- All State Parks in Big Sur Area Closed Due to Highway 1 Road Slip Out - 04/01/2024
- Giveaway Alert - 03/20/2024
- Climbing Bolt Prohibition in National Parks - 03/19/2024
Matt Johanson’s book โSierra Summits: A Guide to 50 Peak Experiences in Californiaโs Range of Lightโ has won a National Outdoors Book Award.
โSierraย Summitsโ suggests summit hikes throughout the Sierra Nevada which active people can complete in a single day without technical gear.The National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA) is the outdoor world’s largest and most prestigious book award program which recognizesย and encourages outstanding writing and publishing. โSierra Summitsโ won the competitionโs adventure guidebook division.
โIโm honored to be recognized and grateful that readers enjoy my work. I loved writing the book and hope it helps people discoverย new experiences in the mountains,โ Johanson said.
Johanson actively worked on the book for about two years, though decades of experiences inspired him to write it.ย A Bay Area native, Johanson moved to the Yosemite area in 1994 and discovered the appeal of hiking, climbing and skiing in theย Sierra Nevada. He continued those pursuits after returning to the Bay Area and eventually began writing about them.
In fact, ASJ published his first outdoors article, which was a trip report about a trans-Sierra ski trek in 2002.ย โSierra Summitsโ shares some of the authorโs personal experiences and family history, though it mostly focuses on the appeal ofย 50 mountain summits from the areas of Lake Tahoe, the Mother Lode, Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks and the Eastern Sierra. The book profiles popular peaks like Half Dome and Mount Whitney, as well as lesser-known gems like Clouds Rest, Sonoraย Peak and Round Top.
Each region gets an introduction with an interesting historical synopsis and travelersโ tips. More than 200 color photos (Johansonโsย own) and maps bring the subject to life.
The judges appreciated the bookโs focus on mountains achievable by beginning climbers. Johanson plans to continue that approachย in the bookโs sequel in progress, โCalifornia Summits,โ which he hopes to complete next year.ย โIโm fortunate and grateful that I get to do what I love, enjoying the outdoors and sharing them through my writing and photography,โย he said.
Read some of ย Johanson’s ASJ stories here.