By Mike Troy
		Quite a few years ago, I took on the task of authoring and co-authoring two mountain bike guide books for the surrounding National Forests in my area. It was good fun but a lot of work. Folks were buying bikes and did not know where to go ride them. The goal behind the books was to show people where to go mountain biking, not to get rich, and I succeeded on both accounts! The same dilemma is faced by many who have purchased or built off-highway capable vehicles. Even the family SUV can get dirty, and there are miles of dirt roads that offer the opportunity for families to get away from the city. The trick is in knowing where to go, and what you are facing when you head off into the hills. It would not do to stick mom's Explorer in some boulder strewn wash at the bottom of suicide hill when all you wanted was a family trip to see the wildflowers, etc. Likewise, it is not fun to drive a bunch of miles to a 4x4 trail in your built rig, unload the trailer, and hit the dirt only to find you never had to lock your hubs all day. Enter the guidebook, specifically, "The Guide to California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails". Authored by Charles A. Wells and published by Fun Treks Inc, the California guidebooks are split into two separate books. One is for Northern Cal and one is for Southern Cal. Both are excellent and have to rate among the finest examples of what a good guidebook should offer. Filled with good info on vehicle preparation, off road driving tips, and dozens of day trips (or multi day trips) from mild to wild, the author takes you into the backcountry with detailed descriptions, trail ratings, area info, maps, and even GPS coordinates. Pictures, too. It opened my eyes to several trails within 2 hours of my home that I had never heard of. If you love seeing new parts of the countryside as much as I do but like to know what lies ahead before you pull out of the driveway, than this series of guidebooks can be of immense help in planning accordingly. There are also books by the author on Colorado, Arizona, and Moab, Utah trails. For more info or to order books, go to www.funtreks.com