Swimming Holes of California

by Pancho Doll

Book Overview

Find the best water in the Golden State with Swimming Holes of California, which covers from the northern redwoods to the southern deserts with trips in Humboldt, Shasta, Yosemite, Santa Barbara, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0965768643
• ISBN13: 9780965768641
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Running Water Press
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Great book; difficult directions.

Following this book's directions, we went to the Marble Slides hole. We planned on going to the Marble Forks one, too, but I don't think we found it. Luckily we still had a lot of fun. The directions are more like vague guidelines, it seems. Also, it is confusingly organized; the maps aren't always next to the holes they belong to, due to several holes being on one map, so to find the map you have to flip around. Also, the full-pages pictures aren't always of the hole on the adjacent page. My main gripe with this book is the ads for his other books inside this one. I bought a book. Not a bunch of advertisements. If I wanted advertisements, I'd watch television. Still, a worthy buy.

great book by thoughtful guy

Ever since I was young, I have been in search of the secret, awesome swimming hole. To plagiarize, it is the stuff dreams are made of. We have visited two of the sites described already. In both cases, Pancho Doll's directions and advice were right on the money. In some cases, I can see how the book needs more directions because it largely uses GPS coordinates, assuming the reader has a Global Position System device. But someone who is good with maps and talking with locals (part of the fun!) should not have a problem. It is wonderful that someone has written such a book with such captivating style and good on-site research. Bravo, Pancho! I also was able to speak with him because he uses a dictation device we manufacture. He was every bit as thoughtful on the phone as in his writings. I can only hope he will continue to update and fine tune his writings. The only concern is that somehow all us readers have to help keep these places well preserved and prevent abuse.

Needs better directions

When I came across this title on the shelf I started jumping up and down and begged money from my friends to buy it. Imagine how much more delighted I was when I really started reading it, and found that the author's mind-set and approach to swimming holes is the same as mine! Concerned with pristine beauty and unadultrated appreciation of water and rock, Doll is very descriptive and no nonsense about the sites themselves. A little less descriptive, however, are the directions to these spots. The very day that I bought the book, we drove to Yosemite and tried to find a couple holes. No luck. The directions were confusing and lacking the most basic measures such as distance and time. Does anyone really USE GPS? For those of us that don't, the topo maps really offer no help, and his verbal directions are very unclear. I was frustrated that the author seemed to be sitting in the trees while we hiked, chuckling to himself, "Ha ha, I know where these holes are, and you don't!"

thank you Pancho!

I feel almost like this book was written for an audience of one: me! The only things it's missing are specific directions from my apartment and personal reminders like "don't get carried away and go diving into the water before you take your keys out of your pocket and take off your glasses dummy!". Obiviously i liked the book's approach and perspective - right on the money! The book seems to emphasize several positive traits of potential swimming holes that i generally agree with. He likes the natural, pristine, undisturbed spots - great, me too! He writes from an environmentalist's stand-point and tends to avoid the "roached" party spots. Natural beauty in a recreational swimming/jumping/diving/exploring/sunning situation is certain bliss. He also prefers places that include some cliff jumping opportunities. Yes! i know of no other guide book that places such an emphasis (liability wooses!). It is great to see because from my perspective, vertical thrill adds alot to such a spot. Another criterion he uses is accessability. Everything in the book is a potential day-trip with a maximum 3 mile hike/scrambles in. Nice to know, but i'd really like to see the places Pancho knows that require a little more effort! Actually, what i really want is Pancho as my personal guide and backpacking buddy! My only complaint with the book would be with his editor. I hope that before the next reprint, someone without a GPS tries to follow the written directions with only the provided topo and a regular map (what a job that would be! i'll work cheap!!!). Many of the directions lack detail, clarity, or are slightly convuluted (easily improved). But pherhaps this is intended? i know i have taken much pleasure in previous adventures in search of such spots with minimal information. With this book in hand, you really need to adopt the explorer attitude: do your research, hit the library, study topos at REI - you don't really have "directions", you have "clues" ;). I finally bought the complete california topo collection on CD - excellent investement and a nice compliment to this book. Now all i need is a GPS to pre-enter my waypoints, and i'm allll set. Another complaint i would have is the lack of regional maps. The book is broken down into regions, but there isn't a map showing where the swimming holes fall within said region. In order to find this information, you must reference the lat/lon coordinates or start reading the how to get there instructions (usually starting from closest town). See the web site for detailed info on this book. In fact, i think an online version can be purchased giving you full access to the data sans dead tree. happy splashing!, stu - official member of the Pancho Doll fan club

Geat for outdoors lovers; Beer totin' Yahoos- dont read it

An almost comprehensive guide to swimming holes in california. The author is a little strict about what qualifies (no man made structures visible from the water) but I think that just helps to drive home the eco-point. The places this book guides you to are so great they will turn anyone into an environmentalist. Maybe even those yahoos that mess up some of the places. The book is very complete, including all the info you need to get to them there best holes and important info like "is it private enough to skinny dip?" (no way - way). My only hope is that no one else buys it so the previously little known places don't get overrun with the aforementioned beer swilling yahoos. (sorry about that Pancho et al, but , priorities ya know)