Author Description

Dream Hikes Coast to Coast has been years in the making. Jack Bennett, in his extensive travels throughout America, has always wondered which hikes were the very best our country had to offer. So in April of 2000, he began his quest to identify and hike the finest hikes in America. He sent out hundreds of surveys, conducted on-line forums, and carefully compiled the results. He then traveled the breadth of America to hike and qualify the hikes that had been proposed. Sometimes the hikes met expectations, and sometimes they did not.After seven years and thousands of miles of travel, Bennett narrowed the list to 30. What qualifies a hike to be one of America's "best"? Each hike in this book follows a maintained, or at least well-established trail, each is non-technical, and although some are long, each can be achieved in a single day. But much more than this, each hike is significant in its beauty or its impact. In a word, each hike is in some way memorable.The author shares with the reader the intimate details of each hike, not just routine directions and statistics, but how the hike looked and felt; what weather and animals were encountered; the emotional impact of every event and panorama.Each hike is accompanied by an original color map that shows the trailhead, route, significant features, and topographic landmarks. Key points along the way are located. Weather, native wildlife, camping, lodging, fees, and contact information are presented for each hike. The book also includes valuable advice and information about hike preparation and safety, how to plan for weather extremes, animal encounters, accidents, stream crossings, fatigue and other factors.