Yosemite Booklist
| The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails My Rating: 8 out of 10 |
By R.J. Secor. California backpackers and climbers often preface descriptions of places with a "Secor says..."
Such is the stature of this book that its title and author's first name are dropped. In my experience, this
may be the most exhaustive backcountry hiking/climbing guide in existence. And that's quite a feat, since
Secor covers well over 100 miles of the Sierra Nevada, from Sequoia to Yosemite National Parks. This book
describes nearly every marked trail, as well as the hidden passes and unmarked trails that can make or break
one's cross-country jaunts. More amazingly, Secor has compiled climbing information for literally thousands
upon thousands of High Sierra peaks.
Still, I have a few quibbles with this book. First, many worthwhile peaks are neglected, with vague, one-sentence route descriptions, while other peaks have highly detailed descriptions for a multiplicity of multi-pitch 5.9+ technical routes. This disparity should be balanced, by including more detail for neglected peaks and by referencing climbing guidebooks (when they exist) for over-described mountains. Second, the locations of peaks and routes are not at all integrated with detailed maps. A full set of USGS topographic maps is key if you are to make any sense of Secor's information. Thus, this book is no more than an aid to backcountry trip planning, albeit an incredibly valuble one. My last quibble is with the size of the book. At 450+ pages and a 2 pound weight, the book will not find a place in most people's backpack. My suggestion: either split the book into at least three much lighter books or add more map and route information and make the book even more of a desk encyclopedia. |
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| Incomparable Valley - A Geologic Interpretation of the Yosemite My Rating: 9 out of 10 |
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By Francois Matthes. I love this book. Of the many "layman geology" books about the Sierras that I've read,
Matthes's is my favorite. I think I understand why. The book was published around 1950
by the University of California Press, shortly after Matthes's untimely death. Plate
tectonics was not universally accepted at that time, so conspicuously absent from this
book is the 20 pages of basic Plate Tectonics that distract the other books. Matthes
instead focuses on the fascinating glacial morphology of the Yosemite region. In my mind, the
book's biggest treats are the 30+ black-and-white photographic plates, including 25 by
Ansel Adams. I love to see Matthes place some Adams classics in their geologic context.
In summary, this book is easy-flowing, highly informative, and visually pleasing. |
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| The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country |
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Department of Geophysics Stanford University |
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