Easily Identify the Trees You Find!

This essential guide by celebrated ecologist May Theilgaard Watts helps readers identify native (and some widely introduced) trees of the United States and Canada, east of the Rocky Mountains. With this handy, easy-to-use guide, you'll be able to identify all sorts of trees in no time.

Features include:

• A dichotomous key, leading the user through a series of simple questions about the shape or appearance of different parts of a tree
• Includes 161 species
• Illustrated with line drawings
• Small (6- by 4-inch) format that fits in a pocket or pack to take along on a hike

Easily Identify the Trees You Find on the Pacific Coast!

Enjoy learning to identify trees with this guide from author Tom Watts. With this handy, easy-to-use book, you'll be able to identify a wide variety of trees along the Pacific Coast in no time. And its small size makes it just right for fitting into your pocket or pack when you go for a hike.

This is the classic key to identifying native trees of the Pacific Coast, updated to reflect changes in the names of trees since publication of the first edition.

Features:

• Identifies native trees, and some widely introduced or naturalized species, of the Pacific Coast region, from British Columbia to Baja California
• Uses Latin names of trees that grow in California that conform to the University of California's 1993 Jepson Manual, as well as more recent name changes
• Belongs to the Finders series of pocket guides to native plants and animals of the United States and Canada
• Uses a dichotomous key format for accurate identification, like all plant guides in the series

Easily Identify the Constellations in the Night Sky!

Enjoy this essential guide to patterns in the night sky by celebrated author Dorcas Miller, with star stories from around the world. With this handy, easy-to-use book, you'll be able to identify the constellations in no time.

People around the world, and through the centuries, from the ancient Egyptians to the Pomo of California, have given names to the patterns they see in the night sky.

The latest book in the Finders series of pocket guides:

• Features constellations from many cultures
• Shows how to find them in the sky
• Gives hints for stargazing, seasonal star maps, and constellation profiles
• Is heavily illustrated by the author

This guide is most useful for stargazing between the 30th and 50th parallels in the northern hemisphere. In North America, this includes the contiguous United States (except the Florida peninsula and southernmost Texas), and southern Canada. Also includes southern Europe, Turkey, northern China, and Japan.

See San Francisco like never before: Step up to 39 of its best stairway walks!

Hundreds of public stairways traverse San Francisco's boundless hills, revealing scenic vistas and connecting colorful, diverse neighborhoods. Since 1984, Stairway Walks in San Francisco has been helping urban explorers discover the best of the City by the Bay via riser and handrail. Now in its 10th edition, this beloved guidebook by Mary Burk with Adah Bakalinsky includes four new walks, updates of classic favorites, and many new photographs.

The amazing walks invite you to explore well-known and clandestine corridors, from Marshall Beach and Noe Valley to Lands End and Telegraph Hill. Whether you want to learn about the city's history and architecture, elevate your exercise routine, or just let your feet lead the way to new adventures, Stairway Walks in San Francisco has something for everyone. It has been the essential city walking guide for more than 40 years! Get this updated edition, and start walking.

Book Features

• Comprehensive list of the city's 700-plus stairways


• 39 walks incorporating San Francisco's magnificent stairway network


• Lively route descriptions, at-a-glance Quick-Step summaries, and easy-to-read maps


• Parking and public-transportation information for each walk

Easily Identify the Flowers You Find!

Enjoy this essential guide to identifying spring wildflowers and flower families, written by celebrated ecologist May Theilgaard Watts. With this handy, easy-to-use book, you'll be able to identify a wide variety of flowers in no time.

Features:

• Covers the United States and southern Canada, east of the Rockies and north of the Smokies
• Pocket-size, key-style field guide fits in your pocket or pack, making it easy to take along with you
• Provides a series of simple questions, so you can find the family the flower belongs to, and then the name of the individual species

Easily Identify the Ferns You Find!

Enjoy learning to identify ferns with this guide from authors Anne Hallowell and Barbara Hallowell. With this handy, easy-to-use book, you'll be able to identify a wide variety of ferns in no time. And its small size makes it just right for fitting into your pocket or pack when you go for a hike or a walk in the woods.

Features:

• Provides information to help you identify native ferns that grow in the United States Midwest and Northeast, as well as eastern Canada
• Uses a dichotomous key, like other plant guides in the Nature Study Guides Finders series
• Leads the user step-by-step through a series of choices, culminating in the identification of the species
• Includes a large number of illustrations with line drawings

Identify mammal scat in eastern North America with this pocket-size guide.

If you're fascinated by animal tracks or the practice of tracking, then learning to identify scat is a helpful aid. If you're curious about which critters are crossing your path or are in your backyard, then Scat Finder by Dorcas S. Miller is just what you need. With the handy, easy-to-use book, you can identify mammal scat of eastern North America, from the states that border the Mississippi River all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Book Features:

• Key to mammal scat: cords, pellets, splats, and tubes
• Tips on where to find scat and what its color and shape can tell you
• A look at the animals' teeth, jaws, and digestive systems
• Clues for distinguishing between scat from similar species (e.g., within the same family)
• Scat size guide, including minimum, maximum, and typical size range
• A study of birds' cough pellets and droppings
• The author's professional drawings of the animals and their scat
• Small (6- by 4-inch) format that fits in a pocket or backpack to take along on a hike

This guide is applicable to eastern Canada and the US states of Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Carry John Muir's wisdom with you in this inspirational guide that features 60 of his most insightful quotes.

As a patriarch of the American environmental movement, John Muir helped to give birth to the national park system, the Sierra Club, and a myriad of smaller groups devoted to saving rivers, redwoods, and wildlife. Yet, he is also a spiritual parent who leads us down unmarked trails of the spirit. By urging us to simply be present in the world around us, loving and honoring it as our garden home, his poetic insight liberates life.

In Meditations of John Muir, editor Chris Highland pairs 60 Muir quotes with selections from other celebrated thinkers and spiritual texts. Take this pocket-size guide with you on backpacks, nature hikes, and camping trips. Let Muir's words enrich your experience as you ponder the wilderness from riverbank, mountaintop, or as you relax beside your campfire.

Inside you'll find:

• 60 inspiring John Muir quotes


• Selections of text from other philosophical minds


• Short excerpts for convenient reading

Muir's exuberance for nature was the touchstone for his commitment to the earth and all of its creatures. Let him lead you along the ultimate adventure that treks every range of light. Then venture off on your own deertrails of the heart, harkening to his granite gospel that calls for you to get as near to the heart of the world as you can.

Easily Identify the Living Things You Find in the Intertidal Zone of the Pacific Coast

Enjoy learning to identify organisms of the rocky reefs and tide pools of the Pacific coast--from Alaska to Baja, California--with this guide from authors Ron Russo and Pam Olhausen. With this handy, easy-to-use book, you'll be able to identify a wide variety of intertidal life in no time. And its small size makes it just right for fitting into your pocket or pack when you go for a walk along the coast.

Features:

• Illustrations with line drawings
• Information to help readers identify various life forms of the intertidal zone along the Pacific coastline
• In-depth discussion about this specific, unique environment and its creatures

Hike, backpack, bring the kids--there's a trail for you in Shenandoah.

With its roaring waterfalls, secluded canyons, diverse plant and animal life, and rich cultural history, Virginia's Shenandoah National Park offers boundless outdoor adventures. Now in its second edition, Top Trails: Shenandoah National Park describes the classic destinations and lesser-known jewels in 50 must-do hikes.

This updated guide by acclaimed outdoors writer Johnny Molloy offers new hikes, such as the Bearfence Mountain Rock Scramble and the remote Trayfoot Mountain Loop, that explore the heart of the park. Each trail entry includes expert commentary, easy-to-follow maps, and GPS waypoints, as well as trailhead directions, trail-feature charts, and don't get lost milestones. So you will always know where you're going and what to expect.

Hundreds of miles of trails run like veins through Shenandoah National Park. Save the time and frustration of finding the perfect hikes to suit you. Whether you're looking for a scenic stroll to stretch your legs, a full-day adventure, or a rewarding backpacking trip into the back of beyond, Top Trails: Shenandoah National Park puts the backcountry majesty of Shenandoah at your fingertips.

Get the book that covers what you need to know about foot care, including footwear, prevention, and treatment.

Hiking, backpacking, running, walking, and other athletic endeavors, your feet take a beating with every step. Don't wait until foot pain inhibits your speed, strength, and style. Learn the basics--along with the finer points--of foot care before pain becomes a problem. Foot expert and ultrarunner John Vonhof and physical therapist Tonya Olson share how the interplay of anatomy, biomechanics, and footwear can lead to happy (or hurting!) feet. Fixing Your Feet covers all that you need to know to care for your feet, right now and hundreds of miles down the road!

Inside You'll Find

• Tried-and-true methods of foot care from numerous experts
• Tips and anecdotes about recovery and training
• Information about hundreds of foot-care products for nearly every foot ailment
• High-interest topics such as Barefoot & Minimalist Footwear, Blister Prevention, and Providing Foot Care for Athletes
• Discussions of individual foot care and team care

From heels to toes, products to pathology, resources to rehabilitation, this book has it all. An essential guide.
--Runner's World

The biggest, most comprehensive, reference guide to the waves on Planet Surf

The World Stormrider Surf Guide explores every dynamic surf zone known to man, from world-famous beaches to obscure reefs on the fringes of the known surf world. With completely revised and updated text, as well as painstakingly researched maps, this mammoth book is the largest collection of surf-spot information ever compiled. Each zone includes detailed analysis of the surf spots and swell forecasting, plus the lowdown on when to go, weather, accommodations, food, culture, hazards, the local scene and much more. A unique set of symbols and statistics make vital surf information instantly accessible. As an added bonus, The World Stormrider Surf Guide includes a global gallery of professional surf photographs. With over 260 detailed maps and 600 superb photos, this mammoth book is an essential tool and the ultimate surf travel resource for all globe-trotting waveriders.

Whatever you're looking for, there's a trail for you at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

The southern High Sierra, including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the surrounding John Muir, Jennie Lakes, and Monarch Wildernesses, is one of the most magnificent natural areas in the world. Blessed with the largest trees on Earth (giant sequoias), one of the deepest canyons in North America (Kings Canyon), and the highest mountain in the continental U.S. (Mt. Whitney), the greater Sequoia-Kings Canyon region offers unparalleled mountain majesty. Along with such superlatives, hundreds of miles of trails provide access to a boundless number of high mountain lakes, wildflower-covered meadows, cascading streams, deep forests, and craggy peaks. Mike White's Top Trails: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks guide presents the best curated selection of trips suitable for varied skill levels at this portion of John Muir's Range of Light.

Learn the Essentials of Creating Beautiful, Fire-Resistant Properties

With wildfires getting more frequent and ferocious, approximately 120 million US citizens live with the threat of being overrun. Are you one of them? If so, Firescaping helps you create a safer environment. This unique form of landscaping design keeps your property healthy, clean, and clear. Land management expert Douglas Kent shares decades of experience working in many of the nation's most flammable areas.

Get the information needed to determine your property's degree of fire risk. Learn effective design strategies for your home and landscape, as well as key characteristics that make your property more accessible to firefighters. With checklists, simple instructions, and tips that truly work, this practical, hands-on guide is a valuable resource for homeowners, business owners, landscape professionals, and fire protection agencies. If you live in an area at risk, this book can help to prepare you and give you peace of mind.

This guide presents the most interesting and accessible portions of the Arizona National Scenic Trail in 30 carefully crafted routes.

Get to Know the Vibrant and Historic Neighborhoods of Cincinnati, Ohio

Grab your walking shoes, and become an urban adventurer. Danny Korman and Katie Meyer guide you through 35 unique walking tours in this comprehensive guidebook. From historic railroad suburbs to quaint river towns, go beyond the obvious with tours that showcase hidden streets, architectural masterpieces, and diverse cultures.

Enjoy the fountains, gardens, and sounds of sports at Smale Riverfront Park. Cross from Ohio to Kentucky and back again along the wondrous Purple People Bridge. Experience colorful neighborhoods such as Over-the-Rhine and Mount Adams. Each self-guided tour includes full-color photographs, a detailed map, and need-to-know details like distance, difficulty, and more. Route summaries make each walk easy to follow, and a Points of Interest section lists the highlights of every tour. The walks' commentaries include such topics as neighborhood history, local culture, and architecture, plus tips on where to dine, have a drink, and shop.

The 35 self-guided tours lead you through one of the country's best walking cities. So whether you're looking for a short stroll or a full day of entertainment, you'll get it by Walking Cincinnat.

Discover the Best Hikes in Southern California's Showpiece City

Beaches, urban settings, nature preserves, and mountain peaks beckon locals and visitors alike. Join longtime residents Don Endicott and the late Jerry Schad in one of America's most stunning metro environments. Enjoy sidewalk strolls in historic neighborhoods. Hike to wildflowers, waterfalls, and panoramic vistas that are sure to keep your camera clicking. Whether you have an hour or all day, 50 Best Short Hikes: San Diego serves up diverse routes within 30 miles of San Diego's central core.

Experience 50 easy-to-find, easy-to-follow trails, from 1 to 8 miles in length. Explore beautiful locales like Del Mar Crest and Beach, Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, Rice Canyon, La Jolla's Coastline, and Hollenbeck Preserve. The book's at-a-glance hike descriptions and complete route details ensure that you know what to expect before you begin. Plus, you'll know where you are and where to go with overview maps for 5 urban regions, 50 trail maps, and even GPS coordinates for each trailhead.

This fifth edition of San Diego County's classic hiking guidebook features 282 trips, ranging from short, self-guided nature trails to challenging peak climbs and canyon treks. In Afoot & Afield San Diego County, coauthor Scott Turner has fully updated this edition, which includes new maps and more than 30 new hikes. The book encompasses almost all public--and a few private--lands within San Diego County, including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cleveland National Forest, the Cuyamaca Mountains, and numerous county and city parks.

For every trip you'll find:

• At-a-glance essential information, including distance, hiking time, and elevation gain/loss
• Notes on which trails are suitable for children, mountain bikes, dogs, equestrians, and backpacking
• Accurate and precise driving and hiking directions

Easily Identify the Trees You Find in the Rocky Mountains

Enjoy learning to identify trees with this guide from authors Tom Watts and Bridget Watts. With this handy, easy-to-use book, you'll be able to identify a wide variety of trees in no time. And its small size makes it just right for fitting into your pocket or pack when you go for a hike.

Features:

• Learn to identify native trees by their leaves and needles in the Rocky Mountain region.
• Like other pocket guides from Nature Study Guild Publishers' Finder series, this book is organized as a dichotomous key. The key leads you step-by-step through a series of simple questions to arrive at the name of the tree.
• The area covered extends across the mountain West, from the Canadian Rockies on the north to the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona on the south, and across the Rockies and Great Basin, from the Black Hills on the east, to the eastern slopes of the Cascades on the west.
• New in the second edition: Scientific names have been updated; range maps have been extended to include the Canadian Rockies; and metric measurements have been added.

The authors hiked more than 2,300 miles through Zion, Bryce, Escalante-Grand Staircase, Glen Canyon, Grand Gulch, Cedar Mesa, Canyonlands, Moab, Arches, Capitol Reef, and the San Rafael Swell. Then they winnowed all that exploration down to their favorite hikes: each selected for its power to intrigue, to stir, to dazzle, to mystify, to inspire, to thrill, and to incite awe.

Their 448-page book describes precisely where to find the red rock cliffs, slick rock domes, soaring arches, and ancient ruins that make southern Utah unique in the world. It offers the boot-tested advice you need to create rewarding adventures. And it does so in refreshing style: unstintingly honest, entertainingly written, lavished with gorgeous photography, creatively designed.

WOW Utah is full-color throughout, includes an easy-to-grok trail map for each day hike and backpack trip, and liberally dispenses the Copelands' discerning counsel on how to make the most of every precious weekend or vacation. Their approach--separately presenting Opinion and Fact for each hike--is unconventional and extremely helpful. Their thoughtful, compelling descriptions interpret Utah canyon country in ways that are clever, poetic, penetrating, spiritual, startling, and sometimes just plain funny. So Hiking from Here to WOW: Utah Canyon Country provides hours of rapt reading even when you're not choosing a hike.

This guide is is ideal for intermediate to advanced hikers keen to be on the trail for four to six hours a day.