* Guidebook to 50 wildflower species and the trails by which you can find them in Washington * Hikes include charts listing trails by featured flowers, peak viewing times, and more Best Wildflower Hikes Washington offers 50 hikes from Washington's ocean beaches to its high alpine terrain and the lowlands in between. Wildflowers reveal their glory only once a year, and this guidebook will tell you where and when you're most likely to find them. Included wildflowers range from the ephemeral (thus rarely seen) Lewisa Tweedyi to common trilliums. You'll enjoy hikes through meadow flowers (from Sitka Valerian to Columbine), flowers of the forest (from Pink Pyrola to Wild Ginger), and plants and flowers you'll see on beach trails. The guidebook includes sidebars on flower habitat and color maps and photos illustrate each hike. A separate section presents in-depth profiles of 50 flowers, including common and Latin botanical names, distinguishing features, where they are commonly found, conditions in which they thrive, accompanying vegetation, their growth and propagation habits, and historical uses (culinary, medicinal, etc.). This book has some of the best outdoors color photography published-not only are the floral depictions stunningly beautiful but the rugged beauty of the mountain backdrops is vividly portrayed. The book is well-organized, easy to read, and pleasing to the eye. Photographer Ira Spring provides 151 magnificent images that are complemented by fun hike narratives…Even if you never make it to all 50 hikes, this book will be a welcome addition to any hiking library. ( Sequim Gazette ) If you like your hikes tinged with the reds, yellows, and blues of Washington's abundant native wildflowers, or simply want to know what all those pretty blossoms are along the trail, you can't go wrong with Best Wildflower Hikes: Washington. ( Seattle Post-Intelligencer ) Graced with photos by the late Ira Spring, this particular book beckons readers to head outdoors and take a look-not just at the panoramic views, but up-close, at the dazzling details…This book is a fine reminder that it is not only the destination that matters-sometimes it is just as important to pay attention to the delights along the way! ( Bookmonger.net ) In terms of interesting reading, it's no contest-- Best Wildflower Hikes: Washington is a clear winner, with an authors' pedigree that can't be matched. On this subject, Kruckerberg and Ira Spring are royalty. ( Yakima Herald-Republic ) This book is a real gem…Now you can hike a trail you've done many times before with a new perspective: paying attention to the plants of the area. The book is good for people who just want to see more color when they hike, and for people who want to know more about the habitat they're walking through. ( Washington Trails ) This book will transform hikers into naturalists …Art [Kruckeberg's] comments in flowery prose enrich each hiking experience. ( Outdoors West ) Photographer and writer IRA SPRING'S crisp, breathtaking images of the Northwest wilderness have been inspiring outdoor enthusiasts for several decades. His creative stamp can be found in more than forty books on the outdoors, including Mountaineers Books' titles such as, An Ice Ax, A Camera, And A Jar of Peanut Butter. Ira Spring was also one of the original contributers to the 100 Classic Hikes series. One of the Northwest's most active trail lobbyists, Spring was given the 1992 Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Award for his volunteer efforts toward trail preservation and funding. Craig Romano is an avid hiker, runner, kayacker, and cyclist. He is the author of Best Hikes with Dogs Inland Northwest , Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington's Last Frontier , as well as Backpacking Washington, Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge, Day Hiking Olympia Peninsula, Day Hiking: North Cascades, Day Hiking Central Cascades , and Winter Hikes of Western Washington Deck . Craig lives in Mount Vernon, Washington. KAREN SYKES was an avid hiker and scrambler who spent close to fifty-two weekends a year exploring the mountains of Washington in a quest for off-the-beaten-track experiences. She also wrote a weekly hiking column for the "Getaway" section of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer . Karen passed away in 2014. Used Book in Good Condition