Book Description
For sixty years, Ansel Adams photographed among the great peaks of Yosemite National Park and the High Sierra range: the "range of light." Inspired by their grandeur, their wildness, and their primeval mystery, he made photographs that were to become the icons of America's national park ethic. His reverence for these places—the same reverence that fueled his commitment to environmental activism—illuminates each image. Yosemite Falls, the brooding majesty of Half Dome—we can no longer experience these "holy places" without seeing them through Ansel Adams' eyes.
During his lifetime Adams published seven books of images from this region; this new book brings together in a single volume the finest photographs from this vast body of work. Alive with anecdote and insight, his writings serve as backdrop for the images, and John Szarkowski's introduction provides testimony to the enduring impact of Adams' Yosemite vision.
Customer Reviews:
Saint Ansel, Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name.......2007-09-25
Ansel Adams is SO, like, awesome!!!
These photographs are simply breathtaking! Ansel Adams had this uncanny knack for taking the beautiful mountains, trees, clouds and waterways of the High Sierras, and making them look beautiful. It's so amazing contemplating an Ansel Adams photograph: How he took something only visually stunning and transforming it into something so visually stunning is simply astounding!
How DID he do that?
Exceeded my Expextations.......2006-07-22
This is a beautiful book. I suspect the pints are as high in quality as Ansel would have wished them.
I'm glad I bought this book and will enjoy the pictures contained within it for many years.
Excellent, uncompromised beauty.......1999-07-22
Really great photos of mounatin scapes in and about Yosimite. Waterfalls, forests, mountains and sky. Typical Ansel, most flawless.
Book Description
In addition to detailed route descriptions, topos, and route ratings, the book offers a history of climbing in the region. A must-have for California climbers and for any climber traveling to the Sierra.
Customer Reviews:
Definitely a keeper.......2005-12-14
This is actually the second edition to "Sierra Classics: 100 Best Climbs in the High Sierra," although it has a new name. I gave the first one 5 stars and I feel just as strongly about this one. There has been some minor tweaking of the route selections, but the total number described is about the same.
There is more narrative in this edition, and it is smoother reading. Way more than just a guide book, the many historical notes make the book very entertaining reading. I think that many people, picking it up to find out about a particular peak or route, will extend their visit and end up reading it cover to cover.
There are more topos than before, and rock climbers will appreciate that. Personally, I prefer the thrill of discovery in the Sierra, and would rather work out the details on my own.
As with the first edition, I am familiar with a number of the routes described in the book, and the authors have done a fine job of selection. While most of them are 5th class, class 3 and 4 climbs are also represented. So there is something for everyone.
More a collection of anectodes than a guide book.......2004-04-27
This book is more a collection of climbing history and anectodes than a profound guide book. In particular for easier climbs (less than 5.9) the technical route description is usually less than 2 sentences. Consistent information on wall height, number of pitches, typical climbing times, rock quality and necessary gear are missing completely. Only for some routes (mostly rated 5.10a or higher or very popular ascents in the Mt. Whitney range) handdrawn topos are provided that let you guess some of the details in advance. The only valuable information available for EVERY route is a photo of the mountain with the line of ascent.
In case of a third edition the authors should familiarize with international standards. A more formal approach will prevent neglecting the large number of climbs that they have NOT done by themselves.
The must have guide for all aspiring High Sierra climbers........2002-01-15
This is the 2nd edition of Moynier's and Fiddler's High Sierra "best of" guide. John Moynier and Claude Fiddler are very experienced Sierra climbers/guides with hundreds of routes and dozens of firsts to their respective credits. The authors have painstakenly selected over 100 outstanding routes ranging from moderate class 3 peak bagging exercises to Grade V walls and Grade VI linkup routes. The represented climbs are among the most popular and most sought after climbs in the range. Climbers of all skills and goals will benefit from this guide. They provide topos, verbal approach, climbing and descent descriptions and a rich historical perspective on climbing in the Range of Light.
Improvements in this guide include more detailed topos, a larger selection of alternate routes, more historical anecdotes, and a refined selection of climbs.
While this book is an excellent stand alone guide, many climbers would benefit from RJ Secor's Peaks, Passes and Trails as a companion guide.
I rate this book 5 of 5. Most climbing guidebooks are dry material... just the facts Ma'am. But this one colors all of the technical data with stories of old heros and epic struggles. Buy it so these guys will be tempted to write more!
Book Description
A guidebook to the best rock climbs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California
Customer Reviews:
Classic Climbs.......2006-07-03
This is probably my favorite guide to the Sierra and I drool just thinking about the opportunities Croft has opened up for anyone seeking a challenge. Mt tattered dog-eared copy sits right over my desk, so I can take it down and be reminded of all there is that is great.
I've used Good, Great, Awesome to add to my list of High Sierra routes. With great photos by Galen Rowell and Dan Patitucci, topo maps and Croft's hand-drawn routes, it's thorough and to the point. This is the way a guide book should be done.
Very useful addition to the Sierra Climber's library.......2003-08-07
Croft has such stature in the climbing world that by mere inclusion of a Sierra route in this book, he will define it as a classic for the next generation of climbers. We bought this book in an East Side climbing shop en route to the Sierras to bag classic climbs, and found it very useful. The topos aren't up to modern standards (e.g., "Supertopos"), but there is enough detail to get an experienced climber up most of these routes. The major contribution is to identify the classic routes of the range, something he is highly qualified to do. If you plan to do much technical climbing in the High Sierra, buy it.
Book Description
Combining the dramatic and meticulous work of printmaker Tom Killion--accented by quotes from John Muir--and the journal writings of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder, The High Sierra of California is a tribute to the bold, jagged peaks that have inspired generations of naturalists, artists, and writers.
For over thirty years, Tom Killion has been backpacking the High Sierra, making sketches of the region stretching from Yosemite south to Whitney and Kaweah Crest, which he calls "California's backbone." Using traditional Japanese and European woodcut techniques, Killion has created stunning visual images of the Sierra that focus on the backcountry above nine thousand feet, accessible only on foot.
Accompanying these riveting images are the journals of Gary Snyder, chronicling more than forty years of foot travels through the High Sierra backcountry. "Athens and Rome, good-bye!" writes Snyder, as he takes us deep into the mountains on his daily journeys around Yosemite and beyond.
Originally printed in a limited, handmade, letterpress edition, The High Sierra of California is now available in an affordable, full-color trade edition.
Customer Reviews:
stunning.......2007-02-07
This book is stunning the woodblock prints are so beautiful they almost make you cry. We spend a lot of time in the sierras and this book shows the beauty of these mountains better than any photographs. Get the book
look at the pictures then do your family a favor and go spend time in these incredible mountains.
howl at the moon.......2002-06-17
hop up and down in your Teva sandals. Wade the great streams as they roar over round stones down from ancient peaks... dance the silver dance of the wild rainbow... but find a place in your ultralight backpack for this book. It deserves a place next to that bag of peanuts, your titanium cup; worth its weight in gold dust from the river, split pea soup from the pouch. Ancient shaman tales and woodcut journeys... yamabushi of the mind, and lots of white space for taking your own cryptic outerspace trailnotes...
Average customer rating:
- Indispensable but needs updated edition
- good things come in small packages!
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Hiking the Great Basin: The High Desert Country of California, Nevada, and Utah (Sierra Club Totebook)
John Hart
Manufacturer: Sierra Club Books for Children
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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50 Classic Hikes in Nevada: From the Ruby Mountains to Red Rock Canyon
ASIN: 0871566397 |
Book Description
Completety revised and updated. this definitive guidebook covers the vast, rugged landscape of the Great Basin region, an arid land broken by hundreds of mountain ranges (with peaks rising to as high as 14,000 feet), breathtaking canyons and cliffs, pine forests and aspen groves, lush-banked streams, even waterfalls and lakes.
Veteran hiker John Hart offers a wealth of information on this spectacular region, including:
-- Geology, ecology, desert plants and animals, history, and environmental concerns
-- Detailed descriptions of some 90 routes -- from easy nature walks to advanced cross-country treks
-- Tips on camping, supply points, weather, desert roads and driving conditions, and water sources
-- 47 detailed maps
Customer Reviews:
Indispensable but needs updated edition.......2004-02-07
John Hart is the real deal, and anyone hiking the Great Basin needs this book. His mileages are accurate and so are his descriptions of routes. The only criticism I offer is that the book is a bit dated--for example, there is an easy-to-follow use trail to Morey Peak instead of the XC route description JH offers. Also worth noting is that JH must have a very low-slung vehicle. Driving a garden-variety SUV (1996 Jeep Cherokee) I have never had any trouble on any of the roads he describes.
Happy Hiking, M
good things come in small packages!.......2000-01-19
This is a book that packs a lot of worthy information into a small book that is easy to backpack. You will need detailed topo maps as those in the book are for overview only, but the hikes are exquisitely detailed and accurate. Many of the trips are in the less well-known areas of Nevada and Eastern California and will please those who like to hike without meeting anyone else. The author encourages readers to find alternative routes to destinations and, although most of the trips are to peaks, there are some easier canyon hikes. Longer trips definitely need experience and route-finding abilities.
Customer Reviews:
The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country.......2007-03-09
A FANTASTIC book about an awesome wilderness area! This is a must do hiking trail for me. I bought my brother this same book and I'm already planning our hike.
Wonderful off-trail hiking in the Sierra.......2006-04-06
This book is the ideal companion for everyone who likes walking off-trail on uneven terrain with a heavy pack. We used it last summer to hike a section of "the high route" (from devils postpile to tuolumne meadows) and it was so marvelous, we are going back this summer for another section. Roper gives exactly the amount of indications needed for a successful trip, although some experience in off-trail mountain-hiking is required. The high route is not trivial, even if no technical climbing is involved. The only thing: for most people it doesn't matter to have a single connected route. It would be nice to have other (shorter) routes in the same style, which are not necessarily connected. Maybe in another book? I don't know of anything comparable.
Great book for the strong willed.......2000-11-28
My girlfriend and I recently took some of Ropers advice on a Mt. Conness Loop 5 day hike in Yosemite. It was an increadible trip. Roper gives just enough hints to get you there but few enough to make it still feel like exploring. Be advised however when he referes a section of your hike as 'adventurous' or 'exciting' he means it. We pushed ourselves to the physical and mental limit on this trip.
practical guide to an undescribable experience.......1999-12-23
This book outlines a magnificent experience following an off-trail, higher version of the Muir Trail through the High Sierra. We have followed most of Roper's route over several years: sometimes we thought we were lost or overwhelmed, but it always turned out fine, and usually excellent. He treads a fine line between complete instructions that would allow no mistakes, and an experience that gives the hiker their own opportunity for route-finding, discovery, and growth. This is one of our favorite books, and we keep an intact copy plus another one torn apart for each journey and sometimes given away to people met along the way who need it. We still travel the trail some of the time, but genuinely value this alternative farther away from the crowds.
A good book.......1999-10-14
I made good use of this book to plan a wonderful cross-country trip in the Sierra. Roper was kind of vague at times, but I never got lost.
The route he described was breath-taking. I intend to use this book to plan next summer's trip.
Book Description
Every year, some five million people head for the hills—California's Eastern Sierra hills, that is. At long last, those millions of skiers, snowboarders, hikers, climbers, anglers, snowshoers, golfers, campers, cyclists, sledders, wildflower-hunters and sightseers have an indispensable resource: Mammoth from the Inside: The Honest Guide to Mammoth & the Eastern Sierra.
This comprehensive new guidebook was a labor of love for Colleen Dunn Bates, author of Storybook Travels and The Unofficial Guide to California with Kids. An avid skier and hiker, Bates has combined her lifelong love for Mammoth and the Eastern Sierra with her extensive experience as a travel writer and guidebook editor. The result is a great read—a savvy book loaded with essential information for everyone headed to the mountains: rock-climbing 20somethings to car-camping seniors, skiing families to fishing buddies, backpacking adventurers to spa-loving sybarites.
Mammoth from the Inside provides readers with in-the-know reviews of the best places to stay, camp, eat, ski, snowboard, hike, fish, bike and play in this mountain paradise. It's also full of great tips: where to rent and buy gear, how to find a babysitter, where to find Mammoth's best margarita, how to avoid speeding tickets on the 395, where to get a good massage, how to prevent altitude sickness, where to find a romantic cabin, and much, much more.
Highlights include:
> How to make the most of crowded holiday ski weekends
> The best condos, cabins and motels for all price ranges
> Memorable summertime hikes, from easy strolls to adventurous climbs
> The top ten sights in the Eastern Sierra
> The dos & don'ts of ski and snowboard school
> Mammoth's best restaurants, coffeehouses and happy hours
> Great places to sled, kayak, fish, snowshoe, bike, climb and hike . . . or doze by a lake
> The best secret runs on Mammoth and June mountains
> Gorgeous campgrounds from Bishop to June Lake
> Incredible backcountry adventures, from pack trips to guided ski trips
> Good eats on Highway 395
Customer Reviews:
Terrific !.......2006-09-05
Pros - 1. This book is a very easy read. 2. Lots of very good information that you wouldn't find any place else. 3. The book is always prominently at the different Mammoth sport goods stores so its clearly popular.
Comments - 1. I really disagreed with one of her recommendations. But that is completely understandable. 2. There seems to be a little problem in mammoth with food being completely cooked at their restaurants. My wife got food poisoned at one place and my kids weren't feeling real good. The next day I talked with a "local business manager" who said she doesn't recommend restaurants in mammoth for this reason. The bottom line is to make sure your food is completely cooked and if it isn't send it back ! There are just too many fun things to do in mammoth instead of being sick.
A goldmine of information........2005-04-06
As an avid skier and hiker I have found Mammoth from the Inside to be a goldmine of information. I keep it in my Jeep so I can find those great, really special, out-of-the-way Mammoth places Dunn Bates has discovered.
I'm a Mammoth Lakes resident and learned things I never knew.......2005-02-22
Very well written and concise guidebook on Mammoth Lakes and the surrounding area and region. We enjoyed Ms. Dunn-Bates light sense of humor, which made for easy and understandable reading. My wife and I have been residents of Mammoth Lakes for over 20 years, making the trek to L.A. and back many times, and Ms. Dunn-Bates wrote about stops and sights along 395 that we now must make time for! Good job!
MAMMOTH FROM THE INSIDE.......2004-11-16
What a great book! Thanks to the author's casual style and comprehensive knowledge, reading MAMMOTH FROM THE INSIDE is like getting "insider" postcards from a good buddy. A must-have book for outdoor enthusiasts.
Loved it........2004-11-13
I've been a Mammoth enthusiast for a few years and thought I was pretty familiar with the scene, but there is really more to this area than I knew. We're winter sports enthusiasts, but now my husband and I are thinking of doing our summer family reunion up there. My three kids (ages 19 to 26) also ski and do trips to Mammoth on their own as well as with the family. They are all getting this book as a stocking stuffer for X-mas. We travel a lot and I rely on guidebooks all the time. As far as I can tell, this is the only Mammoth book out there. It has a kind of breezy style and is an insider's guide to a town I thought I knew well.
Customer Reviews:
Obata and Yosemite!.......2005-02-24
Chiura Obata (1885-1975) was an artist who, amongst other things, loved Yosemite. He was born in Japan where he became well ground in traditional Japanese painting and was exposed to Western art. His personal views looked forward and became involved the progressive nihonga movement. Obata immigarated to California in 1903. He traveled up and down the coast painting and eventualy became a teacher at the University of California at Berkeley. And he discovered the beauty of Yosemite where he spent part of one summer immersed in its wonders and continually sketching and painting watercolors. This book reproduces some of that work and the woodblock prints derived from it. Also included is a brief biography, some historical background, detailed information about the woodblick prints and excerpts from his Yosemite journal.
I was suprised (maybe I shouldn't have, but I was) to learn Obata met Ansel Adams there in the early 1930s. They apparently got on well together. I'd be curious to learn more about their meeting.
A great introduction to Obata, his work and to Yosemite. Really.
Book Description
This quadrangle contains the climax of the High Sierra, with 5 peaks over 14,000'. Five maintained trails access this wilderness, and numerous cross-country routes. The hikes in this book are best done as backpacks. Includes Mt. Whitney map.
What is a High Sierra Hiking Guide? It's a small, compact book that covers all the trails and trailheads in a popular area in the High Sierra. In each guide there is a minimum of 100 miles of trail described. Their compact size (4.5" x 6") makes them easy to carry. Each book has at least 96 pages of information, an index, and photographs. If you're going backpacking, each guide covers the amount of area you're likely to venture through on a backpacking trip. Or if you're camping in a particular area, the High Sierra Hiking Guides will give you lots of options for dayhikes. Save money-you don't need to buy any other maps because each hiking guide comes with an updated, accurate topographic map.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Have prior to the Ascent.......2000-10-23
This is an excellent book for first-time climbers of Mt. Whitney. The author explains the perils, pitfalls and also the exhilaration of climbing the highest peak in the lower 48 states. The book is especially strong on maps, even though finding Mt. Whitney is not at all difficult; there is only one stop light in Lone Pine, turn there and head up the 14 miles to the portal.
A word of caution though, for a first-time climber reading this review. Please do not attempt this hike unless you are supremely physically fit. I have seen many sobering cases of hikers on Whitney who were simply not prepared for the rigors of this climb. Most physically fit people should be able to do the 21 miles in 12-13 hours. If it takes you 24 hours you will suffer and it will be a miserable experience. Train for at least six months before attempting to summit. Be sure and run 25-40 miles a week, hike every weekend at altitude (if practicable)and invest in a good stairclimber. You must have strong quads and calves in order to enjoy the hike and the descent will be brutal on your knees, no matter how fit you are. Also go out for several 10 hour hikes in order to prepare yourself mentally for this challenge. The mental part of Whitney is as difficult as the physical, particularly on the descent when you've been on the trail for a long time already.
In addition, plan to spend at least two nights sleeping at altitude prior to the ascent. Many people simply sleep in their car at Whitney Portal, but if this is an uncomfortable thought, stay at gorgeous Mammoth Lakes, about 150 miles North of Whitney. Mammoth is at 8,500 feet and there are several perfect hikes of 10-12 miles there to prepare for for altitude (Duck Pass is my favorite).
Climbing Whitney can be a defining moment in your life. I return every year and look forward to it with relish. If you are fit, properly acclimated and mentally ready, you will find Whitney to be one of the best and most fulfilling things you've ever done in your life. Good luck!
Best book on Mt Whitney.......1999-02-08
If you want to hike Mt Whitney or the area you don't have a choice-you must buy this book. It comes with a topo map and the book descibes every trail on the quadrangle, along with historical and natural information. Don't bother going to Mt Whitney without this book.
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