Sierra South: Backcountry Trips in California's Sierra Nevada (Sierra Nevada Guides)

By way of disclaimer: I was a consultant on the new edition of this book. Nevertheless, I can say without bias that Elizabeth Wenk and Mike White have done a fantastic job with this new edition. It is leaps and bounds beyond the previous version (now 15 years old). One only has to notice the fact that they have added over a hundred pages of maps, text, hikes and updates to this edition to see that it’s worth retiring the old edition and getting this update!The first thing to know is the authors have spent literally years personally VERIFYING all the hikes in this book, updating ones that have become re-routed or lost due to lack of use, adding new hikes where new routes have become more popular, and updating all descriptions including “heads up” sections warning about recent wildfires, high water risks, possible closures, and other dangers.The authors have added many new features that make this THE Sierra guidebook series to own. These include: GPS coordinates for all hikes (and a website with downloadable waypoints), revised maps, elevation profiles, better indexing, verified mileage for all trails, turn-by-turn descriptions of how to find the trailheads, more detailed descriptions of places of historic interest, more detailed descriptions of trees and wildflowers, new notes about geology and other special features along the trails, updated details on permit requirements, new photographs, and many new details about side explorations and possible links to other trips... and this is just the short list.Purchased as a set: Sierra North, Sierra South, and Yosemite are the perfect companions for anyone planning day-hikes or major expeditions in the Sierra. Bringing copies of the detailed trail descriptions along is like having a personal guide to point out the details and features of the route, points of interest just off trail, and warn you of any possible wrong turns or hazards along the way. These books will take the uncertainty out of question like: “How do I get to the trail?”, “How hard is this route?”, “Would this lake make a good side-trip?” or “Does this trail still exist?” It lets you get down to what you want to do – hiking and exploring in the Sierra Nevada. I will be pouring over the maps, side-trips, elevation profiles, and points of historical interest found in these books for years to come. Five stars!!

The authors are both accomplished hikers with several Sierra guidebooks to their name. This book covers hikes in the southern Sierra starting from the southern border of Yosemite and including Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, John Muir Wilderness and Ansel Adams Wilderness. The hikes are broken down into clear, easy to understand sections with introductory overviews, best time to hike, permits, information about how to find the trailhead (often the most confusing part of a hike), full color photographs, and a thorough description of the hike that includes where campsites and water can be found. Elizabeth Wenk spends every summer hiking Sierra trails, tracking mileage, taking photographs and recording notes so her information is thorough accurate and up to date. She is extremely knowledgeable about the flora, fauna and geology of the Sierra, which adds greatly to the trail descriptions. The guidebook is helpful in planning routes and loops in the region and for John Muir Trail hikers, can be useful when accessing the JMT on lateral trails from the east or west, whether planned (entry, exit or resupply) or unplanned (due to weather, snow, wildfires, injury or illness).I look forward to planning many trips but to write this review, I looked at a trail I was familiar with, the McGree Creek Trail. Right away, I appreciated the Heads Up section at the beginning that warns the reader about two trails from the trailhead that can be confusing (take the narrower trail on the right). The author’s descriptions of the colorful rock walls match my memory perfectly. I also liked how all the options are described along the trail, including a spur up to Steelhead Lake. The author describes two cross country routes for experienced mountaineers and an easier (though longer) on-trail route over to the next basin. Having been on the Hopkins Pass (see photo) cross-country route myself, I wish I had had this book when planning the route as it would have simplified my effort. This guidebook, like others by these authors, is an excellent resource and a huge aid to planning. I love guidebooks so I plan on using the print version for planning and the digital version on my phone to reference on the hike.

She does a fantastic job of providing backpackers with everything they need to know to plan years of weekend to week long trips in the Southern half of the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Has info on every trail I can see on a map and side trips cross country. I bet it is the best book from Southern Sierras to Mammoth/Banner Peak. No need for another book.