I own piles of trail guides.  I have at least a dozen or so just on San Diego County alone.  I then have another pile for destinations all around the west.  To a varied degree all of these book provide valuable information about the trails of a region.

In San Diego County, there is one trail guide that stands above the rest as a definitive guide in and around San Diego County.  Afoot and Afield San Diego County by Jerry Schaad has been a constant companion to me since I picked up its 2nd edition in the early 90’s.  I just received the 4th edition as a holiday gift, and I am happy to report it still maintains its high standards as a trail guide.  Mr. Schaad provides a clear concise descriptions and directions to trails from the beach to the desert and beyond.  Without this book, I would not have found as many great places to hike in San Diego,  and it has proved itself as an essential resource for the writing of the10 Days of Hiking 2009”. In fact you can find alternative descriptions, and more detailed directions of all the hikes in the book.

In a nutshell, I want to acknowledge this book’s huge contribution to the 10 Day of Hiking 2009.