Trails and Tales of Yosemite and the Central Sierra
A Guide for Hikers and History Buffs
by Sharon Giacomazzi
We are so proud of our Sierra author! With this new printing of Giacomazzi’s first book, we updated all her great trails, adding new phone numbers and websites, bringing all up to date. We lost the Fremont Peak chapter, but we kept the history about Pathfinder John Fremont. We include a new chapter in the Gold Country section, adding the Red Hills of Chinese Camp, a wildflower and mountain bike Mecca with 17 miles of trails. Locals say it’s a great choice.
This rewarding guide includes both a detailed history of the Central Sierra and more than 60 hikes, revealing it’s best attractions. The book’s five sections: Gold Country, Western Slope, Yosemite Valley, other Yosemite Park, and Eastern Sierra provide a capsule history of this fascinating region, with many revealing details important and obscure—valuable lost gold coins near Mariposa, Native American trade routes, the race to build the first road into Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Park’s shameful early history before it was truly protected, building the original Tioga Road, and much more. Sharon is a born storyteller who knows the Central Sierra like the back of her hand. You’ll find ghost towns, waterfalls, wildflowers, Sequoia groves, hot springs, swimming holes, river canyons, lakes, and railroads, both excursion trains and historic lines long gone. Sharon includes several popular hikes, also leading us off the beaten path to hidden corners in Yosemite and the region. She emphasizes easy day hikes, but also includes peaks to climb, places to backpack, and resorts where you can just relax amidst scenic grandeur.
Many books cover Central Sierra trails, but readers and explorers who want a book of substance that paints a true and complex portrait of this key part of California should own this!
304 pages, 6" x 9", full-color cover, 59 historic and
scenic photographs, 38 maps by Marsha Mello, bibliography, index, 2001.
New printing with updates for 2013.
ISBN 0-939431-25-4 trade paper
“Giacomazzi's enthusiasm for the world she writes about [Eastern Sierra canyons] is so infectious that her guidebooks are that rare thing: guidebooks that are actually a pleasure to read. And they are packed with useful information and historical lore, especially for the hiker new or relatively new to the Eastern Sierra.”
Michael Loughman, The Inyo Register
“I have read a lot and I mean a lot of Yosemite books . . . huge history buff! Your book is absolutely wow wow. I'm speechless! I can’t put it down once I start reading it. I am the guy who reads your book . . . jumps on a motorcycle heads out with a backpack and wants to explore everything. Your book is amazing I cannot say it enough. ÊI mean from John Muir’s mossy boulder to the history of Hornitos. I share your enthusiasm right down to every word. Thanks for a great book! It is my intent to visit every spot!
I just wanted to say again how great this book is it makes me come alive!”
~D
Price: $
From the back cover:
Explore the majestic Central Sierra and learn its fascinating history
This truly one-of-a-kind guide leads you to more than 60 of the best walks and hikes among the spectacular scenery of Yosemite Park and the surrounding Sierra, an area larger than MaryLand and Delaware combined. This comprehensive book features the Less traveled traiLs as weLL as some popular classics.
Trails & Tales of Yosemite & the Central Sierra will guide you to the best Sequoia groves, hidden waterfalls, most gorgeous canyons and wildflower blooms, most rewarding peaks to climb and other superb adventures.
Whether you're an avid hiker or a casual walker, you'll find the trails coming to life as Sharon Giacomazzi interweaves them with their historical context. She spins enthralling tales of native peoples, early explorers, Gold Rush mining, pioneer lumbering, early railroads, John Muir's adventures, and more.
WHAT YOU'LL FIND INSIDE:
- 60 plus hikes of all levels covering more than 350 miles Year-round hiking choices in the Gold Country, Yosemite Park, adjacent national forests, and the Eastern Sierra
- 38 clear and detailed maps
- 60 photos and illustrations, including 34 classic historical images
- A wealth of lively history & fascinating tales
From Murphys to Mammoth, from Markleeville to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Groves, wherever you want to explore, Sharon Giacomazzi shows you the way.
From the Table of Contents:
Foreword by Caetlin O'Riordan 9
Map of the Central Sierra 10
Introduction 11
How to Use This Book 13
Map Legend 14
The Dangers: Hiker's Ten Commandments 15
The Climate 17
I. Gold Country
Introduction: Off to See the Elephant 19
1. Murphys & Calaveras Big Trees State Park 23
2. Jamestown & the Sierra Railway 29
3. Red Hills of Chinese Camp 33
4. Bagby & the Merced River Trail 38
5. Merced River Trail Ramble 43
6. Hornitos 48
7. Legend of Mount Ophir 53
Interlude: Pathfinder John Fremont's Time in Mariposa County
7. Fremont Peak 54
8. McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve 60
II. Western Slope: Trails North, West and South of Yosemite
Introduction: Waving Seas of Evergreens 63
9. Exploring Alpine County: PCT to Noble Lake 65
10. Clavey River & God's Bath 70
11. Bourland Trestle & the West Side Lumber Co. Railroad 75
12. Lake Eleanor & Preston Falls 81
13. Peach & Fig Growers Railroad 86
14. Rainbow Pool on the South Fork Tuolumne River 91
15. Wonders of Bower Cave & the North Fork Merced River Trail 97
16. Muir's Mossy Boulder on the Upper North Fork Merced River 102
17. Hite's Cove on the South Fork Merced River Trail 106
18. Yosemite Mountain-Sugar Pine Railroad 111
19. Lewis Creek National Scenic Trail 115
20. Nelder Grove of Giant Sequoias 118
21. Willow Creek Trail: Angel Falls & Devil's Slide 122
22. Jackass Lakes in Ansel Adams Wilderness 126
23. Mono Hot Springs & Doris & Tule Lakes 130
III. Yosemite National Park/ Yosemite Valley
Introduction: The Incomparable Valley 135
Visiting Yosemite Valley 135
A Capsule History of Yosemite 136
24. Artist Point & Artist Thomas Hill 140
25. Inspiration Point & Artist Thomas Ayres 144
26. Hiking Old Big Oak Flat Road to Rainbow View 149
27. Ahwahnee Hotel to Mirror Lake 153
28. Mirror Lake—Mirror Meadow 159
29. Half Dome 162
IV. Yosemite National Park Outside the Valley
Introduction: A Wealth of Glorious Terrain 169
30. Carlon Falls 171
31. Hetch Hetchy to Wapama & Rancheria Falls 176
32. Merced Grove via the Coulterville Road 181
33. Tuolumne Grove via Old Big Oak Flat Road 186
34. Foresta Forever & Little Nellie Falls 191
35. Old Foresta Road Past Waterfalls to El Portal 196
36. May Lake & Mount Hoffman 200
Interlude: High Sierra Camps 204
37. Snow Creek Trail 207
38. Four-Mile Trail between Glacier Point & Yosemite Valley 212
39. Sentinel Dome-Taft Point Loop 217
40. Wawona & the Meadow Loop 220
41. Stella Lake & the Swinging Bridge 225
42. Mono Pass & Bloody Canyon 229
43. Mount Dana Experience 233
V. Eastern Sierra
Introduction: Birthed in Fire, Sculpted by Ice 239
44. Bennettville & the History of Tioga Road 240
45. Gardisky Lake & Tioga Crest 246
46. Green Treble Lake & Hall Natural Area 249
47. Allure of Lundy Canyon 253
48. Green Creek Canyon to East Lake 258
49. Bodie State Historic Park 262
50. June Lakes Basin & Parker Lake 267
Interlude: Explore Mono Lake 268
51. Devils Postpile & Rainbow Falls 273
52. Convict Lake 276
53. Rock Creek Canyon 280
54. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Groves 285
Further Reading 290
Index 294
About the Author 303
About Bored Feet 304
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