By Lauren Gustus, Reno Gazette-Journal

In his recently released paperback, Matt Johanson compiles 23 little-known stories from one of America’s best-known parks in “Yosemite Epics: Tales of Adventure from American’s Greatest Playground.”

Pictures of the Sierra Nevada’s most challenging climbs and hikes dot the first-person accounts from Yosemite, each of which is introduced by the Castro Valley high school teacher.

Steve Schneider gives a harrowing account of a paraglide in Lee Vining Canyon gone wrong.

Jim Zellers shares the tale of his snowboard descent down the north face of Half Dome. Zeller worked for years on the science of descent and to find the right snow and wind conditions — finally making his five-minute run in 2000.

There are plenty of stories about the climbers who made Yosemite their playground, including Lynn Hill’s free climb of the west face of Leaning Tower and Errett Allen’s New Dawn line on El Capitan in November that included falling ice, hail and a cold waterfall.

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