Charles Kahn’s Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia (Harbour Publishing) was written with the goal of being an informative guide to hiking the many trails located in the Gulf Islands, and Kahn succeeded. The book is quite simple to use: it’s divided into chapters, each one covering a different island, providing information on how to get to the island, accommodation options, maps, photos, and more.
A good addition is the brief history of each island. Knowing the history of the place makes a big difference when someone is actually hiking the trails there, as it causes them to think about the history of each plant, tree, river, and rock during their walk.
In fact, the author’s close relationship with nature is clear throughout this book, especially when Kahn describes a location as a “magical place,” or talks about a “lovely open forest.” Kahn also provides highly specific descriptions to guide the reader. He explains in detail what the hiker will find on a specific trail if they turn left or right, which helps create a feeling of anticipation to go hike the trails. On that note, the book works as more than a guide: it convinces the reader to go hiking. Even people who don’t like the outdoors will feel compelled to try at least one of the walks detailed in the book.
The book is actually best thought of as a guide, not a book: all the extensive descriptions can make the reading very tiring, especially for those who aren’t avid hikers. One of the options offered by the author is to take a quick look at the concise information contained in the tables that are provided for each trail. Each table contains information such as the size of the trail, the time needed to complete it, the level of ease, the different ways to get to the place, and the precautions that must be taken. These tables make it easier for the reader to choose the walk that best fits them, and then read the additional information and descriptions.
It’s clear in Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia that Kahn is passionate about hiking, and he conveys this to the reader through this guide.