Whats guidebook do you use all day?

imported
#1

So I’m about to start consolidating my guidebooks into one book (or at least add important notes into margins), but only want to do this in the book that I’m most likely to have out and be referencing constantly.

or example, if I’m most likely to be referencing the guidebook, I’ll add some notes from Yogi’s guide and the Data book into the margins on it. But if I’m most likely to be referencing the Data book, I definitely don’t want to spend the time adding stuff in the margins of the guidebook, when I can do it in the data book. Thoughts?

Novakaine

#2

…cause right now I’m playing the role of Billy-Bob and his confangled engish language. Whats guidebook do ya’ll use a’ day?!?

Novakaine

#3

I used the data book the most and the guidebook only for the maps. Didn’t have Yogi’s guide (it was the ‘before Yogi’s book’ era).

Apple Pie

#4

On my first PCT thru-hike ('97), the only guidebooks available were the Wilderness Press guides for California, and OR/WA. (before the Data book, the Town Guide, & Yogi’s guide) The original guides were sufficient for hiking the trail. Even though there was little if any town info, we would simply ask the locals were the P.O. was, where to stay & eat, etc. It was fun to explore new towns and meet trail angels en-route - the whole trip was an adventure.

Now there is a huge amount of info available, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but many hikers are walking like robots on the trail - just following what they are told to do or see along the way. I saw this happening quite a bit in '05.

In '05 i decided to walk with as little info as possible. Granted, I had hiked the trail before so i was somewhat familiar with it. I only looked at my guidebook section if I had to - which was very rare. I used the data book to check the mileage between town stops in order to figure how much food i needed and then just set out on the trail. This made the planning for the hike very easy, since i bought all of my food en-route. There were many days where i never glanced at the guidebook.

I read Stepen Pern’s book about hiking the CDT back in the 80’s. I loved the part where he finds a copy of the Wolf Guidebook along the trail in Wyoming, leafs quickly through the pages and then throws the book out! He was determined to hike his own hike and discover things for himself.

I write this just to point out that hiking the PCT without all the extra info is possible. Some people will really enjoy following maps as they walk along the trail, or reading up on towns before they get to them. Others might like to hike along the trail without knowing much about what they will encounter - a walk of discovery.

Even if you decide to gather as much info as possible, keep in mind that there is much more than is ever mentioned. Some of the hikers in '05 looked like they were on a scavenger hunt - they would all go to a certain ice cream shop b/c it was listed as a “must” in a guidebook. This puts the blinders on at times and eliminates some of the interaction with the locals, which can be wonderful.

Happy Trails!

freebird

#5

O man, what a good post. Thanks for it.

Novakaine

#6

We really used the data book the most, because it gave the most concise look at distances between water sources.

The guidebook was useful for the maps, but the writing was often so negative about the trail it was more of a distraction than a help. That said, the maps were great and were occasionally a necessity.

We hiked before Yogi’s guide, and really saw no need for it. She tells you everything you would ever want to know about hiking the trail - but I enjoy figuring some things out for myself.

Ginny

#7

In 2003 I used the data book daily (well, many times a day) and the guidebook for maps and water info. These two I would use perhaps once or twice per day, reading descriptions in the evening. I had pre-production Yogi water notes that I found rather useful for SoCal. But, to be honest, you don’t need a whole lot. Maps for the Sierra, around towns in SoCal, and in parts of WA, the data book, and a few town descriptions. Really, the PCT may seem like a lot before you hike it, but it really doesn’t take that much to get out and enjoy it.

Suge

#8

For the first 700 miles, you’re definitely going to want the most recently updated print-out of the Water Report (http://www.4jeffrey.net/pctwater) although some of the mileage in this report disagrees with the data book distances. In addition to this, we carried the ripped out pages of the data book, the guidebook, and yogi’s book. I agree that the writing in the guidebook was extremely negative much of the time; it often sounded as though the authors hate this trail! We used the data book constantly, because I’m a little bit OCD and need to know exactly how far I’ve gone at all times. :wink:

G-Smurf

#9

The mileage on the water reports (http://pct.4jeffrey.net) now agrees with the newer (2005) data book.

AsABat

#10

I used Yogi’s PCT Handbook the most. It’s a fantastic resource. You shouldn’t be without it on the PCT.

Also used the up-to-date water reports in the desert of southern California.

I can tell you during 2004 the Lucky 5 cache, the Third Gate Cache, the Chihuahua Road cache and the Anderson’s cache helped me tremendously.

Datto

Datto