Product Description

Introducing next-generation trail guides for the Northwest We asked hikers what they want in a trail guide today and this is what they said: more day hikes, with options for extending the trip; hike selection conveniently arranged by highway and travel corridors; more hikes close to urban centers; more year-round hikes at low elevation; clear driving directions; a portable size; and more use of color.

To meet the needs of the modern hiker, The Mountaineers Books introduces its new Day Hiking guidebook series, written by Northwest residents with impressive hiking resumes. These guides provide accurate information in attractive, high-quality packaging and are infused with the environmental ethic that distinguishes The Mountaineers Books from other outdoor publishers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #375439 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 299 pages

About the Author
DAN NELSON is an outdoor recreation feature writer and columnist for The Seattle Times and a frequent contributor to Backpacker magazine. His books include Best Loop Hikes: Washington and Best Hikes with Dogs: Western Washington. He lives in Puyallup, Washington

Customer Reviews

Good book but has issues
While the book is well written, easy to use and has elevation profiles this book does have flaws that for me are red flags.

I feel that Dan and Alan have done a good book in the new Day Hiking series. They have updated the old 100 hikes as well as they could. It is nice that they have tossed in some hikes that haven't been in the guide books for a long time as well. The book covers very easy to the hardest - so something for everyone. It covers from the Issaquah Alps to the interior of the Cascades. The book is small and carries easily in your car or pack - so you always can have ideas for a quick hike on the fly!

But those red flags?
Primarily is the frustrating trend of Mountaineer Books to give elevation gains that are not right. Why cannot they give the actual gains? For example, if a trail goes up and down and up again and gains 2500 ft at the end of the day, it gains 2500 ft! Yet, they do some weird math and subtract the down part in the middle and claim the trail gains oh, 1500 ft. In nearly all books by The Mountaineers this is the method they use. Boooh!
My other issue lies in the directions to trailheads in some of the hikes. There are a few that give wrong road numbers or are just wrong - where if a person didn't look at maps first they would end up in the wrong spot. Hopefully when edition 2 comes out down the road the mistakes will be noted and corrected.

I think in my view that this book is worth picking up for ideas but you very much need to read up trail reports on local hiking forums, the NF Service's website for Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie NF and study Topo and Green Trails maps before you take the book for a 100%. Be very aware of the elevation profiles in the books and double check them!

Nice and compact
I really enjoy this trail guide. It's very small, without being annoying, so it doesn't take up much space (or weight) in a pack. The variety of hikes is nice, and it's a good way to find new hikes in this region of the state. I own all the 'Day Hiking' books published thus far, and I really enjoy the consistent quality. There are just enough pictures included to wet your appetite for good weather and days off, without turning the book into fluff. I can't compare this book to any of the competing series, but it carries well the torch passed to it by Ira Spring and Harvey Manning, although I do miss their complaints about the fate of public lands.

Compact book filled with excellent day hiking ideas
As a hiking enthusiast living in Bellevue (a few miles east of Seattle), I find this nifty little guidebook indispensible for planning my weekend adventures. It is small enough to fit comfortably in my backpack, but is chock-full with day hike suggestions, 125 total. I really like that it covers a wide area, from my immediate backyard, far east to the Teanaway region, and all the way south to Chinook Pass near Mt Rainier. I've had this book for well over a year now, and even though I go hiking at least once a week and use it regularly, I can still draw inspiration from this book as I pick new areas to sample.

I prefer guidebooks that are engaging, yet not overly verbose, and this one fits the bill. Unlike the previous "100 Hikes" series, this one is generally free of annoying political rants, and is an enjoyable read.

However, you should *definitely* double-check the information in the book before actually going on a hike. Some of the maps/descriptions are inaccurate (outdated perhaps?). For example, the track they give for Squaw Lake (Hike 85) and Eldorado Pass (Hike 91) are incorrect -- the present trail is actually easier but somewhat longer -- and I had quite some trouble finding the Anti-Aircraft loop (Hike 2). I's a good idea to get a topo map with trails, and if you have a GPS unit, consider downloading a free track from [...] That said, the specified destination has always been there :) and the general "feel" of the hike is spot on.

In the end, this book has served me very well. It is definitely worth its modest cost. If you're interested in hiking in the greater Snoqualmie region and want a good introduction to its many gems, check this out!