I have been backpacking on a regular basis for 3 years now. As this has become a more consistent part of my life, I have had the opportunity to organize several short trips into the backcountry, in some cases permanently infecting some friends with the joy of backpacking. I also take numerous day hikes, sometimes by myself and sometimes with groups of people of highly varied levels of physical ability and experience. I usually try to eat well and I often take a camera and photography equipment. I hike in all four seasons, and while I try not load myself down with cooking and photography equipment, I generally range between 20 and 35 pounds (9 to 16 kilograms) depending on the season, who I am with and the purpose of the trip.

Product Description

Author: Tom Thwaites
Publisher: Backcountry Guides, Woodstock, VT
ISBN: 0-88150-473-4
213 pages with index, Paperback
Website: Countryman Press
Copyright: 2000

Testing Conditions

I've gone to four of the locations that were described in the book, one of them twice. Trips were done in winter, spring and summer. I have gone alone as well as in groups ranging from 4 to 14 with people of a wide range of backgrounds. The weather on these trips has ranged from (1) ice storm (2) light snow (3) sunny changing to thunderstorm chaining to sunny (4) clear (!). Temperatures ranged from well below freezing to 80 F (25 C).

Product Review

I got this book because I was moving to Southwest Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh) and I wanted an introduction to what the region had to provide in the outdoors. While you can find out about the more big adventure type destinations (like national parks/forests and major trails) from various sites on the internet, what I wanted was something with the variety that can cover large trips but also destinations good for quick weekends or day hikes that were near Pittsburgh. I wanted to identify places that I could go by myself, with others who were hikers, or with people who really were not outdoors types but would be willing to take the chance and come along.

Description

The front of the book is a listing of the hikes with the region identified. Next is the length of the trail described, the presence of wildflowers, waterfalls and scenic views, and a brief note. Except as a substitute for a brief table of contents, I found this table to be almost useless. The distance is for the route that is described in the guide, however from the places I've been, there are options that are of various lengths. There is also a rough map of Western Pennsylvania with approximate locations of each of the routes noted.

For each of the featured hikes, there is a route summary that gives the total distance (in Imperial and metric units), an estimated time (using a pace of slightly more than 2 miles/hour [3 km/hour]), the size of the elevation range covered, some highlights (e.g. scenic views, wildflowers, major named trails in the vicinity), and a USGS map name and the name of some trail maps that are available for the trail (e.g. state forest maps or a trail association map).

The text begins with a history of the location. Some geological information is given as well as the history of the area (state park, wilderness area, etc.). Next are some directions to the trail head. There is a description of facilities (if any) that are at the trail head and then detailed directions to follow. A topographical map of the trail is also included.

Review

For anything, before going too far in a review, one has to decide what is the purpose of the object being reviewed. I have three; (1) find places I would like to hike in (2) find places I can bring other people to hike in (3) once I get to one of these places, have some idea on something to do once I get there. In this respect the book functions rather well. The locations listed have routes that are good for 1 or 2 hour hikes or a weekend out on the trail. There are a large variety of trails. Short loops and short out and backs are present as are long routes that require shuttles or cars on both ends (or a multi day trip out and back). The driving directions are very detailed, and often there are details that are not on street maps but were very valuable in finding the trailhead.

The sections that describe the trail are also very detailed and complete. However while I would read the description, in practice once I actually arrived on site I did not refer to nor recall the information there. What the description is good for is developing a feel for the location. However, I appreciated having a topo of the area, which is not something that I always found in the map that the park provides. In most cases I obtained a map from local sources such as the local Department of Natural Resources which provided a much more extensive trail network for me to choose from. Sometimes 50 Hikes alludes to the other trails, sometimes not. But 50 Hikes is useful to get a feel for the location, and I have never arrived at a location and found something completely unexpected.

Conclusions

50 Hikes in Western Pennsylvania provides a good overview of many trails in the Western Pennsylvania region. As a recent transplant, I have referred to it on many occasions, reading its descriptions, imagining what it would be like to go these places, and actually going to them. While I always go outside of what 50 Hikes describes, I have found it to be a very helpful introduction to hiking in the region and a good way to get acquainted with my new home.

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