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Title: Hiking the Big Sur Country: The Ventana Wilderness by Jeffrey P. Schaffer ISBN: 0-89997-083-4 Publisher: Wilderness Press Pub. Date: May, 1988 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.25 (8 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Torturously organized, severely out of date
Comment: I purchased the recently updated version of Shaffer's book, but having recently hiked in the Big Sur area, I can confirm the book is still riddled with basic mistakes. These mistakes aren't of a rudimenary nature, but significant misstatements of fact, such as where to locate a trailhead, how far each hike is and where to park your vehicle. On several hikes, Schaffer describes a "locked gate" which hikers must traverse... oops, sorry... there is no gate there anymore and no access for hikers. This can be extremely frustrating to plan a morning hike and rely upon this guide, only to be misled and have the hike aborted before it even begins.
In addition, the book is organized in an extremely frustrating manner. Distances are given, but no elevation gains or indication of whether the trek will be easy, moderate or strenuous. This is an inexcusable omission. The only reason to buy this guide is because good hiking books on the Big Sur region are few and far between. I use Schaffer because it's the only guide out there, but it has many serious deficiencies. Know this before you purchase it and don't expect a stellar guide. Also be aware of the errors in trailhead directions and outdated material.
Rating: 1
Summary: Enough information to be dangerous
Comment: I just finished a weekend hike in the Ventana wilderness. Granted, I did a lot of stupid things. But I got 18 hours of rain! I was trapped between two rivers that had risen over 6 feet in 24 hours. My down sleeping bag was soaked. Temperatures were dropping into the 40s at night. I thought I was going to die. Did this book give me any hint that there was this kind of danger? No. It makes no mention of radical changes in the environment due to weather. It mentions steady-state danger conditions for other rivers (Carmel, Big Sur and Little Sur. These the are the same ones that the Forest Service mentions, btw. Here it says that they can be impassable in the winter) but nothing about other ones. At least *some* of the narrative is correct.
But for a place as rugged as the Ventana Wilderness, a book without discussion of the dangers is simply inexcusable. If this is our only source, it's no wonder there's such a high number of plaques to a "Loving husband and father" on some of the trails.
Rating: 4
Summary: Great but needs updating
Comment: Having made about thirty different trips into the Ventana wilderness over the last several years using this great guide book, I've come to appreciate the authors maps. Regular topographic maps from the USGS do not show many trails in the Ventana or inaccuratly shown. The author has plotted the trails in detail onto USGS topos (shrunk to book size which means you must look closely, but you can still discern every contour clearly). The trail descriptions are as detailed and informative as one can expect for a book this old. Fires, El Nino's and withdrawal of funds for trail maintenance inevitably change the accuracy of Schaeffers descriptions. Nevertheless there are still many useful descriptions and comments. If you are serious about exploring this rugged widerness, the book would be well worth it for its maps alone.
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Title: Day Hikes Around Big Sur: 80 Great Hikes by Robert Stone ISBN: 1573420417 Publisher: Day Hike Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Natural History of Big Sur (California Natural History Guides) by Paul Henson, Donald J. Usner, Valerie A. Kells ISBN: 0520205103 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: December, 1996 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Best Coast Hikes of Northern California: A Guide to the Top Trails from Big Sur to the Oregon Border by Marc J. Soares ISBN: 0871569043 Publisher: Sierra Club Books Pub. Date: 13 July, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Monterey Bay, Big Sur, & Gold Coast Wine Country Book: A Complete Guide (Great Destinations) by Buz Bezore, Christina Waters ISBN: 1581570503 Publisher: Berkshire House Pub Pub. Date: February, 2002 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Big Sur to Big Basin: California's Dramatic Central Coast by Larry Ulrich, Pamela Verduin Cain ISBN: 0811819663 Publisher: Chronicle Books Pub. Date: April, 1998 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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