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About this Book

Wilderness Press first published its book on the Pacific Crest Trail in June 1973, over 30 years ago. Since then, the book has sold nearly 100,000 copies, or roughly 3,000 a year, and has earned the reputation as “the PCT Bible” from backpackers and through-hikers on the trail. It is the most essential resource available to anyone who is planning a PCT trek, and its importance to those who are dreaming of hiking the PCT became all too clear the summer of 2002 when we let the old edition go out of print as we updated, corrected, and digitized the new edition. We received numerous phone calls and emails from folks who needed the book, and, to them, we do apologize. At last report, the old edition of The Pacific Crest Trail was being auctioned on eBay for over $75 a copy. Of such things, are legends made.

We made the decision in 2001 to split the large one-volume Pacific Crest Trail, Volume 1: California book into two separate volumes, and to take the time to bring the book into the modern age. Times had changed and the way books and maps are produced for print media has undergone a tremendous revolution. Many of Wilderness Press’ books have needed to be transformed through the alchemical process of turning old mechanicals (the original three-dimensional maps, art work and pasted-up boards) into digital files. For years we could get by doing things the old way, but few printers can accommodate mechanically-prepared books: it’s all disk-to-plate and that requires, in essence, a complete republishing of the book.

We now present the PCT book in two volumes. By splitting the original book, we were able to redesign it in order to enhance readability and make it a bit more portable. We also added new photos and improved the quality of the old ones. Most of the maps in this volume are the original reliable maps that were updated as each new edition of the old single-volume book went into production. However, there were enough new changes for a number of the maps that we commissioned cartographer Ben Pease to take several of the old ‘mechanical’ maps and create new ones, adding corrections and new data. As most readers know, the PCT maps in Wilderness Press’ books are the most detailed and current available.

Formerly published as The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume 1: California; now the California section of the PCT is covered by two books: Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California (From the Mexican border to Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows) and Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California (From Tuolumne Meadows to the Oregon Border). A third book, The Pacific Crest Trail, Oregon & Washington (6th edition, August 2000) is also published by Wilderness Press; it covers the Northwestern part of the PCT and is authored by Jeffrey P. Schaffer and Andy Selters. Since only a few users of the Pacific Crest Trail are complete through-hikers, the division of these texts should make it easier for planning the kind of shorter two-to-three week treks that most folks do.

As Wilderness Press enters its 36th year of publishing, it intends to keep alive some of its classic older volumes, which means we are investing in the new technology and redesigning many of our older books. We would love to hear your comments or suggestions on how our books can be improved. Contact me at jannie@wildernesspress.com, or write to Managing Editor, Wilderness Press, 1200 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710.

Thank you for buying and using this book. We hope it serves you well as you prepare for and set off on an incredible trip along the Pacific Crest Trail.

– Jannie M. Dresser, Managing Editor, Wilderness Press