About Us

The founder of the “Definitive Guides” to California outdoors,
award winning author Chris Shaffer has spent the last decade of
his life exploring, investigating and documenting more than 1,500
lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and waterfalls throughout
California. The California native is a graduate of Cal State
Northridge and Crespi High School in Encino.
Dubbed The Waterfall Hunter by the LA Times and featured on
ABC World News and ABC Morning News, Shaffer has taken an
active role reporting on and photographing California outdoors.
An accomplished writer, Shaffer currently has in print

a three book series, The Definitive Guides, for fishing in California and The Definitive Guide to the
Waterfalls of Southern and Central California, which was voted 2004 book of the year by the Outdoor
Writers Association of California. Soon to join the above titles will be The Definitive Guide to the
Waterfalls of Northern California along with several other outdoor related titles.
Shaffer’s work extends far beyond the book business. Aside from running a publishing company
and writing books, he is a regular guest on California Sportsmen radio with Sep Hendrickson,
Northwest Wild Country Radio with Joel Shangle and other local radio shows in Portland, Seattle and
Vancouver. Shaffer also is a columnist and regular contributor for Fishing and Hunting News and The
Sportsman’s Series, Salmon & Steelhead Journal, Salmon, Trout & Steelheader, Fish Alaska
Magazine, Game & Fish, BC Outdoors in Canada and a freelance consultant for the California
Department of Fish and Game and Pautzke Bait Company. As a member of the Outdoor Writers
Association of California, Outdoor Writer Association of America and Western Outdoor Writers,
Shaffer also contributes to several newspapers and magazines, including the Los Angeles Daily
News, Fish Taco Chronicles, Ojai Valley News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Long Beach Press
Telegram, Inland Valley Daily Tribune, Pasadena Star News, Whittier Daily News, Florida Game and
Fish, Oregon Game and Fish, Washington Game and Fish, California Game and Fish, ESPN.com
Outdoors and Outdoor California magazine.
Shaffer is also a product tester for Merrell, Asolo, LOWA, TEVA, Chaco, Keen, Salomon, Ex-Officio,
Moonstone, North Face, Horny Toad, MSR, Black Diamond, Sierra Designs, Kelty, Mountain
Hardware, Brunton, REI, UGG, Marmot, CamelBak, Suunto, Smith Optics, Therm-a-Rest, Adventure
Medical Kits