Maps are good. Trail guides are even better.

If the guide is done well, it's like having a professional guide in your pocket.

You can already buy trail guides for a bunch of cool local trails (Wapack, and Monadnock-Sunapee to name two). EMS usually stocks them, and I get the better local bookstores do too. Soon, we will be able to get a guide for the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsage-Greenway, courtesy of the organization that promotes that 75-mile greenway that perambulates Lake Sunapee.

Here's the official press release announcing the new guide:

NEW LONDON, N.H. –Hikers and nature lovers – not to mention bibliophiles – will be interested in the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Coalition’s improved Trail Guide, being published this March.

This charming field guide, the product of a year’s effort, will have much the same look and feel of the first edition, but has been reedited to make it more accurate and easier to use by hikers enjoying the outdoor group’s 75-mile “Emerald Necklace.”

Guidebook Committee chairman Frank Perrotta of Newbury noted the second edition has been “thoroughly reviewed for consistency of style and language.  We wanted to make sure Greenway trekkers can get from Point A to Point Z without the confusion that sometimes arises from reading trail descriptions and maps.”

Perrotta said the guide still reflects the well-organized nature of the Greenway.  “It’s a beautiful little publication, appealing to even those who don’t hike actively, but who are interested in the environmental diversity of our region.  The illustrations by Loa Winter are worth the price alone.”

The updated guide offers:

            −A redesigned cover with brighter, sharper imagery.

            −Redesigned maps; trail routes are now based on new GPS observations.

            −A new “About the Maps” page explaining the guide’s cartography.

            −Revised trail descriptions reflecting route changes and improvements.

            −Better identification of flora and fauna found along the Greenway trails.

            −Two companion essays discussing hiking and environmental awareness.

            −An easier-to-use membership application form.

The Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Coalition is a non-profit volunteer organization that promotes hiking and land conservation amid the rugged beauty of three major mountains. Its 75 miles of trails, incorporating 14 separate hikes through 10 towns, are open to all.  For information, visit the website at www.srkg.com, or write: Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Coalition, PO Box 1684, New London, NH 03257-1684.