120 Great Hikes in and near Palm Springs by Philip Ferranti with Hank Koenig, paperback, 248 pages, Westcliffe Publishers (2003), ISBN: 1565794907
This great collection of hikes became quickly the number one regional bestseller. Published originally with the title of "75 Great Hikes in and near Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley", author Philip Ferranti has initially added 31 new hikes to his book, then 20 new and exciting excursions for hikers of all age and skill levels, creating this newly revised edition. With 58 user-friendly maps, 118 black and white photos, trail descriptions, difficulty ratings, seasonal advice, safety tips, and more, the author guides you through such alluring Southern California locales as Joshua Tree National Park, the Pacific Crest Trail, the San Jacinto Mountains, and the Mecca Hills. Hikers in Southern California know that there is more to Palm Springs and Palm Desert than world-class golfing. The mountain wilderness surrounding this desert resort town offers extensive trail systems where outdoor enthusiasts enjoy some of the best winter and spring hikes in the nation. For more than 20 years, Philip Ferranti has hiked the western United States. In 1992, he founded the Coachella Valley Hiking Club in Palm Springs, which became one of the fastest-growing hiking clubs in the country. Philip has written for "Backpacker magazine" and various newspapers, and is the author of "Hiking! The Ultimate Prescription for Health and Wellness" and "Colorado State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide". He also leads seminars on stress management and hiking for health and wellness. Cartographer Hank Koenig has hiked extensively in New England and the Northwest as well as in Southern California. He is a founding member and hike leader for the Coachella Valley Hiking Club. After a 30-year career as an electronics engineer for a major defense contractor, where he learned the theory and practice of GPS, Hank retired and turned his attention to his two favorite pursuits, hiking and electronics. He develops data for the construction of maps and trail inventories for the Willamette National Forest and also trains staff from the national forests and the Bureau of Land Management in the Northwest in the practical use of GPS.
