Hiking and Backpacking:
A Complete Guide
Karen Berger
“The Honeymooner”
This 224-page book is part of a series of guides to go with the Trailside television series on “making your own outdoor adventures.” Filled with full-color photographs and illustrations, Hiking and Backpacking: A Complete Guide presents a balanced introduction to gear and techniques for novice hikers. Even seasoned hikers will find many useful tips and new information in this well-written guide.
Many of the book’s photographs were taken by ALDHA members, including Dick Bailey, Syd Nisbet, Joe and Monica Cook, Frank and Victoria Logue, and Dan Smith.
She and Dan have hiked the Appalachian Trail, as well as the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail, which Karen has also written about. At past ALDHA Gatherings, she has shown some of her slides from these trips.
Along the
Pacific Crest Trail
Karen Berger
and Dan Smith
From the Amazon.com Web site:A narrative field guide to the unique plants, animals, history, and landscapes of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. For many people, the Pacific Crest is the ultimate long-distance hiking trail. Beginning in the dry valleys of southern California, it follows the crest of the snow-capped Sierras, and ends in the ancient forests of Washington's Cascades.
Along the way, national treasures such as Yosemite, Crater Lake, and Mount Rainier make this trail one of the premier hiking destinations in the world. But hiking is about much more than getting from A to B. This book begins where basic trail guides and maps leave off. For each section of the trail, the authors describe the route in detail and recommend the best day hikes and short backpacks from each trailhead. They describe the plants and animals hikers will see, tell stories about local history, explain plate tectonics, and in a thousand other ways enrich the experiences of the journey.
In addition, Berger and Smith draw on their tremendous experience--together, they have logged more than 12,000 miles on the PCT--to give tested advice to long-distance hikers on trip planning, gear and safety, seasonal considerations, trailheads and resupplies, permits, and much more. Color photographs and illustrations, 20 maps. (Published by Westcliffe)
Where the
Waters Divide:
A 3,000-mile Trek Along
America’s Continental Divide
Karen Berger
and Dan Smith
This book tells the story of our 1990 thru-hike of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail which, at the time, was still in its initial planning stages. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote: “The book does more than recount an amazing journey. It integrates critical political issues... with a fine sense of history, making for delightful, invigorating reading.” (Published by Countryman Press, 1997; paperback, with color pictures)
Everyday Wisdom:
1001 Expert Tips for Hikers
Karen Berger
Covers tips and techniques for everything from lighting a balky stove to fixing a broken tent pole. (Published by the Mountaineers in cooperation with Backpacker magazine)
Advance Backpacking:
A Trailside Guide
Karen Berger
This book addresses issues important to long-distance hikers, including planning expeditions and dealing with more difficult terrain and conditions such as deserts, snowfields and winter. (Published by W.W. Norton)
These books are available through Amazon.com.
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Trailhead
New Boots • Gathering • Grapevine • Springer Fever
A.T. Companion • Headlamp Material • Work Trips • Side Trails