NATURAL RESOURCES BOOK REVIEW.``The Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (also known as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail) is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail that runs from the United States border with Mexico to its border with Canada and follows the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and : A Hiker's Companion'' By Karen Berger and Daniel R. Smith (The Countryman Press, 2000), $18.95 Most hiking guides tell you where to start, where to end, when to turn left or right and what the elevation gains are. The authors of this guide wanted to give readers more, and they do so in spectacular fashion. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail: see National Parks and Monuments (table). runs 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, including through Southern California's own San Gabriel Mountains San Gabriel Mountains, S Calif., E and NE of Los Angeles, running c.50 mi (80 km) westward from Cajon Pass. San Antonio Peak (10,080 ft/3,072 m) is the highest of the range. Citrus fruits are raised on the southern foothills. and the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley , and is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in the country. It includes Yosemite, Crater Lake Crater Lake Lake, Cascade Range, southwestern Oregon, U.S. The lake is in a huge volcanic caldera 6 mi (10 km) in diameter and 1,932 ft (589 m) deep. It is the remnant of a mountain destroyed in an eruption more than 6,000 years ago. and Mount Rainier, and sections of it are easily accessible from the West Coast's major cities. There are guides that tell you which way to go, but what this book does is act as an interpretative guide that allows you to understand what you see, from animals and plants to local history to environmental issues. It is well-organized, well-illustrated, well-written and excellent for short day-hikers, weekend enthusiasts or that rare breed determined to conquer the entire five-month journey from beginning to end. In short, unlike the usual bland text of an everyday hiking guide, this book is an interesting and exciting read on its own. - Michael A. Anastasi ON THE WEB A Web site for saltwater fishermen, experienced and beginners, is www.seaangler.com. There are feature stories about virtually every kind of exotic ocean fish out there. Take the South African kingfish kingfish, common name for several fishes, among them the croaker and pompano. kingfish Any of various fishes, among them certain species of mackerel and a drum. , which resembles a halibut halibut: see flatfish. halibut Any of various flatfishes, especially the Atlantic and Pacific halibuts (genus Hippoglossus, family Pleuronectidae), both of which have eyes and colour on the right side. and can reach 120 pounds. These are exciting fish to catch if South Africa is in your vacation plans. ``I have witnessed a group of 60-pound fish slam into a shoal of baitfish bait·fish n. Chiefly Chesapeake Bay & North Atlantic Coast A small fish, such as a minnow, used for fishing bait. with such ferocity that some of the baitfish jumped onto the rocks to escape the attack!'' writes the article's author. ``There are also reports of anglers having to move away from a certain spot because they had been stripped on every cast, the fish were simply too big to catch!'' --Dive away: There are the remnants of sunken Spanish galleons off the coast of California. ``I know you're thinking `keep dreaming,' '' says the California Scuba and Wreck Forum Web site (http://gregp.hypermart.net). But several such wrecks have been historically documented. There are links on this site to scuba diving sites throughout California and information on wrecks and dive sites. CAPTION(S): box Box: TUNE IN |
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