Jerry Schad's several careers encompassed interests ranging from astronomy and teaching to photography and writing. Schad was the author of 15 books, including a college-level textbook for introductory physical science courses and the top-selling Afoot&Afield series of hiking guidebooks that cover nearly all of Southern California. Schad’s outdoor column, “Roam-O-Rama,” was published weekly in the San Diego Reader 1993–2011, and his San Diego Reader blog, “Outdoor San Diego,” kept San Diegans up-to-date on a variety of natural events in the sky and on earth. In the months preceding his death at age 61 from kidney cancer, Schad worked tirelessly and with courageous joy and spirit to complete his last book 50 Best Short Hikes San Diego.

David Harris grew up rambling about the Desolation Wilderness as a toddler in his father’s pack and later roamed the High Sierra as a Boy Scout. As a Sierra Club trip leader, he organized mountaineering trips throughout the Sierra Nevada. For the past 15 years, he has explored the mountains and deserts of Southern California. David teaches Engineering at Harvey Mudd College. He is the author of Day&Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California, and coauthor of Afoot&Afield Inland Empire and the 6th edition of San Bernardino Mountain Trails. He lives with his wife and 3 sons in Upland, California.

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