• Chris Townsend → International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press 2000
With thousands of all-weather miles to his credit, from North America, Europe, and Asia, Chris Townsend is the ultimate guide for backpackers of all levels. The Advanced Backpacker is an invaluable fusion of expert information and unlimited inspiration, featuring detailed discussions of everything from finding routes and choosing locations to planning, financing, equipping, and supplying oneself for the long haul. Offering readers unprecedented insight into the extensive preparations required to develop the body and psyche of a long-distance hiker, Townsend addresses the specifics of hiking in all climates, from deserts and mountains to the arctic tundra and the tropics. The Advanced Backpacker offers top-level navigation techniques as well as specific safety and health precautions for extreme heat and cold.
• Chris Townsend → International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press 1996
Winner of the Outdoor Writers Guild award for excellence, this inspired guide from one of the world's best-traveled adventurers offers essential, up-to-the-minute information and advice on all aspects of backcountry trekking for hikers and backpackers of every stripe. From planning and techniques to gear, it's all covered in succinct, highly readable fashion in an expanded, visually arresting update of a proven bestseller. The Backpacker's Handbook is the only major guide to deliver an in-depth look at all backpacking styles, from ultralight to long-distance hiking. New material on trekking in challenging environments such as deserts and mountains will appeal to hikers who love to push the envelope. Chris Townsend's anecdotal style makes for a book that invites reading from cover to cover, yet is designed to let readers find specific topics quickly. The Backpacker's Handbook teaches us how to make traveling through the wild truly enjoyable and fulfilling while protecting its natural beauty.
The world-famous Grand Canyon is only one of Arizona's spectacular natural features. Arizona encompasses over 90 wilderness areas, more than 15 national parks and monuments, and the largest national forest in the country. Expansive mesas, high peaks, and snaking canyons create a dynamic landscape and reflect a rich geologic and human history. Backpacking Arizona is the only guide devoted to overnight trips in the state. You'll discover the maze of side canyons and hidden grottos in the Grand Canyon's untrammeled backcountry, historic pioneer trails on the Mogollon Rim, the little-traveled Blue Range, and the legendary Superstition Mountains in the Sonoran Desert.
Backpacking California is a collection of more than 70 of the most intriguing backpacking adventures in Wilderness Press's home territory of California. With contributions from more than a dozen Wilderness Press authors, the book describes routes ranging from one night to one week. Backpacking novices as well as "old hand" California hikers will find expert-crafted trips in the Coast Ranges, the Sierra, the Cascades, and the Warner Mountains. Expanded coverage includes trips in Big Sur, Anza-Borrego, Death Valley, and the White Mountains. Several trips have been described in print nowhere else. Each trip includes a trail map and essential logistical information for trip planning.
With 65 photographs and 77 detailed maps, this indispensable guide to the state's hiking trails gives beginners to advanced hikers all the information they need to plan their next Michigan overnight or weekend backpacking trip. Featuring 50 trails---27 in the Lower Peninsula---ranging from one-hour to multiple-day treks in both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Backpacking in Michigan has something for every hiker.
Information on hike length and difficulty, elevation gain, the amount of time needed to complete the hike, camping facilities, and nearby towns accompanies each of the trail listings. The author also provides extensive reference maps along with a description of scenic highlights. In addition to backcountry explorations of remote trails, Backpacking in Michigan includes classic Michigan adventures such as the Lakeshore Trail in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the Greenstone Ridge Trail in Isle Royale National Park, North Manitou Island in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Jordan River Pathway in the Mackinaw State Forest.
While Backpacking in Michigan focuses primarily on the trails themselves, it also makes planning your Michigan adventure as easy as possible by providing important information on routes to and from the trailhead, as well as park fees and reservation information for shelters, walk-in cabins, rental yurts, and overnight camping.
Jim DuFresne is a Michigan native and author of more than a dozen wilderness, travel, and hiking guidebooks. He is author of Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails and Water Routes; 50 Hikes in Michigan: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks in the Lower Peninsula; Best Hikes with Children: Michigan; Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: A Backcountry Guide for Hikers, Campers, Backpackers, and Skiers; as well as The Complete Guide to Michigan Sand Dunes, copublished by the University of Michigan Press and Petoskey Publishing.
Backpacking Nevada, the ultimate guide to backpacking trips in Nevada's basin and range, has 23 trips ranging from two days to two weeks. From the East Humboldt Wilderness to the Ruby Mountains and the Toiyabe Range, this guide describes the finest backpacking adventures in Nevada. Few people are aware of the vast expanse of natural beauty that lies outside the dizzying atmosphere of Nevada's Las Vegas and Reno metro areas. Venture outside the strip however, and discover untrammeled wilderness in the most mountainous state in the continental US. Explore the forests of the Carson Range, traverse the granite peaks and cascading creeks of the Santa Rosa-Paradise Peak Wilderness, or watch elk and antelope in the remote Jarbridge Mountains.
Pennsylvania has the most extensive system of backpacking trails of any state east of the Mississippi River. While most hiking guides to the state feature information on day-hikes, this valuable guide will give backpackers of all levels a resource for discovering and learning about longer trails for more rugged journeys by foot. Included are detailed descriptions of 37 trails as well as information on terrain, difficulty, precautions and contacts. Also includes directions to each trail and descriptions of features along the trek.
• Elizabeth D. Hailman → University of Wisconsin Press 2000
Wisconsin is a premier backpacking state, with outstanding opportunities for weekend trips. With its Great Lakes and river boundaries, national and state parks and forests, and stunning geological diversity, it offers a variety of experiences for both novice and experienced backpackers. In Backpacking Wisconsin Jack and Liz Hailman, drawing on years of personal experience, provide first-hand information for trails in every corner of the state-from the wooded Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, inhabited by whitetailed deer and black bears, to picturesque Newport State Park in Door County, set upon Silurian-age limestone laid down over 100 million years ago. For each backpacking site you'll find: *information on entrance fees and permits, campsites, & contact sources *directions to the location *detailed trail maps with keys that pinpoint roads, parking, trail shelters, water supplies, outhouses *ratings for trails, scenery, quiet, solitude, and interest *background information on history, geology, and terrain *trail notes describing trees, shrubs, wildflowers, birds, and animals you may encounter. Backpacking Wisconsin also provides an overview of the backpacking experience, tips for the beginner and the expert, hints on how to choose equipment (boots, packs, tents, sleeping bags, rain gear, stoves), notes on troublesome plants and animals, a list of state areas that no longer offer backpacking, schedules of fees, a checklist for backpacks, and a list of trail, outdoor, and conservation organizations. For those hesitant to venture deep into wilderness, the Hailmans spotlight "quasi-backpacking" sites. All you have to do is pick a trail! "A user-friendly guidebook! I felt I was sitting at a kitchen table listening to the authors tell detailed stories of trips they have taken and offering advice on how I could share their experiences."-Greg Marr, editor of Silent Sports
Wyoming boasts countless outstanding backcountry destinations. While some of these attractions are world famous, many are virtually unknown even to the savviest locals. Award-winning author Douglas Lorain details both famous and hidden treasures in his picks of Wyoming's 28 most enjoyable backpack trips. Lasting from three days to two weeks, these carefully chosen itineraries offer the hiker mountain scenery, magnificent wildlife, colorful geologic marvels, and reasonable daily mileage goals. This in-depth guide reveals the best trips in and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, the Beartooth and Bighorn Mountains, the Absaroka and Snowy Ranges, the Wind River Range, and such treasures as the Wyoming, Gros Ventre, Bear Lodge, and Salt River Mountains. Each of the trips rates scenery, solitude, and difficulty; specifies mileage, elevation gain, days on the trail, and shuttle distance; and notes special attractions, required permits, and challenges. A detailed map and photographs accompany each trip. Everything the backcountry adventurer needs for a "trip of a lifetime."
Best Backpacking Vacations is your ticket to twenty-seven of the most remarkable wilderness destinations in the northern Rockies. Discover snow-capped summits, exquisite subalpine meadows, crystal-clear lakes, cascading streams and waterfalls, towering coniferous forests and hear only nature's voice. Choose among three- to five-day trips, for both novice and experienced hikers, through Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks and the Absaroka-Beartooth, Bob Marshall, Lee Metcalf, and Wind River Wilderness Areas. Explore this top-of-the-world environment with veteran hiker and outdoor writer Bill Schneider and use this book to make planning your wilderness adventure a breeze. Use this guide for: vital information on camping and backcountry-use regulations and permits; difficulty ratings for each hike; USGS-based trail maps; learning how to protect and preserve wilderness. (6 x 9, 2588 pages, b&w photos, maps)