The High Sierra: John Muir's Range of Light

by Arnot and Phil Arnot

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1884550061
• ISBN13: 9781884550065
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Tetra Press
• Length: 372 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Don't Let this Gem get Away!

All the reviews are true enough. But this guide is not just pure inspiration. Most of the destinations are difficult cross-country ventures, but some are more accessible, and one chapter is a driving tour of the East Side along Hiway 395. The book persuaded me to go to three off-trail destinations on backpack trips in the last few years: The Ionian Basin, Lake 11,200 in the Tablelands, and Ladder Lake in the Black Divide. These ventures were thrilling and very demanding, and I would not attempt them solo. I benefited from discussing my plans with a ranger first, preferably an experienced person, both at the front office and at back-country ranger stations while enroute. Back-country rangers are the best source of information. For example, I got very good advice from the Le Conte Canyon Ranger for getting up to Ladder Lk. and back down. That was one of the most arduous backpack trips I have taken. But Arnot was right on about the lake and it's setting: unbelievably fine. That trip was a highlight for me and others in our small group of four. This fine book will inspire backpackers and climbers for many trips. Don't let it get away!

A unique backcountry guide that stands out from the many Sierra books

There are dozens of good Sierra guides out there, most of them detailing the must-see places for a newcomer or those who want to stick to the trails. However, those with some backcountry experience desiring routes on where to go off the trail have only a few resources: this book, Secor's "High Sierra" and Roper's "High Sierra Route" & "Climber's Guide to the High Sierra". All are essential for those desiring to trek through the backcountry where no trails exist. The Secor book is the most comprehensive, truly an encyclopedia, yet it's scope and necessary lack of detail leave you a bit overwhelmed (and possibly under-prepared). This book and the famed Roper "High Sierra Route" nicely give more detail on selected routes through the backcountry. Arnot, a backcountry guide for some 40 years, draws upon a great body of experience in the Sierras to describe some of his favorite places, destinations that only a fraction of Sierra visitors ever venture to see: Tehipite valley, the Ionian Basin, the Muro Blanco, Gardiner Basin, the Enchanted Gorge (though Secor sarcastically says there's nothing enchanting about it)... Arnot pretty much focuses on non-technical class I-II trips and also pays a lot of attention to suggesting the times of year to visit certain places. His enthusiasm is infectious and his routes are filled with interesting anecdotes of his actual ventures. At times Arnot succumbs to an inspirational, wide-eyed-full-of-wonder sappiness that may be off-putting for some. Fortunately these passages are clearly demarcated from the rest of the text. The book has no maps, so enjoying it fully requires you to have some good topographic maps handy or a computer's Topo program nearby. The photographs whet the appetite nicely and leave one wishing they were of higher resolution and in color. Overall a terrific and unique resource.

An inspirational (not a comprehensive) guide

I agree with the previous two reviewers: The book is not meant as a comprehensive, trail-by-trail, peak-by-peak guidebook (that's Secor). It describes about 40 special places in the Sierra Nevada, allmost all of them off-trail. While Arnot does tell you how to get there, more of the writing is on WHY you might want to get there. The book is not the book you would buy if you've never been to the Sierra (again, Secor is what you want). It's by someone who loves the Sierra for people who love the Sierra. Whenever I read a chapter it makes me want to leave for the mountains immidiately. On a practical note I have found that it's usually possible to make somewhat better time than Arnot's estimates, without doubt because equipment has become much lighter since the book was written.

An insider's guide to the Sierra

As another reviewer says, this is not a comprehensive guide. It is a guide to the places and experiences people who know the Sierra dream about--the Muro Blanco, Kaweah Basin, Tehipite Valley; spring runoff and fall color. This book is like a wish list for the Sierra insider. It's also a labor of love, a celebration of the author's own experiences in the Sierra. Arnot's sheer enthusiasm for his subject is so endearing that it overcomes any criticism I have of his writing, which is often awkward. (With a better editor, it would get 5 stars.)

A guide for experienced Sierra hikers

This book is good winter reading for experienced backpackers. It is not a comprehensive guide to the Sierra (for that, Secor's "The High Sierra" is the best). Rather, Arnot picks his favorite hikes and describes them in considerable detail. Most of the hikes he describes are ambitious undertakings that bring one to the less commonly reached areas of the Sierra--not the hikes most people would want to begin with. For anyone reasonably familiar with the Sierra, his book is a pleasure to read, and a source of ideas for future trips