The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, California: Adventure, History, and Legend on the Long-Distance Trail

* Unique woodcut illustrations decorate both volumes
* Trail map to follow story locations in each volume
* For both hikers and armchair adventurers of the PCT


The heart of this anthology is these real trail tales, stories taken from PCT hikers: trailside humor and traditions, "trail angels" and "trail magic," encounters with wildlife and wild weather, stories of being lost and found, rescues, and unusual incidents. Revealing a larger context are historical accounts of events such as Moses Schallenberger's winter on Donner Pass and pioneer efforts like the old Naches Road that ended up creating access to today's trails; Native American myths and legends such as that of Lost Lake near Mount Hood; and selections from highly-regarded environmental writers who have captured the region in print, including Mary Austin in The Land of Little Rain ; John Muir in The Mountains of California; and Barry Lopez in Crossing Open Ground. Readers will also enjoy a few more surprising contributions from the likes of Mark Twain and Ursula Le Guin.

Organized parallel to the actual sections of the PCT and presented in two regional volumes, The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader will entertain everyone from dedicated thru-hikers to lovers of regional lore.

Need more from the PCT Readers? Editors Rees Hughes and Corey Lewis are sharing stories from the trail on their website, pcttrailsidereader.com. Submit your own images or stories from the trail, or simply get lost in the tales from other travelers...

Growing up in the wilds of Kansas, Rees Hughes found the lure of the mountains so irresistible that he traded the flatlands for Seattle, the Cascades, and finally Northern California’s Klamath Knot. Although he has hiked all over the world, the Pacific Crest Trail has been his true love for more than 40 years. The author of a popular hiking guide, Hiking Humboldt, Rees also serves on the board of the Bigfoot Trail Alliance and coordinates a local Volunteer Trail Stewards program.

COREY LEWIS is Professor of Creative Writing and Literature at Humboldt State University, where he also supervises the Wilderness Orientation Program. The author of the award-winning Reading the Trail (University of Nevada Press, 2005), Dr. Lewis lives in Arcata and has hiked the California section of the PCT extensively.

AMY UYEKI is a visual artist whose work has been published in national magazines and books and has appeared in Print's Best Logos and Designs, Print Magazine, East/West Magazine, and Simple Screenprinting. She has won numerous awards including an International Achievement Award from the IFAI for banner design for the Redwood National and State Parks, a Visual Arts Fellowship from the California Arts Council for printmaking, and is a recipient of numerous grants, including the NEA, California Council for the Humanities and the New Langton Arts Initiative. She has worked extensively with wood block prints and lino cut prints. Learn more about her work on her website.