The venerable AMC White Mountain Guide, the hiker's bible to more than 500 wonderful trails, is 100 years old this year.

Woo-hoo!

Photo courtesy Appalachian Mountain Club

Good cause for celebration, wouldn't you say? (As if we needed an excuse!)

Given that, the Appalachian Mountain Club is inviting guidebook afficionados, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts alike to a celebratory event at the AMC Highland Center atop Crawford Notch next Wednesday, May 9th starting at 7PM.

Longtime guidebook editors Gene Daniell and Stevn Smith will be on hand to give a presentation and to sign guidebooks, which will be available for sale.

Maybe see you there?!

I just got a copy of the new guide and it looks terrific. AMC has not only updated the trail information, but the guide format as well. Six new high-tech color maps are included.

And later this summer AMC will launch an online companion to the guide, allowing hikers to interact with the maps to explore trails and plan trips. Awesome!

I'll be pouring through my new guide in the coming weeks as the hiking season gears up. I'll make some notes and get you more details as I go. But what I've seen so far looks real, real good.

Nice job AMC!

Meantime, I've got to put the hiking guides aside and pack up for a long weekend in the sun. Because I do believe it's 5 o'clock somewhere... See's ya soon!

Do you have a well-worn AMC White Mountain Guide? What edition? How many trails in it have you done? Plan to replace it with the new and wicked improved version?