Peter Stekel is an award-winning writer specializing in feature articles and photography of the Sierra Nevada. Stekel grew up in Southern California and has been hiking and backpacking in the Sierra since he was twelve years old.

Peter Stekel's first trip to the Sierra Nevada was at summer camp with his Boy Scout troop, in Sequoia National Park. Under the weight of a heavy backpack and the arduous long distances, Stekel believed he might actually die from exhaustion. Upon reaching their destination amidst the beauty of an alpine lake, granite cliffs, and wildflower fields, Stekel changed his opinion, and believed he had died and gone to heaven. Since that time he has hiked all over the Southern Sierra, from the foothills to the High Sierra.

Peter Stekel is also the author of "Best Hikes Near Seattle," and two published novels: "Growing Up White in the Sixties" and the mystery-thriller, "The Flower Lover."

Stekel has appeared as an authority on the Sierra Nevada in various national and international media outlets including National Geographic, BBC 4, NPR, and countless other print, radio, and television media. He holds a B.A. in Botany from the University of California at Davis, and a teaching credential from Humboldt State University.

Stekel makes his home in Seattle with his wife, their tropical fish, and a menagerie of stuffed animals.

He is now working on his next book, "Beneath Haunted Waters."