Regular readers know I’m a bit of an outdoor guidebook junkie so I was stoked to get my hands on a copy of The Creaky Knees Guide: 100 Best Easy Hikes in Washington by Seabury Blair Jr. Although I haven’t hiked in Washington (yet), from what I can tell this book is a valuable resource for anyone who is looking for fun, scenic, and low-impact hikes in the state.

First of all, don’t let the name fool you: these hikes aren’t just for your grandparents. In fact many of the hikes in this book are entirely appropriate for families with young children and even four legged companions (dogs, though I suppose you could bring your cat along on a hike ). At the front of the book you’ll find a quick guide to the 100 trails with check marks next to hikes that are recommended for families and/or pets. Nice!

Some hiking guides I’ve used include very basic, almost cartoonish trail maps but the Creaky Knees Guide is different: it shows trails overlaid on topographic maps. The maps also include elevation profiles for those who aren’t well versed in reading topo lines, though in some cases you may need to get out the magnifying glass to see the details.

Each hike in the book includes the length, total elevation gain, estimated time to complete, an “effort index” to describe difficulty, and a recommendation for the best season to hit the trail. Of course you’ll also get a description of the hike along with directions to the trailhead. Trail descriptions are grouped by location and each book section features a photo from a trail in that group to give you a feeling for what the scenery is like.

Seabury Blair, the author of the book, has been described as “the Willie Nelson of the outdoors set” and has written several other hiking guide books covering the Pacific Northwest. Judging by the picture on the cover I see the resemblance to Mr. Nelson but I can’t help but wonder if that’s where the similarities end…

If you’re a beginning hiker or even an experienced hiker looking for the best easy trails to take your kids or pets hiking, pick up the Creaky Knees Guide to Washington. A quick read will make you want to get “On the Road Again” to hit the trails!

Related posts:

1. 100 Favorite Hikes in Texas
2. Teen Hiker Rescued on Mt. Washington
3. Restricted hikes
4. Great Hikes Outside Payson, AZ
5. Top 10 Hikes Outside Asheville, NC

Tags: book, guide book, washington

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 12:26 pm and is filed under hiking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.