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The "Best of the Best" Dec 03, 2008
Mr. Schaffer has authored many hiking books, and also a very comprehensive book on Yosemite Geology. This is at least his second on hiking in Yosemite, and is my favorite. His is the voice of authority.
Up until the release of this book, my favorite Yosemite hiking book was "A Natural History Guide to Yosemite and its Trails" also written by Mr. Schaffer. The potential drawback with "Natural History Guide", though, is that it coveres (literally, I believe) EVERY Yosemite trail. All this information could be more than a little overwhelming to a Yosemite "newbie" trying to find the best trails.
The answer is this book. Every one of the trails in this book is "World Class". They are all excellent choices. And they run the gammut from easy to very strenuous. Buy this book, you won't be dissapointed.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great guide Sep 16, 2008
This is a great guide to the most popular hikes in Yosemite. His previous book that I love is Yosemite National Park, A Natural History Guide to Yosemite and It's Trails. This book has less about the flora and fuana, but adds much needed trail maps and elevation diagrams. You won't find anyone that knows Yosemite better than Mr. Schaffer.
20 of 22 found the following review helpful:
An Excellent Addition to the Top Trails Series Apr 05, 2007
Wilderness Press originally conceived of the 'Top Trails' series as a set of hiking guides to the best trails in an area. This purpose sets these volumes apart from typical hiking guides which tend to fall into two categories: comprehensive guides to all trails in a region, or descriptions of short day hiking opportunities in an area. The idea was to give visitors to a region quick access to the best hiking and to facilitate ease of use. Perhaps no area of California needs a 'Top Trails' guide as much as Yosemite and very few authors are as qualified to write one as Jeffrey Schaffer.
This book is divided into seven chapters: one for each region of the park. Each chapter lists 5 to 8 hikes ranging in distance from the 1/2 mile walk at Bridalveil Falls to a 33 mile excursion among the High Sierra Camps. Obviously, some of these trails are more suitable for backpacking, a feature that distinguishes this book from others in the 'Top Trails' series. All the great hikes are included. Readers will find route descriptions for Half Dome, the Tuolomne Grove of Sequoias (my favorite grove in the park), Clouds Rest, Hetch Hetchy Resevoir, Glacier Point, and many more. In all, there are 45 trails and routes described here.
What makes this book so good are the standard features found in other 'Top Trails' guides and the expert commentary of Schaffer. Each chapter begins with an overview of the region, a trails summary page listing distance, difficulty, and some highlights of the trails, followed by detailed trail descriptions and carefully drawn maps. Schaffer is one of the top cartographers in the west and his maps are second to none. But in addition to these standard features, Schaffer also offers an extended commentary on the geology, geography, and plant and animal communities found in the park. His theory that Yosemite Valley's rock walls were formed by faulting and vertical fracture planes, not solely by glaciers, is explained in these pages, along with the evidence for it, so that non-specialists can easily understand what they observe as they hike. This sort of expert commentary adds immeasurably to the joy of hiking. That is why I strongly recommend this book by Schaffer. It can enhance any vacation to Yosemite.
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