View Full Version : best book?
StormBird
11-24-2010, 23:46
What is the best book to get for a thru hike of the john muir trail?
thanks for any help!:)
wandering_bob
11-25-2010, 00:00
""John Muir Trail"
by Elizabeth Wenk with Kathy Morey
Wilderness Press
4th edition, 2007
$17.95
ISBN 978-0-89997-436-1
The book is divided into two sections with separate trail descriptions for heading north-bound and south-bound.
Appendices include lateral trails, campsites, possible re-supply points, bear box locations, side trips to nearby peaks, and topo maps.
Ditto:
I made copies of the trail profiles and the listed campsites. It was helpful to know what ups and downs lay ahead.
I bought other guides, but that was the only one I used.
Another good one to show other trails, or escape routes is JMT Day and Section Hikes by Kathleen Dodge. According to the bio, the author started hiking in the are when she was 10. Completed the JMT age 30 and hikes every summer along it somewhere.
A book I bought in Yosemite and enjoyed was : History of the Sierra Nevada, by Francis P. Farquhar, U of Calif. Press. Author, a professor and outdoorsman has a mountain named after him!
Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada by John Muir Laws is a wonderful nature guide on the area: mammals, trees, flowers, birds, bugs, fungi and spiders...etc.!
Megapixel
11-25-2010, 15:01
Ditto:
I made copies of the trail profiles and the listed campsites. It was helpful to know what ups and downs lay ahead.
I bought other guides, but that was the only one I used.
Another good one to show other trails, or escape routes is JMT Day and Section Hikes by Kathleen Dodge. According to the bio, the author started hiking in the are when she was 10. Completed the JMT age 30 and hikes every summer along it somewhere.
A book I bought in Yosemite and enjoyed was : History of the Sierra Nevada, by Francis P. Farquhar, U of Calif. Press. Author, a professor and outdoorsman has a mountain named after him!
Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada by John Muir Laws is a wonderful nature guide on the area: mammals, trees, flowers, birds, bugs, fungi and spiders...etc.!
DOUBLE DITTO to this, and i have a copy i would be willing to sell to help fund my AT hike this year! Let me know!!!
Wise Old Owl
11-25-2010, 18:46
Just heard Kindle uses very little energy to view and only requires a charge per week!
Helmuth.Fishmonger
11-29-2010, 11:24
What is the best book to get for a thru hike of the john muir trail?
thanks for any help!:)
book for planning or book for dreaming? Book to brin alone, or book to read and then take a few notes along once you figure out that this trail doesn't need much route info, while the pre-hike logistics are what you need to learn about, however, very little of that can be found in most books.
Among JMT repeat hikers, this new guide is getting good reviews:
http://johnmuirtrailmap.com/
Good stuff for a first timer
book for planning or book for dreaming? Book to brin alone, or book to read and then take a few notes along once you figure out that this trail doesn't need much route info, while the pre-hike logistics are what you need to learn about, however, very little of that can be found in most books.
Among JMT repeat hikers, this new guide is getting good reviews:
http://johnmuirtrailmap.com/
Good stuff for a first timer
25% off till dec 7th
still 33 bucks with shipping
Helmuth.Fishmonger
12-02-2010, 12:19
25% off till dec 7th
still 33 bucks with shipping
which is why I don't have any of this stuff. It's completely useless on a trail you cannot miss unless it's snowed in, and even then you can follow the PCT tracks through the snow for the most part to find back to the regular trail. Everything else is common sense and 99% of what's in those guides is only necessary for pre-hike planning and can be obtained for free with a few hours of online searching.
The JMT is almost impossible to get lost on. You already know where to stash food, have a clear idea of climate and gear needed. Why would you need to carry anything more than an overview map in case you need to bail from the trail to some exit pass?
The only books I have for the Sierra are Secor's climbing guide that covers all the stuff around the JMT and beyond, including some of the exit passes, plus the Sierra High Route book by Roper, which is a mostly off trail route, so you pretty much need the book to know where you're going.
The JMT in mid summer on the other hand is about as easy to follow as Interstate 80
I ended up ordering the book because I do like having something with me. I like having topo maps. I have been lost with out food or water before.
DOUBLE DITTO to this, and i have a copy i would be willing to sell to help fund my AT hike this year! Let me know!!!
How much do you want ? you can pm me
How about water sources? Do any books mention the water sources? I have the Wenk book and see where it mentions crossing a stream or something, but I didn't see it mention springs, etc along the way... I'm probably overlooking it?
The one I mentioned a few post up does.
schnikel
03-27-2011, 15:46
Eric the Black's new JMT Atlas has maps with water sources, camps, fords, everything. Very well made and set up all together in a thin, nearly weightless book that you could carry along with you on the trail. I just got it the other day 30% off and I am impressed with it. All thie info in the book may be overkill, but I really enjoy having something like this to carry with me.
Schnikel