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60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder
by Kim Lipker
Menasha Ridge Press
ISBN 978-0-89732-885-2
Published June 2010 - Softcover - 244 pages - $17.95

Not that I'm a great hiker or even a hiker for that matter, but I chose to review this book to see what's out there in my backyard, so to speak.  I prefer the comfort of a nature trail walk rather than an extensive hike in the wilderness.  Hiker and author Kim Lipker's challenge was to come up with 60 hikes, "from the urban paths of Washington Park to the glaciers of Indian Peaks Wilderness to the prairies of Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge."  She says the are more than 100 hikes in Boulder County alone!  She reports on hikes 1-3 miles long, 3-6 miles long, 6-9 miles, longer than 9 miles, hikes for kids, hikes for hard-core hikers, trails good for dogs, mostly flat hikes (more my kind of "hike"), hikes with steep sections, hikes along water, good winter hikes, geological hikes, hikes that her 93-year-old grandpa would have enjoyed (that's more like it!) among others.  Her hikes are in and around Denver and Boulder and include Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and the Rocky Mountain National Park.  Lipker offers different comfort levels and also urban hikes, and talks a little about the terrain of Colorado in general.  Using this book is easy, and all the pertinent information is supplied to make the most of your hike, like elevation, trail maps, regional maps, trail descriptions, length, hiking time, GPS trailhead coordinates, weather (very important), altitude sickness (also very important), and water (extremely important).  Each hike has a map, directions, nearby attractions, and where necessary and available, websites.  I liked the height scales as an indication of the elevation of your climb.  Black-and-white photos for almost every hike.
Read Kim's blog at www.trekalong.com/lipker.
Conclusion - Very enthusiastic and a wonderful introduction to hiking for the novice, yet very appealing hikes for the more experienced and adventurous hiker.