The Getaway Guide to the John Muir Trail (Getaway Guides) [Paperback]

Guy T. Saperstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2005 | Series: Getaway Guides

The Sierra Nevada is one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in The world - and the John Muir Trail winds through the very best of it. This book is the story of a hike of the JMT, but it is mostly a guide for preparing and planning to do such a trip - in whole, or in sections The JMT is a trail that is not interrupted by a single road for over 200 miles!

Editorial Reviews

Review

What lifts this book above the pack, broadening its appeal and making absorbing reading - is, in a word, attitude... we inevitably feel the lure of not only the trail scenic grandeur but its promise of transformation. --Society of American Travel Writers (Western Chapter) Gold Award For Guidebooks

From the Publisher

Considered by some to be the greatest long hike in America, the John Muir Trail is blessed by great scenery, good weather and a well kept route ideal for hikers of all ages. It's a long route and if you can't do it all in one trip, this book will make it possible for you to hike it in sections. Beautiful color photos will tempt you to get up and leave your day job for the journey of a lifetime. But before you head for the hills, prepare with Saperstein's meticulous information on getting ready to hike the JMT. Well informed and written with a sense of humor, the book's journal of the hike offers a day by day account of what you can expect on this wonderful route. Join Guy Saperstein for the journey of a lifetime.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: RDR Books (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571430989
• ISBN-13: 978-1571430984
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Personal, and Information Packed, June 6, 2005

By 

Faye Abkin "Faye" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Getaway Guide to the John Muir Trail (Getaway Guides) (Paperback)

I must report how much I enjoyed the trip along the John Muir Trail.

This book is written in a very detailed and interesting way.

It held my interest through the night until I finished it. I am sure that anyone wishing information regarding the trail will find the book very helpful and interesting along the way. I saw the beauty and grandeur of the sights and sounds of the JMT through this book.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a nice place to start, March 26, 2006

By 

Ronald W. Clarke "Aldo Cella" (San Diego,Ca.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Getaway Guide to the John Muir Trail (Getaway Guides) (Paperback)

This fine book inspires as well as educates. It gives a nice overview of the trail as well as some handy info. The pictures are beautiful and writing very colorful. It made me want to go hiking right now. It offers perhaps the best way to do the trail, slow and relaxed. If I only had the time.

RC

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, quick read, August 12, 2008

By 

Kekoa Proudfoot - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Getaway Guide to the John Muir Trail (Getaway Guides) (Paperback)

This book is a quick read packed with useful and entertaining information. It's not a complete guide to the trail, but more one person's narrative about planning for and then hiking the trail. I could not put the book down once I started.

The first half of the book is an overview of the basic information of the trail (like options for resupplying) plus a detailed description of the equipment that the author and his son considered taking (and eventually took) on the trip. The author took sort of a midweight approach, carrying a little more than 100 lbs split between two people. That said, he discusses all the major options and the reasoning behind the choices he ended up making.

The second half of the book is a journal of the trip itself. It is filled with colorful descriptions of places and people. The author tells many, many little stories, all of which are interesting in some way, and you get a very good sense of the characters met along the way. Also included are a number of color plates with photographs taken by the author.

The downsides to this book are minor. Another reviewer commented about homeopathic remedies and the author not really hiking the whole JMT in one go, but neither of these really detracted from the narrative much. The split in the trip was to hike the first 3 days as a warmup in June before the rest of the hike in September.

Overall, the book is worth 5 stars in my opinion, as it is packs in a good amount of useful information in a very entertaining manner.