Book Description
The authoritative guide for planning a trip along the California section of the Pacific Crest Trail. This is the first of two books in our Pacific Crest Trail series. Both have complete 2-color topographic maps and comprehensive descriptions, including mileages and elevations. Trail descriptions and maps are divided into several sections, convenient for people who only want to hike a portion of the trail. Each section introduces up-coming scenery, possible hazards, supply locations, and mileages between major points. Includes information on the history of the trail as well as the geology and natural history you will encounter.
Customer Reviews:
You can't beat this guide.......2004-02-24
I enjoy all of the Schaffer books because they are accurate, fun to read and reliable. This book has little chapters on the PCT, and the descriptions of each part of the trail are a total delight. So often these hiking books neglect to tell you how to reach the trailhead and oftentimes they don't provide detailed instructions (I mean this for section or day hikers of the PCT). Schaffer never makes this mistake. You will not need a separate map to locate any of the sections of the trail, his maps and written instructions are first-rate. In fact, there is even a nifty fold-out map sewn into the rear pocket so you can tote it along on any of your journeys. Equally interesting is that this book doesn't merely give elevation gains, difficulty ratings and desriptions of the trail conditions. These are vital to know, but Schaffer also includes little bits of information of what kinds of wild flowers you will encounter, birds, wildlife and other little nuggets neglected in other guides.
The book is supposed to be mainly for thru-hikers of the PCT, but there are many trails here that can be used for day hikes. These trips will be in the 10-16 mile range and any strong hiker can easily do these hikes in one day. If you do choose to go the entire PCT, Schaffer describes water sources, camping sites and addresses whether bears or marmots might be a problem for you. Most importantly, he tells you where to find water and whether the water source is reliable throughout the whole year.
I can't recommend this guide highly enough. Even if you're an armchair hiker, you'll derive many hours of vicarious joy from this guide.
The Best Guide For The PCT.......2002-06-06
I bought this book & another book, kept this one and returned the other. I haven't seen a better guide to the PCT.
The Quintessential Bible for PCT Hikers.......2000-11-16
This book, along with its Oregon-Washington Second Volume, is a MUST-read for anyone planning their own trip along all or part of the Pacific Crest Trail. This trail guide provides a wealth of information such as mileage, water-stops, trail conditions, tips, maps, and even locations (including addresses!) of post-offices and other along-the trail stop-overs for re-supply. PCT hikers often carry this book with them in their packs and reference it often. More weight-conscious thru-hikers will cut or tear the book apart into sections (it's conveniently divided into a long series of trail sections between stop-overs) and ship the abbreviated guides back to themselves at towns along the journey.
Combining years of research and tens of thousands of miles of first-hand trail experience, the authors have done an outstanding job in allowing future backpackers access to the information they need to plan their own epic adventures. The book usually comes with an pamphlet included to keep you posted on any updates and changes to the trail since the book's latest release (which I believe there have been six such releases since its initial publication in '73).
I'm planning my own thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, and after much of my own extensive research through countless other books and guides, I still come back to this one for the information I need to plan my own greatest adventure to date. Be sure the check the Oregon & Washington volume of the guide as well, written by the same authors in the exact same format.
Your Best Trail Friend.......2000-05-01
I have used this book since 1980 to hike all or part of the PCT. It can make or break your trip. The most important info is where to find water. Some souces are difficult to find, but this book will lead you to it. The amount of info,maps, water, landmarks, milage,trail conditions, suppy points, etc., make this book a must on any hike along the PCT. If you don't have it with you, you're a lost soul.
Book Description
Successor to the Wilderness Press classic Pacific Crest Trail: California, this essential volume covers the PCT from the Mexican border to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. Complete 2-color topographic maps enhance comprehensive descriptions, including mileages and elevations. Trail descriptions and maps are divided into several sections, convenient for people who only want to hike a portion of the trail. Each section introduces up-coming scenery, possible hazards, supply locations, and mileages between major points. Includes information on the history of the trail as well as the geology and natural history you will encounter.
Book Description
The inspiring story of a 4300km solo hike from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail.
Despite never having hiked before, George Spearing decides to take 'leave of absence' from his job as a firefighter in the New Zealand Fire Service and walk the length of America.
Travelling entirely on foot and off road, George's five month journey takes him through the desert areas and High Sierra Nevada of California, the Cascade ranges of Oregon and Washington, and finally emerges in the Okanogan Forest of British Columbia, Canada.
The diverse mix of dry Mojave desert, High Sierra snows and the characters and wildlife met along the way, provide an often humorous look at the US and its wilderness through the eyes of a New Zealander.
The lively and easily read style, including illustrations, will appeal to both adventurer and armchair adventurer alike.
Follow the adventure from its inception on an Auckland, New Zealand Fire Station, to its culmination in British Columbia, Canada. Traversing 40 Wilderness areas, 24 National Forests, 7 National Parks, 3 State Parks, 19 major canyons and climbing 57 mountain passes, the epic journey takes the reader from near sea level at the Mexican border to 13,200 ft at Forester Pass in the snowbound High Sierra. An entertaining and inspiring read for anyone contemplating hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, or for anyone who just enjoys a good adventure story.
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational Journey.......2007-08-15
Now I want to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. The story is well told, a real page turner. Well written, very interesting, and an inspiration for getting myself on a trail.
Long on Kiwi humor; short on backpacking narrative and photos.......2007-06-26
This book was an easy read, but disappointing in its lack of photos and descriptions of life on the trail and destinations seen.
A bit disappointing.......2007-06-19
Although I commend the author for his courage and humor, some things about the book distracted from reading pleasure. This read like a self-published book (maybe it is) that had not been edited at all. There were no paragraph indents, and many sentences were run-on (strung together with commas when there sould have been a period). I'm not a stickler about grammar, but this was distracting and made it hard to read. There was also a problem with tense and scenes suddenly switching. For example, in a camping scene, the author would suddenly mention that he saw 3 bears while camping, but it turned out that this was referring to something that would happen several chapters later, so that during the present scene I would wonder, "Where are the bears?" Often I would hope for an interesting scene only to be disappointed by a blow by blow of each day and night on the trail (including the days where nothing really happened). If you can deal with the amateur style, you may enjoy this book.
A Must For Any PCT Dreamer.......2007-01-23
My favorite aspect of this book is how the reader sees America (and the PCT) through the eyes of a humorous New Zealander. George's writing is a pleasure to read. I especially enjoyed the passage where he describes exactly why he hiked the PCT. He had obviously done a lot of thinking over the many miles he walked and had come up with a beautiful way to express the exact reasons as to why he would walk 20+ miles a day for five months.
The only aspect of the book I didn't like was that, towards the end, Spearing seems to be a bit tired of writing a book and resigns to simply listing the names of the wilderness areas he visits. This is in stark contrast to the excited, witty and funny tone taken earlier in the book.
Regardless of this, I thoroughly enjoyed Spearing's book. If you are at all interested in hiking the PCT, I'm sure you will like his book too.
Buy this book! You'll be happy you did.......2006-10-13
I shot right through the book and finished it off in short order. The reason, of course, was that I found it to be very interesting, humorous to the point of frequent guffaws and snickers, and inspirational. I truly believe that only those with physical and mental toughness have a chance to actually complete a thru-hike in one season. Add to that the perils of heat, cold, rain, snow, lack of water, scrapes, bruises, sprains or broken bones, loneliness, missed food drops, leaking canteens, dried-up water sources, high-altitude problems, indistinct trail markings, wildlife (bears and rattlers, e.g.) and a host of other perils, and it becomes apparent that one also has to be very fortunate and resilient to get through. I believe the odds are really stacked against success, and that is why stories such as George's are so uplifting. Add to all that, the fact that he was half a world away with very limited resupply support, and it became an incredible undertaking. I had originally thought that perhaps the next edition should include a dictionary of terms, so those of us unfamiliar with his particular way of expressing various words would be able to zero in on the meaning. In retrospect, however, I also believe that having to guess at the meaning adds to the magic, entertainment and humor of the story. Thanks again, George, for the great read. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors, adventure, and human triumph.
Book Description
Successor to the Wilderness Press classic Pacific Crest Trail: California, this essential volume covers the PCT from Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park north to the Oregon border. Complete 2-color topographic maps enhance comprehensive descriptions, including mileages and elevations. Trail descriptions and maps are divided into several sections, convenient for people who only want to hike a portion of the trail. Each section introduces up-coming scenery, possible hazards, supply locations, and mileages between major points. Includes information on the history of the trail as well as the geology and natural history you will encounter.
Customer Reviews:
A good guide, but needs a few more data points.......2007-08-28
We've used this guide for the entire Northern California section, and haven't gotten lost. The only problem is that some of the jeep roads mentioned in the guide are now invisible, at least to our aging eyes, and also, some of the data points indicate zero elevation change, when there might be a 1000 ft up or down between the points. Add a few more data points, please.
Poorly updated edition of excellent book.......2003-11-08
The earlier editions of this book were one of the best mapping job ever to be found in a trail guide for the West. However, this new edition seems not to have been field-checked. In my neck of the woods (Lassen National Forest) re-routes made a few years ago are left out of the new edition. Specifically, the re-route in Chips Creek is missing. Also, the new view point on Hat Creek Rim is missing, although the old dirt trail was converted to a paved sidewalk for 100 yards. New 1:24,000 maps have been published by the USGS, but Wilderness Press still uses the old 1:62,000 maps in Chips Creek and other places. The earlier editions were nearly flawless, but this effort is Wilderness Press resting on its laurels and re-issuing old material with a new cover.
Amazon.com
Whether you're planning to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail through Oregon and Washington, or just a section or two, this is an essential guide to the sometimes complicated logistics and navigation of a long-distance expedition. The beginning chapters provide planning basics: post-office addresses for mailing food and supplies, suggestions on when to hike which sections and what to bring, and an introduction to the geology, flora, and fauna of the region. But the heart of the guide comprises 12 chapters of trail specifics between Highway 96 in northern California and Highway 3 in British Columbia. Each section begins and ends at a highway--often at or near a town, resort, or park. Chapters contain topographic maps, prehike information (attractions to be on the lookout for, declination settings, elevation and mileage points, permit regulations, and availability of supplies), along with detailed information on navigating your way along the trail. So if you're packing up your rucksack for a modest PCT excursion or the full-bore trek, this is one item you can't afford to leave out.
Book Description
The authoritative guide for planning a trip along the Oregon Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail. This is the second of two books in our Pacific Crest Trail series. Both have complete 2-color topographic maps and comprehensive descriptions, including mileages and elevations. Trail descriptions and maps are divided into several sections, convenient for people who only want to hike a portion of the trail. Each section introduces up-coming scenery, possible hazards, supply locations, and mileages between major points. Includes information on the history of the trail as well as the geology and natural history you will encounter.
Customer Reviews:
Not great, but the best there is.......2003-10-01
I through-hiked the PCT in 2002 and like the vast of majority of other hikers, used this guide to navigate my way through Oregon and Washington. Though this book is the source for the data points found in the PCT Data Book, you'd never suspect such a succinct, useful guide like the Data Book could from such a disorganized mess as the PCT: Oregon-Washington guide book.
The principal problem with this book is organization. The book, like it's companion guides for California, are organized into reasonable sections starting and stopping at well-used re-supply points (or end points for section hikers). The problem is each section contains a mixture of editorial and trail-following instructions in the main body of text. So, when you are lost and the need the guide the most, you must re-trace the trail guide instructions while editing out long editorial comments (frequently commenting on where the trail should have gone, but did not) and this frustrates. Why weren't the trail following instructions separated?
This edition did try to make strides forward in readibility by using icons to denote when the text is talking about water access or re-supply. Though this allows you to skim ahead for where water is (useful!), placing such information in sidebars of the trail following instructions would have been best. Again, the current placement of the re-supply and water information fragments the trail follow tips.
On the plus side, when the authors are not complaining about where the trail should have gone, there is a wealth of information on a variety of topics (e.g. geology, botany, biology, politics and the trail among other topics) all of which help you to enjoy the trail more. Sadly, though, each topic is also interspersed with the main body text. Again making the trail following instructions hard to read as the text changes gears from "how to follow the trail" to "PCT story-time."
Unfortunately, the maps are not 100% accurate. A few of the maps suffer printing errors. On these maps, the trails - which are overlaid on old, out-of-date USGS maps - are placed incorrectly. Switchbacks not going with the grades of the landscape easily identify these maps or perhaps you?ll come a trail junction before a river, when the maps show the junction after the river. Also, the trail is disastrously colored blue, making it hard to distinguish from the all the streams and rivers (also in blue).
That said, these trail guides are the best there is for the PCT, but they are far from perfect.
user-friendly, highly practical while hiking.......1998-07-30
I used this guide to hike the Oregon section of the PCT in 1993 and found it very user-friendly, highly practical while on the trail and full of interesting background information. Among the most important aspect of the guide for me was the quality and reliability of the topographic maps, thoughtfully place by the Publishers so I could take the pages out and use them in a waterproof cover for each stage as I walked it. The hints on water supplies and campsites were essential and I was able to plan my route, timings, food drops and campsites for the entire trail; this was especially important for me as my budget and time free were limited. As far as I remember, the only thing that was incorrect was that there was no longer a bus from Bridge of the Gods into Portland. Not bad. I would recommend this guide to anybody planning to hike the PCT.
Average customer rating:
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The Social Roots of Basque Nationalism (Basque Series)
Alfonso Pérez-Agote
Manufacturer: University of Nevada Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0874176050 |
Book Description
The Basque people have preserved their ethnic identity and sense of themselves as a separate community despite centuries of repression, diaspora, and economic and social upheaval—one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of that phenomenon we call nationalism.
In The Social Roots of Basque Nationalism, sociologist Alfonso Pérez-Agote addresses the social mechanisms that Basques employed to sustain their ethnic identity under the Franco Regime and demonstrates how persecution actually encouraged the extension of Basque nationalist consciousness. He also reveals how state political pressure radicalized one element of the Basque-nationalist movement, resulting in the formation of eta ,an armed terrorist wing that itself became a mechanism for extending nationalist consciousness. Finally, he examines the subsequent changes in Basque nationalism following Franco's death and the extension of democracy in Spain, which resulted in the institutionalization of the movement into an autonomous political power.
This work is based in part on a wide range of interviews and polls with informants in the Basque Country and abroad, eliciting such data as the role that family, education, social contacts, and religious environment play in the evolution of political attitudes; the place of violence in the Basque world view and contemporary political culture; regional variations in Basque nationalism; and the factors that contributed to the resilience of Basque nationalism in adapting to new historical conditions. The result is a sophisticated discussion of the various ways in which Basque social reality is constituted and how this reality helps to create political culture. Because Pérez-Agote situates his discussion within the broader frameworks of ethnic identity, group dynamics, and the nature of nationalism, the book makes a significant contribution not only to our understanding of the Basques but to the broader study of the evolution of nationalism and the nation-state, political violence, and the complicated transition of any society from dictatorship to democracy.
Customer Reviews:
The Day Hiking Alternative to the Pacific Crest Trail.......2002-12-09
At one time in my life (graduate school) it was easy to take off for a week or more to go backpacking. With regular employment, however, one is sometimes hard pressed to find a day, much less a couple weeks, to explore hiking opportunities. This book by George and Patricia Semb is the guide to the PCT for those who simply don't have the time for a two week trip, much less a through hike.
This guidebook has a lot to recommend it. It follows the organization of the standard guide, also published by Wilderness Press, but provides convenient entry and exit points on the trail. All hikes described are one way affairs, so having two cars is a definite advantage with this book. Trail descriptions are a bit brief, but this allows more space for explaining how to locate trailheads. For maps, the Sembs used Forest Service Recreational Maps which also help locate roads near the PCT. Using this guide, it is possible to hike the entire trail in Southern California as a series of day hikes.
The book does have a couple problems, however, which is why I gave it only 4 stars. Many of the hikes are so long only day hikers in excellent condition will be able to complete them. Walks of 15 miles are common, and several exceed twenty miles. In addition, some of the trail descriptions are misleading. For example, they describe a short stretch of trail in the Angeles National Forest as a "level" hike, even though the trail gains 1200ft in 1.3 miles: a grade that is far steeper than almost anywhere else on the PCT in Southern California.
These problems aside, this is a good supplement to Schaffer's volume on the PCT. My wife and I used it to day hike most of the PCT in the San Bernardino Mountains this year, and I'm looking forward to using next hiking season.
Book Description
The work of three major California writers in the context of the landscapes they loved. John Muir, Mary Austin, and Gary Snyder are perhaps best known for their connection to specific California ecological regions--Muir's Sierra Nevada "Range of Light," Austin's southern "Land of Little Rain," and Snyder's "Kitkitdizze" region of the north. In Reading the Trail, ecocritic and outdoorsman Corey Lewis proposes a provocative new way to read and interpret the classic works of these major nature writers and to bring their ideas into the discussion of ecological values and viable responses to the current environmental crisis.
The literary work of Muir, Austin, and Snyder reflects intimate and passionate knowledge of their chosen regions. Their activist efforts contributed to the preservation of wilderness areas and national parks in the ecosystems they lived in and wrote about. In Reading the Trail, Lewis combines a lucid, perceptive discussion of their work and ideas with an engaging, closely observed account of his own trail experiences as a hiker/backpacker and volunteer trail builder, thereby achieving a new and deeper appreciation of their writing and values. He proposes that such a combination of literary study and experiential projects allows teachers to enrich the understanding of students and lay readers to find new insights into the work of nature writers and the purpose and importance of the environmental movement. The book will be inspiring reading for both teachers of literature and natural science, and for lovers of the outdoors seeking new ways to explore the natural world.
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- The Rough Guide to Ireland 8 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
- The Secret Art of Boabom: Awakening Inner Power Through Defense-Meditation from Ancient Tibet
- The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less
- The Thomas Guide 2007 Bay Area Metro: Metro Areas opf Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties (Metro Bay Area Street Guide)
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel (Perennial Classics)
- The Unofficial Guide to Central Italy: Florence, Rome, Tuscany, and Umbria (Unofficial Guides)
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Books Index
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Pacific Crest Trail Data Book: Mileages, landmarks, facilities, resupply data and essential trail information for the entire Pacific Crest Trail, from Mexico to Canada
Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon And Washington: From The California Border To The Canadian Border (Pacific Crest Trail)
Pacific Crest Trail Hiker's Handbook: Innovative Techniques and Trail Tested Instruction for the Long Distance Hiker
The Pacific Crest Trail: A Hiker's Companion
The Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California (Pacific Crest Trail)
