Trails and Tales of Yosemite and the Central Sierra
A Guide for Hikers and History Buffs

Sharon Giacomazzi

Sharon Giacomazzi loves to tell history tales and she loves to hike. She combines these passions in an enthralling guide to the glorious Central Sierra, presenting more than 60 fun excursions. The book's five sections, Gold Country, Western Slope, Yosemite Valley, Other Yosemite Park, and Eastern Sierra, are made richer with their fascinating historical context, and Sharon is a born storyteller who makes history fun.

You'll find ghost towns, waterfalls, wildflowers, Sequoia groves, historic roads, hot springs, river canyons, lakes, mountain peaks, and railroads, both excursion trains and historic lines long gone.

While Sharon includes some of the popular hikes, she also leads you to destinations off the beaten path, hidden corners in Yosemite Valley and the surrounding popular region. She emphasizes easy day hikes, but you'll also find peaks to climb, places to backpack, and resorts where you can just relax amidst scenic grandeur.

This new edition has been updated for 2013.

“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

304 pages, 6" x 9", full-color cover, 59 historic and scenic photographs, 38 maps by Marsha Mello, bibliography, index, 2001.
ISBN 0-939431-25-4. trade paper

$19.00

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 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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Exploring Eastern Sierra Canyons: Bishop to Lone Pine by Sharon Giacomazzi

Exploring Eastern Sierra Canyons: Sonora Pass to Pine Creek by Sharon Giacomazzi

Sierra Nevada Topographic Map by Imus Geographics

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Wildflowers of the Sierra Nevada by Text & Photos by Steven Hartman

Sierra Starlight: The Astrophotography of Tony Rowell by Tony Rowell, Foreword by Kenneth Brower

The Good, The Great and the Awesome: Top High Sierra Rock Climbs by Peter Croft

The High Sierra of California by Poems and Journals by Gary Snyder, Woodcuts by Tom Killion

Yosemite Adventures; 50 Spectacular Hikes, Climbs and Winter Treks by Matt Johanson, Foreword by Hans Florine

Yosemite National Park Area Map by Benchmark Maps

Ansel Adams Wilderness Trail Map by Tom Harrison

Yosemite National Park Map by Tom Harrison

Mount Whitney; Mountain Lore from the Whitney Store, 2nd Edition by Doug Thompson & Elisabeth Newbold

If I Live Until Morning: A True Story of Adventure, Tragedy and Transformation by Jean Muenchrath

Gold Fever, Part Three: The Path to Civil War by Ken Salter

Eastern Sierra Hot Springs by George J. Williams III

Sierra Stories; Tales of Dreamers, Schemers, Bigots, and Rogues by Gary Noy

Owens River Gorge Climbs, 11th edition: A Climber’s Guide to the Owens River Gorge by Marty Lewis

Snowbound; Legendary Winters of the Tahoe Sierra by Mark McLaughlin

Gold Fever, Part Two by Ken Salter

The Hiker’s hip pocket Guide to the Humboldt/Del Norte Coast, 3rd Ed. by Bob Lorentzen

The Essential Geography of the United States of America by Imus Geographics