The Flumes and Trails of Paradise

Count Roger and Helen Ekins, longtime Paradise residents, among those who like little more than to get outdoors and take a long hike. That urge has led them to explore the many historic flumes and trails near their home, and now they’ve put their accumulated knowledge into this handy, nicely designed and long-overdue guide for the rest of us. Altogether, they describe 21 different PG&E flume hikes and 20 trail hikes in the Paradise area. Even if you’ve explored some of them, chances are you’ll find new ones to check out in this book. The Ekinses also provide fascinating historical information about the many flumes, some of which date from the 1850s. There are two full-page maps showing approximately where the flumes and trails are located, but no detailed maps showing how to reach each of them. Fortunately, the authors’ descriptions of the routes are quite clear, and each destination is accompanied by a color photo of one of the delights—a waterfall, a pond, a shady trail—hikers will find there.

The authors will sign copies of their book ($19.95) tonight, June 6, 7 p.m., at Lyon Books. All profits go to an endowment fund for Butte College’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.