Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
by Ben Schirfin, Jeffrey P. Schaffer, Thomas Winnett, Ruby Johnson Jenkins
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ben Schirfin, Jeffrey P. Schaffer, Ruby Johnson Jenkins, Thomas WinnettBrand: Wilderness Press
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-01-15
ISBN: 0899973167
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Wilderness Press
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Book Reviews of Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
Book Review: A critical book for tackling the PCT
Summary: 5 Stars
I am planning to hike the PCT from Mexico to Canada starting in March, 2011. Preparation is not something you do a week before, it takes months of planning from shipping resupply boxes to getting the right boots (breaking them in too), tents, backpacks, and whatever else. These books (and I'm including the the volumes for Northern California and Washington/Oregon) are essential. Here's what I like:
1. Detailed maps. They seem to vary from 1:24,000 to 1:100,000, but I think the authors chose what is most useful for the portion of the route that's being described. I'm going to use the maps here with a GPS system (undecided as to which, but will make a purchase soon, probably the Delorme PN-60 with SPOT) and my iPhone that will include the waypoints and tracks from Halfmile.
2. Water. This is going to be the biggest issue from Mexico to the lower Sierra's, and this book mentions water sources all along the trail. It might be out of date, but using more current information from several online sources, I can add notes to the book and to my GPS systems.
3. Resupply locations. Very useful. I'm not very interested in walking 30 miles or so to off trail resupply, so I need to thoroughly plan locations that are close to the trail. This book makes this easy.
4. The trail itself. It gives everything from history, to making sure you take the right fork (as opposed to the wrong one) and to descriptions of elevations. It warns you public vs. private land (makes me despise the owners of Tejon Ranch even more after reading this book).
This is a thorough book. I've read it cover to cover highlighting important information as I plan out the trip. I don't think you can use it like a Frommer's guide, opening up to the page when you get there. It's clear to survive and enjoy the PCT on a thruhike, planning counts.
I don't plan to do the thruhike in the ultra-light high-speed mode, so the weight of the books don't bother me. But they are heavy (seems to be printed on very high quality paper), so if you are worried about the grams, cutting them up and sending them along with resupply boxes is wise. I'm going to carry the full book, in case I make some adjustments to my schedule. I'll probably send the Northern California book to my last resupply section in "Southern California".
If you're going to do the PCT in whole or part, this book is extremely useful, especially for planning. When I do the Appalachian Trial in 2012, I hope I can find books like this!
Summary of Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
This comprehensive guide provides in-depth coverage of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from the Mexican border to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. Plan day hikes, weekend backpacks, or an extended thru-hike adventure with this indispensable resource.Our PCT gurus supply maps, photos, resupply access routes, side trips, and updated trail data. Learn about rocks, plants, animals, and human history along the trail. Plan for, trouble-shoot, and enjoy your PCT adventure with this authoritative guide. Over 200 maps included. Winner of the Classic Award in the 2008 National Outdoor Book Awards.
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