Tom Stienstra - Moon Northern California Hiking: The Complete Guide to the Best Hikes

TOM STIENSTRA ANN MARIE BROWN

Each hike in this book is listed in a consistent, easy-to-read format to help you choose the ideal hike. From a general overview of the setting to detailed driving directions, the profile will provide all the information you need. Here is a sample profile:

The icons in this book are designed to provide at-a-glance information on the difficulty and quality of each hike.

	The difficulty rating (rated with being the lowest and the highest) is based on the steepness of the trail and how difficult it is to traverse
	The quality rating (rated with being the lowest and the highest) is based largely on scenic beauty, but also takes into account how crowded the trail is and whether noise of nearby civilization is audible

Trails rated are very easy and suitable for hikers of all abilities, including young children.

Trails rated are easy-to-moderate and suitable for most hikers, including families with active children 6 and older.

Trails rated are moderately challenging and suitable for reasonably fit adults and older children who are very active.

Trails rated are very challenging and suitable for physically fit hikers who are seeking a workout.

Trails rated are extremely challenging and suitable only for experienced hikers who are in top physical condition.

This book is divided into chapters based on major regions in the state; an overview map of these regions precedes the table of contents. Each chapter begins with a map of the region, which is further broken down into detail maps. Trailheads are noted on the detail maps by number.

If the great outdoors is so great, then why dont people enjoy it more? The answer is because of the time trap, and I will tell you exactly how to beat it.

For many, the biggest problem is finding the time to go, whether it is hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, boating, biking, or even just for a good drive in the country. The solution? Believe it or not, the answer is to treat your fun just as you treat your work, and Ill tell you how.

Consider how you treat your job: Always on time? Go there every day you are scheduled? Do whatever it takes to get there and get it done? Right? No foolin thats right. Now imagine if you took the same approach to the outdoors. Suddenly your life would be a heck of a lot better.

The secret is to schedule all of your outdoor activities. For instance, I go fishing every Thursday evening, hiking every Sunday morning, and on an overnight trip every new moon (when stargazing is best). No matter what, Im going. Just like going to work, Ive scheduled it. The same approach works with longer adventures. The only reason I have been able to complete hikes ranging from 200 to 300 miles was that I scheduled the time to do it. The reason I spend 125 to 150 days a year in the field is that I schedule them. In my top year, I had nearly 200 days where at least some of the day was enjoyed taking part in outdoor recreation.

If you get out your calendar and write in the exact dates you are going, then youll go. If you dont, you wont. Suddenly, with only a minor change in your plan, you can be living the life you were previously just dreaming about.

Tom Stienstra

Many keep this book in their cars or pickup trucks at all times. It sits dog-eared, often with cryptic notes, on a seat, on the center floorboard or on the dashboard, ready for use. No matter where we each might be on our separate paths, we are both kind of like dogs: We need to go for a walk every day... and we share the hope that there is always a trail waiting nearby, always another hike to look forward to.

Weve selected the best trails in Northern California for this book. We have hiked each of them. We have also involved hundreds of rangers, interpretive specialists, and field scouts to review our work to make it as correct as possible as we go to press. Each word has been vetted multiple times. For this edition, weve included too many updates to count. If you run across any changes out there on the trail, feel free join our team and drop us a line.

This is the only complete guide to hiking in Northern California. Its range and scope are unmatched. There are many excellent locally focused guidebooks. Both of us have written several. Most hikers love to range both near and far, to explore and make each day a discovery. Put no bounds on your life or what is possible. That is what this book can do for you.

You have the best of Northern California in your hands. Weve done everything possible to put it within reach.

A wise person once said that a culture can be measured by the resources it chooses to preserve. If thats true, then Northern Californias parks and preserves are an immense credit to our culture. We are blessed with an abundance of public land, including units of the National Park System, national forests, federally designated wilderness areas, state parks, and county and regional parks.

This huge mosaic of parklands celebrates a diverse landscape, which includes miles of desert, Pacific coastline, an unaccountable wealth of snow-capped peaks and alpine lakes, and even a handful of volcanoes.

Northern California also boasts its share of the worlds tallest living things, the towering coast redwoods. And we are home to the worlds largest living trees (by volume), the giant sequoias. Also within our borders are groves of the planets oldest living things, the ancient bristlecone pines.