Hiking on the Edge: Dreams, Schemes, and 1600 Miles on the California Coastal Trail

by John McKinney

Until John McKinney agreed to take his epic hike, no one had ever walked along the edge of the state to determine if a California Coastal Trail was even possible. Were the beaches passable at low tide? Could the bluffs be traveled without arrest for trespass? Could a trail be found through the rugged coastal mountains? The intrepid trailblazer found the answers to these questions - and to more profound ones that never occurred to him until he was on his challenging journey of discovery. The natural beauty of the landscapes and seascapes exceeded his high expectations, but what he didn't expect was hiking headlong into so many controversies on the edge of nature boutiqued, coastal access denied, bureaucracies run amok. Near and dear to his heart are the unforgettable people he met along the way, including the founding father of whale-watching, backcountry rangers, nuns praying for mercy for the redwoods and for us all. A saga, a celebration, a comedy, and a lament, this narrative ranks with the classics of California travel literature. "In spectacular prose both gentle and awe-inspiring, John McKinney tells the grand tale of the California coast like no one before him has done, leaving us on the edge of our seat throughout this entire collection. The stories themselves all end up serving as the first-ever map of the trail, and yet they become something far greater than the sum of the many destinations he describes, however rare and pristine and raw they may Hiking on the Edge is written by a true artist, written while wandering along the true edge of existence, exceeding all expectations and preconceived ideas, including his own, while looking into the great unknown." -Thomas Rigler, Executive Producer, City Walk and California Coastal Trail (PBS) "Powerful, edgy and often very funny, John McKinney memorably recounts his magnificent hike on the edge of the Golden State. Along the way, he shares the coast's natural wonders, skewers corporations, developers and Coastal Act violators who don't share his sense of stewardship, and reminds us of the need for constant vigilance to protect this extraordinary meeting of land and sea." -Susan Jordan, California Coastal Protection Network

328 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2016

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The further I got into the book, the more I enjoyed it. I was expecting a guidebook, so it took me a while to appreciate that the author was going to tell stories of the areas and people he encountered along the way and not necessarily discuss each day of his hike. I wish he'd added maps of his path before each section as that would have been helpful. At first, I was put off by his occasional trespassing, but I gained respect for his journey the further he went. He really cares about the coast and preserving access to the path for everyone. The book was published in 2016 and it was confusing when he was writing about things that had changed earlier than 2016. However, at the end of the book, based on the updates he mentions, it becomes clear that these recollections were written much earlier.

[David Haake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, felt like I was on the California Coast Trail with the author for the entire journey!!