ABOUT THE RATINGS

Hikes are evaluated subjectively, based upon actual experiences.  Criteria include scenery, climatic conditions, status of wildflowers and stream flow, companionship, and relative success of cross-country ventures.  Barring an injury, virtually every hike is worthwhile; any non-zero rating indicates that some enjoyment was had.  Call it a "fun factor".

• 0       I hope never to award one of these
• 1-2   Barely worth doing
• 3-4   Just so-so, but possibly due to relative shortness of the hike
• 5       An average outing, indicating a good day
• 6-7   Highly recommended
• 8-9   About as good as they get
• 10     An uncommon experience

Be aware that hikes are rated "on the curve" as it were, so do not be put off by what might seem to be a lower ranking.  Any 5-rated hike, for example, features beautiful scenery and merits a visit; it just happens to score lower than a lot of other walks, because I try to visit the best of the best along with all the others.

Be also aware that I am partial to running water and alpine environments, so outings with those features do earn higher ratings.  Conversely, deer hunters, mosquitoes, bad weather, and particularly rough trails cause downgrades.  Unless otherwise specified, all trails are in California, mostly in the Sierra Nevada.

REPEAT VISITS

Repeat outings are included only when significant new material is available.  Any page that substantially duplicates a previous walk is flagged with the [ID#] of the most recent prior visit.

ELEVATION STATISTICS

When available, lake and mountain peak elevation designations reflect the latest data as published by the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88), a product of the National Geodetic Survey.  Modern adjustments can differ from the specs on older maps by as much as several dozens of feet.  U.S.G.S. Topo Map data still are used as necessary for unnamed high-points; otherwise, most elevation data can be obtained by your internet browser.

Note: NAVD88 itself has been officially updated as of 2022, because it is known to be skewed by as much as half a meter globally.  That fix, however, does not seem sufficiently important to merit adjustments to existing web pages.

VIEWING THE PAGES AND GRAPHICS

In order to ensure top-quality image presentation, no thumbnail graphics are used.  This means that pages will load somewhat more slowly than might otherwise be the case.  Please be patient; it's in a good cause.

Utilize your browser's full-screen feature (F11) for viewing.  Most images can be be enlarged to 1024×768 or greater pixel resolution, and saved as such if so desired.  Just Left-Click once or twice as necessary to expand a picture, or Right-Click to save it.  (It is unnecesary to enlarge before saving.)

Graphics labeled with a "⇔" have a greater resolution — up to 2000×.
"⇔⇔" indicates a different view 'behind' the first one.