Books about the pacific crest trail fiction, memoirs, and guides are all welcome, but the pct should be the focus of the book. Music and audiobooks for better hiking on the pct alice. The best pacific crest trail resources halfway anywhere. In this book, you will learn how to avoid the most common emotional and psychological issues faced by hikers on this 5month hike. From lost to found on the pacific crest trail, written by. Trail legends and veterans offer pct hiking advice. A beginners guide to the pacific crest trail halfway anywhere. Pacific crest trail stretches 460 miles across oregon.
Thruhiking is always a trialand the first trial is psychological. Home forums general forums general lightweight backpacking discussion through hiking books viewing posts 1 through of total forums are supported by our merchant partners disclosure rei coupons zpacks hyperlite patagonia arcteryx rbtr drop backcountry feathered friends campsaver. Asars says she downloads electronic versions of the pct books to. Having lived in the eastern united states most of my life i wanted a pct trail book to help with the planning of my pct hike. The 12 best books and movies about thruhiking backpacker. In this book, you will learn how to avoid the most common emotional and. Crossing through california, oregon, and washington, the pct passes through twentyfive national forests and seven national parks.
Who prepares for a thruhike by reading books when you can track down a million resources from the internet. From lost to found on the pacific crest trail by cheryl strayed, a walk in the woods. This guide will prepare you for hiking and surviving this spectacular wilderness experience. This is what it looks like when you hike all 2,650 miles. Ultralight gear makes sense in the california desert, while extra weather protection is needed in. Everything you need to know about choosing the right footwear for your pacific crest trail thru hike. Because the pct has long, dry stretches and snowy mountain sections, many hikers select key resupply points to swap out gear. Due to the vast growing interest in hiking the pct from books and movies of late numbers have soared.
These 525 day hikes are a good introduction to through hiking and you can get an idea if a longer through hike is really something you are ready for mentally and physically. The hiking trails of michigan lead us through oldgrowth forests. Back in 1995, however, she was a rootless 26yearold waitress about to embark on her first backpacking trip. I stumbled upon librivox when i was looking for sherlock holmes through my library. Books about the pacific crest trail fiction, memoirs, and guides are. The pacific crest trail is a challenging 2,650 mile 4,265 kilometer trek through california, oregon, and washington. Thruhiking a trail is a long and difficult journey. I watch videos like this and think, what am i doing with my life. Hiking the pacific crest trail mountaineers books presents. One mans journey to peace and freedom on the appalachian trail. A psychological and emotional guide to successfully thruhiking the pacific crest trail. Every page is filled with whining, complaining, neediness, lack of selfreliance, lesbianism, promiscuity, and cussing.
If you like to read about geologic features, plants, and history of the trail, then you might like these books, but we prefer the companion see above because. The pcta gives you pct completion medals, not pct purity rings. Hiking the pct got a big boost of interest recently, from a bestselling book, wild. Pacific crest trail backpacking packing list rei coop journal. The ultimate pacific crest trail packing list all of the pct gear and thruhiker knowledge you need to get started on the adventure of a lifetime. It may be time to think about how to control the crowds. These books will make you want to thruhike the pct. Beginning at the southern terminus, the authors take readers north up the trail, describing the history, landscapes, ecology, and meteorology along the way. Some prefer maps with lots of annotations, so halfmile and postholer maps work as a guide book for them. Some folks like reading, so the wilderness press guide books are best for them. The pct has strong hiking community due to its harsh environment. Pacific crest trail backpacking packing list rei coop. The main difference for the cdt book is that the ontrail section is strictly a town guide. Each trail is unique, as is the experience of each hiker.
Mile, mile and a half this featurelength documentary tells the story of five friends who conquer the 211mile john muir trail in a 25day adventure full of gorgeous scenery. This guidebook is a complete guide to hiking the pacific crest trail pct, an epic 2650mile hike along americas west coast. This book is the comprehensive pacific crest trail guide book. The first half of the book provides tips and info about planning and preparing for your hike, much like this website. One of the most popular options for thruhiking the pacific crest trail is the hoka one one speedgoat 4 trail running shoe.
Longdistance hiker tami asars userfriendly take on the. This is the 6th edition of the national outdoor book award winner pacific crest trail. The only thing consistent between a pct thruhiker in the 1970s vs. Elite athletes who are experienced on the pct have finished the trail in as little as two months. This website features start date info, pct soutbhound blogs, sobo hiker profiles, and risks of hiking in the sierra, northern washington, and the so cal desert. Now hes organizing the most ambitious thruhike of the decade. So we spent much of 2018 and 2019 rehiking the pct through oregon and gathering new data to update our guidebook, hiking the pacific crest trail. A bit of that magic is captured in each of the pacific crest trail books that have been published over the. Particularly when i was hiking solo, audio gave me something to focus on while i walked, and, im pretty sure, saved my sanity.
Storeys tale of longdistance hiking with her husband, porter. There are innumerable books on hiking, the natural world, and the various philosophies behind it all. You might wish to add or replace them with the data book or the blackwoods guides. We all know that this book excellent preparation for long distance hiking but its message also rings true for every other area of life. Snow covers sections of the trail in the spring and early summer. The pacific crest trail pct is a 2,600mile hike and rite of passage for several hundred. Mountaineers books presents the latest, greatest, and hands down most beautiful guidebook series to the pacific crest trail. The alltrails version of jardines pct hikers handbook a more complete explanation of whats becoming known as the ray way in hiking circles. We wanted to catalog all of the pacific crest trail books ever written because theyre worth it. Paul had often dreamed of hiking the appalachian trail. Want to do some planning for your inevitable pacific crest trail thruhike but.
Whats great is that it offers advice from many types of thru hikers. With as significant as a thru hike is, id say get the wp books, either set of maps, and yogis books as a start. The number of thruhikers on the trail has skyrocketed in the past five years. While i planned about 95 % of my upcoming pct thruhike through the interwebs, books provided more of the personal inspiration.
Anyone whos ever put a relationship through the greatoutdoors meat grinder to see whats left of it on the other side can relate to gail d. The pacific crest trail pct is a 2,600mile hike and rite of passage for several hundred people every year, and thousands who complete portions of it. They represent immense passion and dedication toward this. The trail is 2,650 miles and it generally takes the entire snowfree season to walk. Director lisa diener follows a half dozen thruhikers as they travel from all over the world to tackle the pacific crest trail.
Music and audiobooks for better hiking on the pct alice hikes. No two treks of the pct are ever the same and yet they are. Curling up with a good book about hiking and adventure as it gets cooler. Hiking through the beauty of nature had always brought him solace. Once you decide to go for something, you have to stick through even when the hunkydory honeymoon phase wears away. Thanks, carrot, for put words to the shared experiences of thruhikers everywhere. Like the pct handbook, the cdt handbook has two distinct sections. All skill levels are welcome take your time and enjoy the views, test your endurance on trails that are truly epic, or jump on the iron belle trail, the longest designated state trail in the nation. Hiking is hard but she is relentless in her misery.
I like this piece as much as a metaphor as insight into actually hiking the trail. The ultimate pacific crest trail packing list halfway anywhere. Whats the best time to start the pacific crest trail. They usher us to the tops of mountains, back across time and down through urban canyons. This is a beautiful, 144page photo book of the pacific crest trail.
Pct throughhike physical preparation rei conversations. Try the pct groups on facebook, the pcta links, etc. We aim to be your number one resource for getting your gear, food, and resupply points in order so you can hit the trail. From the first weeks of planning your pilgrimage, to your first and last days on the trail, maintaining an open mind and a resilient attitude in dealing with obstacles is crucial.
Guide to the pacific crest trail in washington, by louise b marshall yogis pct handbook by jackie mcdonnell journey being an historical adventure through the lands of the pacific crest trail north from the californiabaja border onto the oregon. Southbound hikers generally start in late june through early july. Ultralight gear makes sense in the california desert, while extra weather protection is needed in the sierra and cascades. Attitude, in every phase of the thruhike process, is as important as any physical, logistical or technological element. The pacific crest trail, officially designated as the pacific crest national scenic trail pct is a longdistance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the cascade and sierra nevada mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles 160 to 240 km east of the u.
Hiking the pct nobo north bound from the mexico border to canada has been on my bucket list since i first hiked parts of the pct in the 60s and 70s during my youth. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. A fool for love hikes the pacific crest trail mountaineers books, 20, immediately evokes those tradeoff moments required to. Strayed became a novelist of some note in her late 30s. A bit of that magic is captured in each of the pacific crest trail books that have been published over the decades. Imho the best info you can find is on the internet. Four fullcolor books present all the essential trail data you need to hike from mexico to canada on the pct. Pct southbound is a guide for sobo thruhikers on the pacific crest trail. This site serves as a news and info resource for hiking the pacific crest trail in oregon, and as a supplement to the guidebook, hiking the pct. Now that i am retired, i plan to do my pct thru hike during the summer of 2019. A pct or cdt thruhike also entails several months of planning in order to prepare gear and resupply points. Author cheryl strayed hikes the pacific crest trail in.
Schaffer and others these are really trail overview books, rather than guidebooks for ontrail use, even though they are marketed as such by the publisher, wilderness press. I guess my second question is related to my first, the previous location of warner springs is completely booked but the next point doesnt have a single permit registration. Frequently voted among the best hikes in the world, the route, which was created exclusively for backpackers and horseriders, stretches from californias mexican border to canadas british columbia. Jan 30, 2019 the authors of mountaineers books hiking the pacific crest trail series offer their top tips to help you prepare for their respective sections of the trail in southern california, northern california, oregon, and washington. Though it is specific to the pct, it offers many great tips and explains some of the intricacies of thru hiking in a way no other book does. One mans journey to peace and freedom on the appalachian trail stutzman, paul on. Transportation resupply hiking gear common treats books. There is just something about the pct that catches you. Were here to help pct thruhikers and section hikers through the lengthy planning process. Two veterans are assembling an elite thruhiking squad. In this post, ill talk about why i didnt start with music on the pct, why i made the change, what gear setup i used, and what i listened to including how to get audio books for free, legally. With over 200 maps, this comprehensive guide provides indepth coverage of the pacific crest trail pct from the mexican border to tuolumne meadows in yosemite national park. Revised from cover to cover, the brandnew 2019 edition features the most current and comprehensive trail info and resources available to help you plan and enjoy your pct hikes in oregon.
The pacific crest trail pct is a 2,600 mile 4,286 km trail that runs from the usmexico border all the way into british columbia, canada. Yogis pacific crest trail handbook this is the pct guide book for preparing for a thruhike. Doctors told trey cate hed never walk again after iraq. Trail angels maintained water caches and offer rides to the trailhead on top of what youd normally expect.
If you want a well written true account of what a thruhike of the pct is like look no further. Facebook groups, youtube videos, books, movies, and lots of practice backpacking trips are the tools i. Yogis pct handbook by jackie yogi mcdonnell yogis pct handbook is the best guidebook for thruhikers and most hikers carry it. Smith similar to but more succinct and readable than the three wilderness press guides below, this book provides an overview of the pct. Most northbound thruhikers start the pct in midapril through early may. Yogis continental divide trail handbook guides the experienced hiker through planning a cdt thruhike. No matter whether you have already completed the trail or are just going to section, day, or thru hike the pct, we are sure that these books and films will be of interest to you. In southern california, dangerous stretches blanket the. See more ideas about camping and hiking, pacific crest trail and thru hiking. They are recorded by volunteers though, so it might be wise to listen to a bit before you commit in case you hate the reader. This is what it looks like when you hike all 2,650 miles of the pacific crest trail. Im still working my way through this book, really taking time to make.
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