Laura Randall - Southern California: From the Mexican Border to Tuolumne Meadows

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

FROM THE MEXICAN BORDER TO TUOLUMNE MEADOWS

First edition 1973

Second edition 1977

Third edition 1982

Fourth edition 1989

Fifth edition 1995

Sixth edition 2003

Seventh edition 2020

Copyright 1973, 1977, 1982, 1989, 1995, 2003, 2020 by Wilderness Press

Cover design: Scott McGrew

Book design: Travis Bryant

Maps: Scott McGrew

Cover photo: Tandem Ride Photography/Shutterstock. A hiker overlooks the desert floor of Mount Laguna whilehiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

Frontispiece photo: The PCT follows the bouldery granite and marble beds of the Whitewater River in Section C.

Opposite page: A plaque above a rest spot commemorates author and naturalist Jim Jenkins.

Interior photos: Laura Randall, unless otherwise noted on page; photos on pages 4043 by Dan R. Lynch

Index: Potomac Indexing LLC

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Randall, Laura, 1967

Title: Pacific Crest Trail : Southern California, from the Mexican border to Tuolumne Meadows / Laura Randall, Ben Schifrin, Ruby Johnson Jenkins, Thomas Winnett, Jeffrey P. Schaffer.

Description: Seventh edition. | Birmingham, Alabama : Wilderness Press, [2020] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017051196| ISBN 9780899978406 (paperback) | ISBN 9780899978413 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: HikingPacific Crest TrailGuidebooks. | HikingCalifornia, SouthernGuidebooks. | WalkingPacific Crest TrailGuidebooks. | WalkingCaliforniaGuidebooks. | BackpackingPacific Crest TrailGuidebooks. | BackpackingCalifornia, SouthernGuidebooks. | Pacific Crest TrailGuidebooks. | California, SouthernGuidebooks.

Classification: LCC GV199.42.P3 R36 2018 | DDC 796.5109794dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017051196

Published by

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Visit wildernesspress.com for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information. Contact us at our website, at facebook.com/wildernesspress1967, or at twitter.com/wilderness1967 with questions or comments. To find out more about who we are and what were doing, visit blog.wildernesspress.com.

DISCLAIMER

Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map.

As any hiker knows, nature and our pathways into it are ever-changing; wildfires reshape whole forests and open up views, floods and landslides obliterate long-established routes, roads and trails change as new routes are built and old trails are abandoned, and businesses close. Your comments on recent developments or changes for future editions are always welcome.

While this guidebook revision has been under development for more than four years, at press time in the summer of 2020, COVID-19 is widely spread at critical levels in California, Oregon, and Washington. The Pacific Crest Trail Association is currently only recommending local, fully self-supported trips on the PCT that dont include travel to communities along the trail. Follow local regulations and maintain physical distance between non-family members. Explore the PCT locally or visit other beautiful trails near your home until its safe to travel more fully. For the latest information on PCT restrictions, visit pcta.org/covid-19.

DEDICATION

To James Charles Jenkins, 19521979

Coauthor of the first three editions of this book

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I n late 2015 I was approached by the editors at Wilderness Press about updating the 2003 edition of Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California. I had hiked sections of the trail near my home in Los Angeles but was humbled and awed by the task being handed to me: helping a new generation of PCT hikers prepare for and understand more than 900 miles of one of the worlds most famous trails. The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume 1: California, has been an essential resource for anyone planning a PCT trek since it was first published in 1973. The guide was last updated in 2003 by a quartet of writers with impressive backgrounds in outdoor adventure: Wilderness Press founder Thomas Winnett, who died in 2011 at the age of 89; Ben Schifrin and Jeffrey Schaffer; and Ruby Johnson Jenkins, who assumed the fieldwork for her son, James C. Jenkins, after he died in a freeway accident before completing work on the books fourth edition.

Their dedication and obvious love for the PCT inspired me and stayed with me throughout my hikes and research. There are many, many others to thank for making the 2020 edition of this book possible: Jordan Summers, author of the 2020 editions of Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California and Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon & Washington; mapping legend Lon Halfmile Cooper; the entire staff of the Pacific Crest Trail Association; trail angels Jeff and Donna Saufley, Mike Herrera, Terrie and Joe Anderson, and many other unnamed folks who provided lifts, unexpected food, and kind words between Campo and Tuolumne Meadows; and Kevin Corcoran and all the volunteer Southern California Trail Gorillas, who have spent countless hours clearing, weed whacking, and doing whatever else it takes to keep the trail clear and safe for all hikers.

A special thanks must go to all those who accompanied me on long and short stretches or offered words and gestures of encouragement during the most challenging times: Ayleen Gontz, Maria Sammis, Anita Vonderheid, Amy Schad, Kit Ross, Donna Marovish, Laura Witten, Elana Verbin, and especially my family: John, Jack, and Theo Kimble for their love and support.

Finally, to the folks at Wilderness Press and AdventureKEEN, for giving me this incredible, life-changing opportunity and whose hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm were instrumental in getting this new edition on bookshelves.

Laura Randall

ABOUT THIS BOOK

W ilderness Press published its first book on the Pacific Crest Trail, The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume 1: California, in June 1973, more than 47 years ago. Since then, our PCT guidebook series has earned the reputation as the most essential resources available to anyone who is planning a PCT trek.

That first book is now covered by two books: Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California (From the Mexican Border to Yosemites Tuolumne Meadows) and Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California (From Tuolumne Meadows to the Oregon Border). A third book, Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon & Washington, first published in 1974, covers the Northwestern part of the PCT. Because only a few users of the Pacific Crest Trail are complete thru-hikers, the division of these texts makes it easier for planning the kind of shorter two- to three-week treks that most hikers do. These new editions feature all new photos and maps. Our detailed maps are based on the most current data available.