Official Review: Hikes in High Places by Bill Rozday

ananya92 · Post by **ananya92** » 25 Mar 2015, 12:20

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hikes in High Places" by Bill Rozday.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Hikes in High Places: Transforming Hikes Atlantic/Pacific by Bill Rozday is hiking guidebook, exploring the hikes throughout the United States and British Columbia. It combines guidance for hiking with literary substance throughout the guide, covering varying landmasses like mountains, forests, deserts, etc.

The book is divided into twenty chapters covering varied geological formations like foothills, sea hills, mountain passes, coastal mountains, sand dunes, plateaus, etc. These geological formations covered in the book, are spread across British Columbia and the United States, ranging from North Carolina to California, and from Wyoming to New Jersey. The chapters begin with the title containing the description of the geographical formation along with its location and the Native American nation residing in that region. For example, one of the chapters is titled as Dune, Ocracoke Island, North Carolina (Woccocon Nation). The title of the chapter is followed by specific coordinates of that particular region and the best possible directions to reach there. In the main body of the chapters the author has discussed a variety of facts like the description of the trail, the description of the trees growing in that region or something as out-of-the box as hunting the area for gemstones. There are often black-and-white pictures accompanying the chapters, aiding the author’s description of that trail. The chapters end with the some piece of advice from the author like carrying raincoats on the hike or combining the walk with a day at the beach.

The author’s choice of words for describing the hikes is extremely imaginative and image created by the author is quite picturesque. The literary substance of this guidebook is quite well drafted. The author has, in some instances, explained the history of the region or in some instances written about the photography possible in that region. The author’s choice of words in the book breathes life into surroundings he has described. The reader would feel that nature is the main character portrayed in this book and in some kind of conspiracy with the hiker. The author has focused on enjoying the pleasures of the trail and this fact makes the book quite enjoyable, since the book is not about conquering any heights or ticking off the amazing hikes in one’s bucket list.

The book encourages the reader to undertake the hikes mentioned so that the reader can also experience the pure joys that nature provides, like the author did. The writing style adopted by the author in the book is quite emotive and yet the author has provided practical advice wherever required.

I rate the book 4 out of 4, since apart from being a helpful hiking guide, it also provides for an enlightening reading experience.

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Hikes in High Places
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