This book begins where basic trail guides and maps leave off. For each section of the trail, the authors describe the route in detail and recommend the best day hikes and short backpacks from each trailhead. They describe the plants and animals hikers will see, tell stories about local history, explain plate tectonics, and in a thousand other ways enrich your experience of the journey. For many people, the Pacific Crest Trail is the ultimate long-distance hiking trail. Beginning in the dry valleys of southern California, it follows the crest of the snow-capped Sierras and ends in the ancient forests of Washington’s Cascades. Along the way, national treasures such as Yosemite, Crater Lake, and Mount Rainier make this trail one of the premier hiking destinations in the world. But hiking is about much more than getting from A to B. Berger and Smith draw on their tremendous experience—together they have logged more than 12,000 miles on the PCT—to give tested advice to long-distance hikers on trip planning, gear and safety, seasonal considerations, trailheads and resupplies, permits, and much more.

The essential, cut-to-the-chase handbook to the Pacific Crest Trail, based on the comprehensive Wilderness Press guidebooks to the PCT, has been completely updated. Packed with trail-tested features, it’s useful both on and off the trail, covering pre-trip planning for resupply stops, how to set daily on-the-trail mileage goals by knowing trail gradient and the locations of campsites, water sources, and facilities, and how to easily calculate distances between any two points on the trail, and how to planning both north-bound and south-bound hiking trips.

This pocket-sized gift and souvenir photo book captures the beauty of America's quintessential wilderness hiking trail. From desert California to the Washington-Canada border, the compelling photography of Bart Smith brings the entire 2,650-mile trail to life. This beautifully illustrated book, officially published with the Pacific Crest Trail Association in a pocket-sized gift and souvenir format, highlights this legendary footpath with more than 170 spectacular contemporary images taken by the foremost hiking photographer in America. Readers can experience the trail as if their boots were on the path--passing by the trail blazes, taking in the surrounding wilderness at scenic overlooks, meeting other hikers at lean-tos or shelters, and freezing at the sight of bear, elk, or other majestic wildlife. Designated as one of the first two national scenic trails in 1968, the Pacific Crest Trail is a continuous footpath of more than 2,650 miles--from the Mexican to the Canadian border. It is often called the "wilderness trail" because roughly half of it runs through federal wilderness--25 national forests, six national parks, five state parks, three national monuments, and 48 federal wilderness areas. The trail symbolizes everything there is to love--and protect--in the western United States. This book is perfect for anyone interested in conservation, outdoor recreation, or American history, or for those who dream of one day becoming thru-hikers themselves.

Manual on planning and preparing for hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail through California, Oregon, and Washington. Jardine's initial presentation of his lightweight-hiking theories

A comprehensive guidebook to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), an epic 2650 mile trek through the USA from the Mexican border to British Columbia in Canada. One of the world's best hikes, the route passes through California, Oregon and Washington State, taking in the Mojave desert, High Sierras, Cascades and countless more wild mountains of America's west coast. The guidebook is divided into 101 sections of 2 to 3 days, which can be combined into longer days according to ability and preference. This comprehensive guide provides all the information and maps hikers will need. Alongside the notes and route descriptions, there are overview maps for the entire trail, and a detailed introduction that provides essential advice for planning and completing the route. From information on packing, supplies, water and bears, to details on the mountains, wildlife and regions encountered, this is an essential companion to taking on - and completing - this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The PCT boasts breathtaking scenery and varied landscapes, through deserts and forests, and over snow-covered passes and along alpine ridges. This is a long wilderness trek of true adventure and exploration through diverse and stunning mountain scenery.

The Pacific Crest Trail as you've never seen it before! A visual feast for the senses, this highly designed paperback showcases the PCT through clever infographics, modern illustration, and insightful text. The book captures both the grandeur of the West Coast as well as the tiniest things that a thru-hiker notices and experiences during a 140-day trek. Through the written word, graphic design, and illustration, The Pacific Crest Trail: A Visual Compendium conveys the beauty and the beastliness of a 2,650-mile wilderness hike from Mexico to Canada. The author chronicles the PCT through infographics about the trail and the thru-hikers' experience, and includes arresting illustrations of the landscape and minutiae of the trail. Everything from trail markers, weather challenges, and the stories behind popular toponyms to the songs stuck in a hiker's head, thru-hiker trail names, and food consumed will be addressed, making this an ideal gift for any outdoor enthusiast.

Full color photographs coupled with the story of the author's hike portray the vast drama of the landscape of the area.