Adirondacks, or even take a trip there. This book is a reminder that Americans don't have to live the way we do. We might very well be happier if we got rid of a lot of our stuff and lived more lightly on the land. Of course, McKibben punctures that little bubble by pointing out that a lot of people have tried to do that in Vermont, with laughable results.
I believe that once the cheap oil is gone, life in America is going to be very different. Ordinary American life today puts so much emphasis on getting places quickly. In the not-so-distant future we're going to be staying much more in one spot, and only rarely going anywhere we can't reach on foot or bicycle. This book is a reminder that such a stationary life might not be so bad. There's more to a meaningful and happy existence than what cheap gasoline and Wal-Mart can bring. Maybe someday the science of economics will remember that.
Amazon.com
For more than a decade following the end of World War II, Eric Newby toiled away in the British fashion industry, peddling some of the ugliest clothes on the planet. (Regarding one wafer-thin model in her runway best, he was reminded of "those flagpoles they put up in the Mall when the Queen comes home.") Fortunately, Newby reached the end his haute-couture tether in 1956. At that point, with the sort of sublime impulsiveness that's forbidden to fictional characters but endemic to real ones, he decided to visit a remote corner of Afghanistan, where no Englishman had planted his brogans for at least 50 years. What's more, he recorded his adventure in a classic narrative, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush. The title, of course, is a fine example of Newby's habitual self-effacement, since his journey--which included a near-ascent of the 19,800-foot Mir Samir--was anything but short. And his book seems to furnish a missing link between the great Britannic wanderers of the Victorian era and such contemporary jungle nuts as Redmond O'Hanlon.
At times it also brings to mind Evelyn Waugh, who contributed the preface. Newby is a less acidulous writer, to be sure, and he has little interest in launching the sort of heat-seeking satiric missiles that were Waugh's specialty. Still, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush is a hilarious read. The author excels at the dispiriting snapshot, capturing, say, the Afghan backwater of Fariman in two crisp sentences: "A whole gale of wind was blowing, tearing up the surface of the main street. Except for two policemen holding hands and a dog whose hind legs were paralysed it was deserted." His capsule history of Nuristan also gets in some sly digs at Britain's special relationship with the violence-prone Abdur Rahman:
Officially his subsidy had just been increased from 12,000 to 16,000 lakhs of rupees. To the British he had fully justified their selection of him as Amir of Afghanistan and, apart from the few foibles remarked by Lord Curzon, like flaying people alive who displeased him, blowing them from the mouths of cannon, or standing them up to the neck in pools of water on the summits of high mountains and letting them freeze solid, he had done nothing to which exception could be taken.
Newby also surpasses Waugh--and indeed, most other travel writers--in another important respect: he's miraculously free of solipsism. Even the keenest literary voyagers tend to be, in the purest sense of the term, self-centered. But A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush includes wonderfully oblique portraits of the author's travel companion, Hugh Carless, and his wife, Wanda (who plays a starring role in such subsequent chronicles as Slowly down the Ganges). There are also dozens of brilliant cameo parts, and an indelible record of a stunning landscape. The roof of the world is, in Newby's rendering, both an absolute heaven and a low-oxygen hell. Yet the author never pretends to pit himself against a malicious Nature--his mountains are, in Frost's memorable phrase, too lofty and original to rage. Which is yet another reason to call this little masterpiece a peak performance. --James Marcus
Book Description
Ranked 16 out of 100 on National Geographic Adventure's list of top 100 adventure books of all time
Feeling restless in the world of London's high-fashion industry, Eric Newby asked an old friend to accompany him on a mountain-climbing expedition in the wild and remote Hindu Kush, in north-eastern Afghanistan. And so they went - although they did stop first for four days of climbing lessons in Wales - becoming the first Englishmen to visit this spectacular region for more than half a century. Newby's frank and funny account of their expedition to what is still amongst the world's most isolated areas is one of the classics of travel writing.
Customer Reviews:
A short walk that wasn't short enough.......2007-04-11
Unlike other critics, I had a hard time dealing with Newby's commitment to sticking to the facts and his telling the story free of any detours into what it meant to him or what he had learned about himself or his countrymen along the way. Perhaps an appreciation for his style comes after one has read enough travel books that he/she sees the kind of wistfulness for which I had hoped as useless, cliched BS. But, being a relative novice to the genre, I lacked that kind of cynicism and, consequently, did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped to.
Also, my lack of familiarity with central Asian geography and history hendered my enjoyment of the book. Newby usually relies on an assumed foreknowledge of the reader, so he doesn't spend much time explaining things. This made it hard for me as I oftentimes had to go back a few pages to figure out where he was or what particular tribe with which he was currently encountering.
Furthermore, I personally have a hard time with large, Moslem names, so it was very hard to remember who all of the locals were, what their jobs were, what their personalities were like, and how they had already interacted with Newby. This may have been more due to my laziness than Newby's writing, though, so it's hard to fault him on that front.
I was somewhat disappointed with this book; however, I can see why many people enjoy it and why it has garnered critical acclaim. For seasoned travel book readers or those with a high familiarity with central Asia (especially around the Pakistani-Afghan border), though, I think this book would be right up your alley.
A Great Yarn.......2007-03-25
A "short walk" is at once accurate and understated. Accurate because the walk is short, less than a month. Understated because its walkers confront extreme challenges and setbacks at every turn, ranging from hostile citizens and difficult weather to physical maladies that would drive the less intrepid of us to the nearest hospital.
A great travel narrative.......2007-02-27
Newby and his traveling companion are the sort who would have been described as "mad, you know" by their peers. The book is an engrossing description of their efforts and failures, trekking in Afghanistan. They reach base camp via Europe in a station wagon. They have made no effort to do physical conditioning and their preparation consisted of a few hurried days in Wales. Newby is a skilled observer, incisively documenting places, people, and experiences. It's amazing they survived as well as they did. It's also an interesting chronicle of how trekking used to be--the bulky, uncomfortable equipment, and the lack of anything resembling technology. The book ends somewhat abruptly, but well.
As for issues brought up by other readers: British English is not that difficult to pick-up and this is not going to appeal to the crowd that never gets beyond the supermarket tabloids. Newby lacks some of Rory Stewart's background reading, but thankfully, he is a much more reflective, self-deprecating soul than the whiny, entitled Mr. Stewart. Comparing Newby to Bill Bryson is like comparing Noel Coward with Benny Hill. Newby's humor is wry, understated and often ironic, while Bryson is more like the writer of a second or third tier sitcom---a master of the obvious, with lines you can see coming a mile away. Newby is adventurous in a different way from Theroux and tends to take himself less seriously. Although the book is less of a quest than Matthiessen's journey, it is likely to appeal to fans of "The Snow Leopard". Evelyn Waugh (who wrote the foreward) is obviously a snob, but the book has less in the way of race and class prejudice than one might expect from it era.
A Classic Travel Book.......2006-11-07
I read this book, first published in 1958, many years ago. I love the understated title. My book club has chosen it as the January discussion book, paired with "The Places in Between" by Rory Stewart. I have enjoyed revisiting Newby's difficult trek through Afghanistan. He wasn't an experienced traveler when he set out. His only training for the trip was hiking through the mountains of Wales. It's a wonder he made it out alive. Another book I've recently enjoyed about this area of the world is Greg Mortenson's "Three Cups of Tea".
A Wonderful, Humorous Description of Travel.......2005-12-09
Eric Newby does an excellent job in writing about his adventures, or misadventures in the Hindu Kush. He is witty in that British way that many Americans may not understand. However, due to the popularity of Britcoms in the United States, Americans should be able to appreciate Newby's not so subtle humor.
Having traveled extensively myself, I was reminded of life on the road in the Middle East. I have experienced quite a few of the mishaps that Newby and his partner, Hugh Carless, experienced in the 1950s-particularly while the two are driving a station wagon through Turkey. Never drive in the Middle East if you have a bad back or a weak bladder. Newby and Carless are naive travellers and incompetant to tackle the trip they make. However, just by surviving the journey, the two men accomplish an heroic endeavor.
I have read a number of travel writers, for example Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux, and Wilfred Thesiger. Bryson is more humorous than Newby, Theroux is more acerbic, and Thesiger is more wise and experienced. However, Newby takes a special place in my library because he really pushed my travel button. He makes his adventure human, real. I highly recommend his book.
Average customer rating:
- David Muench's Arizona
- Beautiful photos, wide variey of landscapes
- BEAUTIFUL Photographs of Arizona
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David Muench's Arizona: Cherish the Land, Walk in Beauty
David Muench , and
Lawrence W. Cheek
Manufacturer: Arizona Highways Books
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ASIN: 0916179664 |
Customer Reviews:
David Muench's Arizona.......2001-05-07
This a delightful book. David Muench's ability to use light and contrast to capture the varied landscapes of Arizona is unsurpassed. He truly has a gift.
Beautiful photos, wide variey of landscapes.......2000-07-17
This is a wonderful coffee table book packed with a wide variety of spectacular photos of Arizona. It is a stunning display of the tremendous variety found in Arizona's natural habitat. Muench focuses on different aspects of the landscape including light, form, life and ecology. Captions tell where the photograph was taken with some brief commentary. A short essay by the photographer leads off each section with some of his personal thoughts and insights.
You will find an awesome view looking up through the trees to the sky, and the beautiful azure color of the Colorado River contrasting against white and rust colored rocks. Views of waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, autumn leaves and desert sands will take your breath away. Natural rock formations and cactus plants are seen in a new light as they become elegant sculptures. Endless, brilliant blue skies are captured against fields, mountains and red rock formations. Close-up of photos vibrant pink cactus flowers and sunny yellow poppies will brighten your day. You also get an occasional glimpse of lush green trees and plants.
As with all of Muench's books this one is printed on quality glossy paper with the highest of production values doing justice to the photography. As a Muench fan this is a treasured addition to my library.
BEAUTIFUL Photographs of Arizona.......2000-02-23
David Muench's photographs show the incredible beauty and variety of Arizona's scenery. The book is a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Arizona or color photography. We received it as a gift and have purchased two more copies since then to give to others.
Book Description
A brand-new edition to the 50 Hikes series contains the best day hikes, walks, and backpacks in the mountains of North Georgia.
With beautiful photography and detailed maps, this book chronicles 50 spectacular hikes in the North Georgia mountains, taking you to waterfalls, overlooks, gigantic trees, historic sites, and primitive wildernesses in significant spots such as Tallulah Gorge, Springer Mountain, and the Chattooga River, in addition to a lesser-known locales such as Tearbritches Creek.
Whether you're out for a relaxing nature walk or a rugged backpacking trip, experienced author Johnny Molloy has done the research for you, providing precise directions, up-to-date information about trail conditions and routing, and commentary about the human and natural history of each place. 51 maps, 50 black and white photographs, index.
Customer Reviews:
Love this book! .......2007-08-08
This book is EASILY the best hiking book for Georgia I've ever seen. In the past I've always mapped directions online before a hike so as not to get lost. I've finally found an author I trust to get things right. The directions in this book are always correct and easy to follow. Every hike is detailed to perfection, informative, and fun to read. On my first overnight backpacking trip years ago, I tore out the one page hike description from another hiking book and carried it with me. My friend and I had to guess where we were the entire trip as the hike description was so vague. There is nothing vague about this book!! The author takes you almost step by step through each hike and there is never a question as to where you are. This is PRICELESS for someone going on a solo hike - especially a woman hiking alone. I always get nervous and really appreciate knowing I'm not lost! Such a great book...
Book Description
This classic guide to hiking in the Adirondacks has been extensively revised and updated and now includes 5 new hikes.
Barbara McMartin has been hiking in the Adirondacks for decades; her family, for generations. She has distilled her vast experience into the 50 hikes offered here, representing a cross-section of the wilderness and wild forest: rugged peak climbs, gentle trips to distant waterfalls, bushwhacks to wild rivers. In all she describes 360 miles of trails to caves, uninhabited lakes, wetlands, cliffs, and fire towers across the Park's 6 million acres.
The hikes range in length from 1.5 to 13.5 miles. Each hike description includes a topographic map, mile-by-mile directions, and information on distance, difficulty, terrain, and hiking time. An overview chart makes it easy to pick a hike for every ability. Throughout, McMartin provides commentary on the natural history of the region, along with colorful incidents from Adirondack history. 50 black and white photographs, 51 maps, index.
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-09-06
we only had 3 days to hike and we did 4 of the hike from this book - great choices, very clear and exact details. A MUST
good guide.......2003-06-27
This guide has easy trails and hard trails all in one for a pretty low price
One Of The Experts On Lesser Known Gems!.......2002-08-10
Barbara McMartin is one of those few resident Adirondackers that has supplied the world with great information, anecdotes and history about lesser known trails in the Adirondacks. Keeping to the less over-run trails, the reader is treated to beautiful trails to remote mountaintops, caves, fire-towers, unique wetlands and historic sites.
This newer edition is only slightly different (three more hikes), but it includes great topo maps, directions, trail and destination descriptions and just a ton of interesting local folklore to keep you going. A great find.
Disappointed!.......2002-07-29
My boyfriend and I just returned from a day hike in the Adirondacks yesterday and we were so disappointed with this book for numerous reasons. First, the directions given to the actual hike were very vague and I had to spend almost two hours on the internet beforehand trying to get specific directions to the trail. Basically, what should have been a one hour drive ended up being two. Second, once we were on the hike we found this book hard to follow and distances were off. Trails that the book claimed were present were not and specifics of landmarks, bridges, streams, etc. were also absent, leaving my boyfriend and I to "guesstimate" what location the author was actually referring to. About 4 miles into the hike, we put the book in our backpack and there it stayed. Despite this we still had an enjoyable hike, however, if you are thinking of purchasing this book...take the author's advice and BRING A COMPASS since a lot of the trail directions in the book rely on N, S, E, and W. Also, be prepared to spend some time hunting for specific directions and try to hook up with someone who knows the trails since we missed the "climax" of the hike due to the book's poor directions and out of date landmarks. An updated edition of this book should be published.
You can practically feel the Adirondacks..........2000-04-29
Just browsing through the book and reading about the hikes took me right there. The details of the hikes are just amazing and although I haven't been there yet, my husband and I have dog-eared several pages of "must-hikes". Our 2 day trip to the Adirondacks has just turned into a week and a half long trip!
Book Description
This definitive guide to hiking in Vermont has been completely revised and updated and includes six new hikes. In addition to covering the Green Mountains it now includes 6 more new hikes ranging throughout the state.
From gentle nature trails to rugged peak climbs, from remote fishing holes to historic ghost towns, from rushing waterfalls to rare peregrine falcon habitat, the Green Mountain State has much to offer hikers. This completely revised and updated sixth edition leads hikers up classic peaks like Camel's Hump, Mount Mansfield, and Mount Ascutney, as well as revealing many more lesser-known gems.
The hikes range in length from a half-mile stroll to a 22-mile backpacking trip. Each hike description includes a topographic map, mile-by-mile directions, and information on distance, difficulty, terrain, and hiking time. An overview chart makes it easy to pick a hike for every ability. And each hike description is enlivened by knowledgeable commentary on the area's geology, history, flora, and wildlife. 50 black & white photographs, 51 maps, index.
Customer Reviews:
decent "starter" trail guide for VT.......2007-08-19
I purchased this book when I first moved to Vermont to help me find my way around the trails here. It provides a decent cross-section of hikes, "rambles", and overnights throughout the state and across the entire spectrum of difficulties (from "easy (even with kids)" to "oh goodness, that was rough").
If you are just starting out with outdoors activities, this is a good place to start because you are almost certain to find something near to you that is within your comfort zone (as far as challenge goes). However, if you are a more experienced hiker, you will outgrow this book too quickly. (And if that is the case, I would suggest the Green Mountain Club's "Day Hiker's Guide" instead.)
Beautiful guide with essential information.......2003-09-19
Living in California, I don't get a chance to hike in Vermont as often as I would like. But when I do, I always take this lightweight guide along in my car and in the pack. The best part about the guide is that hikes are described in detail and directions to each trailhead are given in exhaustive detail. This is especially important for out-of-towners who aren't familiar with the back country roads. The authors have hiked each of the trails and they offer pithy comments on trail conditions, the possibility of seeing wildlife and other pertinent information.
There is a separate section on the magnificent Long Trail, the 260 mile hike which runs from the Massachusetts border to he Canadian border. My one slight criticism is the photos, which could be of better quality, but the text, route descriptions and ancillary material are of high quality.
Good not Great.......2002-08-29
This book does provide good trail descriptions for a reasonable number of hikes in Vermont. I've hiked about a dozen of the trails listed in here, of those 10 there were:
2 in which the directions to the trailhead listed the wrong forest service road to take.
3 in which I saw other trails at junctions that weren't mentioned in this book leading to nearby attractions (without giving full descriptions it would be nice to mention alternatives for longer hikes available).
1 in which the directions led to a difficult hike, but it turned out talking to people at the top that a much easier hike was available to reach the same destination from the same trailhead.
Having said that, this book does give the visitor an easy way to plan some hikes in Vermont. The Falcon guide looks to be similar, so it might be useful to read both before planning your hikes.
Before you buy this book..........2001-06-11
I liked this book - easy to read and informative. The only problem was it didn't have very specific information on things like shelters, camping, etc. - it's more of a day-hike book. I phoned the Green Mountain Club (the authors) to get more info, and it turns out that they have written a book of their own called "The Long Trail Guide")that is much more comprehensive and they recommend it more than this one. I would check that book out before you get this one. But if you just want a good book for day hikes, I like this one fine.
Comprehensive hiking book for the right price.......2000-09-17
The fifth edition of this book, written by two members of the Green Mountain Club, covers hikes everywhere in the State. To no one's surprise, the majority are located along the Appalachian trail and the area with the least hikes covered is in the Northeast Kingdom.
The authors offer a very good "At A Glance" section in the beginning with hike name, location, and so forth-- many of the things also covered in the individual hikes, but what stands out in this secion is whether or not each hike has a view, good for kids, nearby camping, good for winter, and my personal fav, notes that state whether the hike is good for x-c skiing, snowshoeing, waterfalls, historical interest, etc. The book also contains a "hiker's" guide to trail map symbols, safety, what the pack and more.
There are no surprises in the write-up for each hike. The authors have not left anything out: distance, hiking time, vertical rise, difficulty rating, pictures and topographical maps.
You won't find a better book about hiking in Vermont for this reasonable price.
Average customer rating:
- The only one you'll need for this area
- Wonderful book--and a brand new edition
- The Title Should be "50 Hikes NOT in Northern Virginia"
- Probably the best all round NOVA hiking guide books
- Great for ammature's and professional's alike
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50 Hikes in Northern Virginia: Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks from the Alleghany Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, Second Edition
Leonard M. Adkins , and
Leonard Adkins
Manufacturer: Countryman Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Washington, DC: Including Alexandria, Frederick, and Leesburg (2nd Edition) (60 Hikes - Menasha Ridge)
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50 Hikes in Maryland: Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks from the Allegheny Plateau to the Atlantic Ocean
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Hiking Virginia, 2nd: A Guide to Virginia's Greatest Hiking Adventures
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The Trails of Virginia: Hiking the Old Dominion (Trails of Virginia)
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Outdoor Escapes Washington, D.C.: A Four-Season Guide (Outdoor Escape Series)
ASIN: 0881504440 |
Book Description
A new edition of a popular hiking guide to one of the most pristine mountain regions of the east. From the rugged summits of the Allegheny Mountains to the gentle shores of the Chesapeake Bay, the portion of Virginia that falls north of US 60 has some of the most varied hiking terrain in the Middle Atlantic states. Leonard Adkins, an experienced hiker and outdoor educator, has walked more than 360 miles of the region's most popular trails for this updated second edition. There's a hike here for everyone, regardless of experience or interest. Ranging from pleasant strolls over the coastal plain to challenging, multi-day mountain backpacking trips, these trails pass overgrown breastworks from the Civil War, meander through grassy meadows, and traverse ridgelines of the Blue Ridge and Massanutten mountains. An overview chart at the beginning of the book provides information on the 50 hikes at a glance. Each hike description includes directions to the trailhead, a detailed account of the route, a topographic map, and entertaining asides on historical and natural points of interest.
Customer Reviews:
The only one you'll need for this area.......2007-05-16
I own the second edition of this book, so I don't know how it differs from the third. This is a great book, and I couldn't recommend it strongly enough. As a former DC-area resident who still returns frequently, I find this book indispensible for planning nearby hikes.
Yes, he does have a somewhat expansive view of what constitutes Northern Virginia (is Newport News considered northern Virginia?). He explains that he had originally planned a 50-hikes in Virginia format, but found too many good hikes to narrow the list down to one book, hence the division into Northern Virginia hikes and Southern Virginia hikes. If your definition of "Northern Virginia" is confined to the DC metro, then "60 hikes with 60 miles, Washington DC" by Paul Elliot is the book for you. For those who like to escape the beltway exhaust, this is the book for you.
As other reviewers have noted, the book contains both well-known hikes as well as some hidden gems in areas you might not have thought of before. As might be expected, the majority of the hikes cluster in the Blue Ridge mountains/Masanutten mountain/West Virgina border area, but there are still a surprising number listed for the Piedmont and Tidewater zones. Each hike comes with a topo map and descriptions brimming with notes about the local flora, fauna, and historical tidbits. There are also several black-and-white photos of the areas you'll visit to tantalize you with the views you will see.
There is a very helpful table in the front of the book that list each hike by distance and features (Waterfall present?, Camping possible? Good for Kids?), to easily enable you to pick a hike that fits your agenda. While most hikes can be done as dayhikes, there are a few overnighters thrown in for balance.
What this book is not:
1)It is not a comprehensive overview of hiking northern Virginia. This is more like a "Highlights book". There will be no duds in here. For those wanting a comprehensive book (though not as user friendly),get Allen de Hart's Trails of Virginia: Hiking the Old Dominion instead. I find I like this book much better the de Hart's offering.
2)It does not contain in general any trails that are involve DC or Maryland. The C&O towpath will not be found here, except as a brief portion of a trail in the Harper's Ferry area
3)It is not a guidebook for the Appalachian Trail. The AT is featured prominently in several of the hikes. For those looking to hike the AT specifically, there are better resources out there.
Overall, this book is the best balance between readability, map detail, selectivity, and variety that I have encountered for hiking the northern Virginia area. I consider it vastly superior to other books I have owned in the 50 Hikes series as well.
Wonderful book--and a brand new edition.......2006-04-10
Just bought the third edition of 50 Hikes in Northern Virginia and I'm thrilled with what the author has put together. I'm not sure why the previous reviewer complained so much about the choice of hikes, almost all of them are within a couple hours' drive of the DC area. And what great hikes--the ones closest to DC include a walk along Bull Run, in Manassas National Battlefield, and Prince William National Forest. There are the old standbys, like Old Rag and Stony Man in Shenandoah, but also some little known ones a bit further west on Massanutten Mountain and near the Virginia/West Virginia border.
I like that Mr. Adkins hiked all of the trails with a surveyors measuring wheel to insure accurate mileage, and that he provides the total accumulated elevation you will gain--not just the distance from the lowest to the highest point. Best of all, it's just a well written book with lots on info about what you will see and what took place in the area. By far the best of the hiking guides I've bought for this area. The hikes range from short easy ones, to all day jaunts, to extended multi-day trips.
The Title Should be "50 Hikes NOT in Northern Virginia".......2006-01-08
I almost bought this book, until I realized not a single hike described is actually in Northern Virginia, where I live. All the hikes are in Virginia, but "Northern Virginia" generally refers to the areas areound Washington, DC, say as far south as Stafford and as far west as Leesburg. These hikes are in Shennandoah National Park, western VA, and the Chesapeake Bay areas.
Probably the best all round NOVA hiking guide books.......2006-01-03
Leonard Adkins has written and compiled one of the best hiking guide books for the Northern Virginia area, filled with accurate maps, directions and trail history. With hikes from just a couple of miles to three day backpacks it has something for everyone. I've hiked ninety percent of the trails in this book and haven't been disappointed by one of them. This is a must have if you hike in the NOVA area. I haven't found another guide as well put together as this is. Leonard Adkins also has several other guide books covering the Mid-Atlantic that are every bit as good.
Great for ammature's and professional's alike.......2004-05-10
This book is amazing for those that are just starting out or have been hiking all their lives. It gives you tips on how to get to the park or trail then tells you what to look for while on the trail. If you're planning a hike, I would't leave home without this one.
Book Description
This revised edition of one of Backcountry's bestselling hiking guides features several new trails and new and improved maps. The Great Smokies and Blue Ridge mountains are the most visited natural areas in the United States. The mountain ranges of North Carolina--from the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains to the southern foothills--offer an abundant variety of terrain, scenery, and wildlife to those who explore them. Distinguished by steep gorges, spectacular waterfalls, lush forests of rhododendron and laurel, and the blue haze that hangs over distant views, North Carolina's mountains are a popular hiking destination in every season of the year. The authors of this guide have explored more than 350 miles of trails through the mountains of their home state to choose 50 of their favorite day hikes, ranging from 1 to 15 miles. The hikes vary in difficulty and offer something for hikers of all abilities. Many trails are conveniently accessed from the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, and several are handicapped-accessible. Each hike description includes directions to the trailhead, hiking distance, and estimated hiking time; detailed trail descriptions, safety precautions, and topographical maps; options for longer and shorter hikes on adjacent trails; and folk stories, historical anecdotes, and natural history information. 50 black and white photographs, 51 maps.
Customer Reviews:
Good, just less full coverage than title might indicate.......2002-09-22
This is a very good guide to the hikes that it covers. All 50 hikes are rated and include a range of difficulties from easy to strenuous. Many are in some of the most beautiful parts of the North Carolina mountains. And topographic maps help show the routes well and clarify what one shoule expect. A chief drawback (only hinted at in the low-key extended part of the title after the colon), is that it is less than a comprehensive guide to North Carolina mountain trails. It covers nothing west of the central part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park or west of the Cashiers area to the south thereof. North Carolina extends more than a hundred miles west of those areas, and there are plenty more mountains that way. So if that western extremity of the state is where you're wanting to explore, this is not the guide for that. But for mountains to the east thereof, this book should serve you well. One irony is that, although omitting that vast area of westernmost North Carolina, it does have a "Foothills" section that includes at least three hikes properly described as in the Piedmont, hardly foothills at all. Those are at Reed Gold Mine and Duke Power State Park (as the book still calls it). They can be pleasant and rewarding hikes, but if you go there expecting mountain or foothill vistas, you could be disappointed. By the way, Duke Power State Park has since been renamed Lake Norman State Park. You'll need to know that if you look for signs directing you there (like from Interstate 77).
Good, just less full coverage than title might indicate.......2002-08-09
This is a very good guide to the hikes that it covers. All 50 hikes are rated and include a range of difficulties from easy to strenuous. Many are in some of the most beautiful parts of the North Carolina mountains. And topographic maps help show the routes well and clarify what one shoule expect. A chief drawback (only hinted at in the low-key extended part of the title after the colon), is that it is less than a comprehensive guide to North Carolina mountain trails. It covers nothing west of the central part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park or west of the Cashiers area to the south thereof. North Carolina extends more than a hundred miles west of those areas, and there are plenty more mountains that way. So if that western extremity of the state is where you're wanting to explore, this is not the guide for that. But for mountains to the east thereof, this book should serve you well. One irony is that, although omitting that vast area of westernmost North Carolina, it does have a
"Foothills" section that includes at least three hikes properly described as in the Piedmont, hardly foothills at all. Those are at Reed Gold Mine and Duke Power State Park (as the book still calls it). They can be pleasant and rewarding hikes, but if you go there expecting mountain or foothill vistas, you could be disappointed. By the way, Duke Power State Park has since been renamed Lake Norman State Park. You'll need to know that if you look for signs directing you there (like from Interstate 77).
Very sparse coverage of a very rich subject.......1999-08-10
There are over a thousand good hiking trails in North Carolina (Allen de Hart's "North Carolina Hiking Trails" describes 968 of them), yet this book only covers fifty. And much of the material simply quotes from trailside signs or visitor information pamphlets that you'll see anyway when you hike the trails. On the positive side, the book contains reproductions of topo maps for each hike listed, so casual day hikers can save themselves the trouble of buying topos. Unless you need the topo maps, Randy Johnson's "Hiking North Carolina" is a much better bet.
Excellent guidance. Helps set expectations before trip........1998-08-29
Found this book in B&B in Blowing Rock. It was a great help in planning our hikes. We had limited time, and it helped us find the best entry point, and to know, for example, that hiking to the top of Grandfather Mtn. was beyond our time and experience limits. That saved us $20 and no telling how much grief!
Good maps, good descriptions. Definitely will buy if plans to move to NC from Houston pan out.
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