Robert Stone (trail guide writer)

Robert Paul Stone

Stone on his Montana property in 2014
Born (1951-03-10) March 10, 1951
Los Angeles, California
Occupation Author, Photographer, Publisher
Years active 1991 - Present
Known for Day Hike Books Series
Website http://dayhikebooks.com/

Robert Paul Stone (born March 10, 1951) is the author, photographer, and publisher of the trail guide series Day Hike Books. Since 1991, Stone has hiked every trail in the Day Hike Book series, covering thousands of miles of trails throughout the western United States and Hawaii. He has self-published more than 30 hiking guides in the series, many of them in their third, fourth, fifth, or sixth editions. He is a bestselling and multiple award-winning author. Stone summers in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and winters on the California Central Coast.

Career

Stone was born in Los Angeles in 1951.[1] In 1981, he relocated to Red Lodge, Montana, where he started his own real estate business. In 1991, he began to write, publish, market, and distribute local trail guide booklets for Red Lodge and Yellowstone National Park. The pamphlets were so successful that in 1992, he struck a distribution deal for future books with ICS Books, a major publishing house.[2] Subsequently, Stone left the real estate industry and devoted himself full-time to researching, writing, and publishing substantial trail guides.[3] In 1997, ICS was bought out by Globe Pequot Press, who continued to distribute his books. Presently, he self-publishes and is distributed through National Book Network. Stone has written, revised, and published 31 guides for trails in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, California, and Hawaii, 20 of them currently in print and as eBooks. Stone frequently updates his books, seeking new trails and improvements of previous editions.[4]

Writing style

Stone writes for everyone, from the novice to the veteran hiker, with day hikes ranging from half a mile to 12 miles in length. Trail guides for each hike include an informational summary, detailed instructions of location and directions to the trailhead, a concise description of each hike, distance of the trail, approximate length in time of the hike, elevation gain, exposure, level of difficulty, whether dogs are allowed, reference to pertinent USGS maps, and specific interlinking maps. Each book contains a well-organized Table of Contents and a comprehensive Index.[5] Stone's writing style is simple and direct. His descriptions are clear and precise, so as not to confuse the reader. He aims to get hikers on the trail and keep them from getting lost.[6]

Recognition

Stone is a Los Angeles Times Best Selling Author.[7][8] Various professional outdoor writers groups have repeatedly honored him with organizational awards: He is an award winning author of the Bay Area Travel Writers (BATW),[9] an award winning author of the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association (NOWA),[10] an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA),[11] an award winning author of the Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC),[12] and an award winning author of the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers (RMOWP).[13]

Works

Awards

Year Book Organization Rank
2005 Day Hikes Around Yellowstone National Park RMOWP Second
2005 Day Hikes On The California Southern Coast RMOWP Second
2005 Day Hikes Around Orange County RMOWP Second
2006 Day Hikes In The Beartooth Mountains RMOWP Third
2006 Day Hikes Around San Luis Obispo OWAC Second
2006 Day Hikes Around Sedona OWAC Third
2006 Day Hikes In Hawaii: Kauai, Maui, & Oahu OWAC Third
2007 Day Hikes Around Bozeman, Montana NOWA First
2007 Day Hikes Around Bozeman, Montana RMOWP Fourth
2007 Day Hikes Around Sonoma County NOWA First
2007 Day Hikes Around Sonoma County OWAC Conference
2007 Day Hikes Around Sonoma County RMOWP Fourth
2007 Day Hikes In Hawaii: Kauai, Maui, & Oahu RMOWP Third
2008 Day Hikes Around Missoula, Montana RMOWP Second
2008 Day Hikes Around Napa Valley RMOWP First
2008 Day Hikes Around Napa Valley BATW Third
2009 Day Hikes In Yosemite National Park OWAC First
2009 Day Hikes In Yosemite National Park RMOWP Fourth
2009 Day Hikes On The California Central Coast NOWA Third
2009 Day Hikes On The California Central Coast OWAC Second
2009 Day Hikes On The California Central Coast RMOWP Third
2010 Day Hikes Around Santa Barbara OWAC Second
2010 Day Hikes Around Santa Barbara RMOWP Second
2010 Day Hikes Around Los Angeles NOWA Third
2010 Day Hikes Around Los Angeles OWAC First
2010 Day Hikes Around Los Angeles RMOWP First
2010 Day Hikes Around Los Angeles RMOWP Best Of Show
2011 Day Hikes Around Ventura County OWAC Second
2011 Day Hikes Around Ventura County RMOWP Third
2012 Day Hikes In The Santa Monica Mountains RMOWP Second
2013 Day Hikes Around Monterey And Carmel RMOWP Second
2014 Day Hikes Around Big Sur OWAC First
2015 Day Hikes Around Big Sur RMOWP Second
2015 Day Hikes In Grand Teton National Park RMOWP Third

References

  1. ↑ "Birth Record". California Birth Index. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  2. ↑ DeMaria, Richie (March 8, 2015). "A Conversation With Best-Selling Author Robert Stone". Independent.com. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  3. ↑ Becher, Bill (November 7, 2002). "His Happy Trails: Ex Real Estate Agent Leaves No Stone Unturned". thefreelibrary.com. LA Daily News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2002. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  4. ↑ Young, Heather (May 2015). "Local Hiking Guru And Author Robert Stone Making A Living Hiking". Journal Plus: 8–9.
  5. ↑ Sneed, David (May 3, 2015). "Day Hikes Around San Luis Obispo Is A New Book Featuring 156 Local Hikes". Central Coast Living: The Tribune. pp. F1. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  6. ↑ Barlow, Zeke (March 6, 2011). "A New Guide to the Great Outdoors is Published". Ventura County Star. pp. A1. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Los Angeles Times Bestsellers (October 8, 2000)". articles.latimes.com. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Los Angeles Times Bestsellers (November 5, 2000)". articles.latimes.com. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Bay Area Travel Writers Contests". batw.org. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Northwest Outdoor Writers Association Awards". northwest-outdoor-writers-association.org. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Outdoor Writers Association of America Newsletter" (PDF). owaa.org. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Outdoor Writers Association of California Craft Awards". owac.org. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers Contest". rmowp.org. Retrieved October 8, 2015.

Sources

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