The High Sierra: A Love Story

Kim Stanley Robinson first ventured into the Sierra Nevada mountains during the summer of 1973. He returned from that encounter a changed man, awed by a landscape that made him feel as if he were simultaneously strolling through an art museum and scrambling on a jungle gym like an energized child. He has gone back to the mountains again and again over the course of his life--more than a hundred trips--and has gathered a vast store of knowledge about this extraordinary range in the process. The High Sierra is his celebration of this exceptional place, a treat for those who know it and a guide for those who don't--an exploration of what makes this span of mountains one of the most compelling places on Earth.

Robinson tells the story of the Sierras through many aspects. He describes the geological forces that shaped it, and the history of its exploration, going back to the indigenous peoples who made it home and whose traces can still be found today. He celebrates the people whose ideas and actions protected the High Sierra for future generations. He describes uniquely beautiful hikes and the trails to be avoided. Robinson weaves his own experiences through the book, including life-altering events, defining relationships, and unforgettable adventures. He speaks again and again to timeless questions about the human communion with the wild and with the sublime--deftly illustrating the personal growth that only seems to come from time spent outdoors.

The High Sierra is a gorgeous, absorbing immersion in a place, born out of a desire to understand and share one of the greatest rapture-inducing experiences our planet can offer. Packed with maps, gear advice, breathtaking photos, and much more, it is an astounding guide that will tempt veteran hikers and casual walkers alike to lace up their boots for their next adventure.