Paul Gerald has written professionally for newspapers, magazines, and websites for more than 30 years. After growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, he moved to Portland in 1996 to be closer to the mountains and ocean. Since then, he has written hundreds of freelance articles and six books in addition to this one, including Peaceful Places: Portland, Day & Section Hikes: Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon, and Best Tent Camping: Oregon.

Paul's hiking life started at the age of 12, when he went to a summer camp in the Absaroka Mountains of Wyoming. He's hiked in the Rocky Mountains from New Mexico to Montana and in Appalachia, Alaska, Argentina, Italy, the UK, and Nepal. He has led hikes, outings, and tours, both domestic and international, for Evergreen Escapes of Portland, Embark Exploration Co. (a Portland-based adventure-travel company), and the Mazamas mountaineering club. He is also on the board of Trailkeepers of Oregon and has worked as a driver for Radio Cab Company.

Paul enjoys meeting people who use his books out on the trails; he's also grateful that none of them have appeared to be lost or angry. He hopes people will continue to enjoy and benefit from the fruits of his labor--if hiking and writing can truly be called labor.