Book Suggestions?

[chinooktrail]

Hi All,

I have never hiked over in the New York area, any suggestions of good books or trail guides to get me started?

Ready to start to branch out a bit from ME/NH/VT...

 

[mookie]

adk trail guide

although i have only gotten over there once myself. guide seems rather informative and detailed so far!

http://www.adk.org/new_store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=GHP

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Catskill guide and maps

If you are interested in the Catskills, the most comprehensive guidebook is the ADK Catskill Trails book. Unlike the Adirondack High Peaks guidebook which includes a topo map, the Catskill Guidebook has no map included. The ADK club also sells the Catskill Trails 5 map set which is published by the NY/NJ Trail Conference. That is currently the best Catskill map. It covers 33 of the 35 Catskill 3500 peaks, and has concise trail descriptions on the back of each map.

If you are venturing into outlying areas of the Catskills, there will be a 2008 update to the Venture Out Catskill map, published later this summer. The current 2007 map is paper. The improved and updated 2008 map will also be tear resistant.

 

[MattC]

Hi All,

I have never hiked over in the New York area, any suggestions of good books or trail guides to get me started?

Ready to start to branch out a bit from ME/NH/VT...

The suggestions above are excellent. For other guides and books, maybe check out Black Dome Press. It's a great regional publisher. Some suggested titles:

-The new editions of the T. Morris Longstreth books "The Catskills" and "The Adirondacks" Like great trip reports from days long since gone by.

-Any of the Russell Dunn waterfall guides or Ed Henry trail guides. These are not the place to start for basic trail info, but if you want more interpretive stuff in addition to the excellent ADK guides and Trail Conference maps, these books are useful.

-"Catskill Peak Experiences" Short tales and essays written by our own Catskill hiking community, including members of this forum. Mark Schaefer contributed a fine essay on the art of bear watching. Editing by Carol White, co-author of the ADK Catskill Trail Guide. "Adirondack Peak Experiences" is in the works as well.

Hope you enjoy your first foray into New York's hills, wherever you may go.

Matt

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

In the Adirondack mountains, I still refer to the Adirondack Mountain Club's (ADK) book Adirondack Trails: High Peaks Region and to Barbara McMartin's Discover the Adirondack High Peaks.