In his Southern California Day and Section Hikes guidebook, published by Wilderness Press, David Money Harris chronicles noteworthy shorter hikes along the southernmost 700 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. Though many informational books about the Pacific Crest Trail target the thru-hiking crowd, this book – and the three others in the series – are geared toward the vast majority of the trail’s users who spend a few hours or days on the PCT at a time.
Open the world of day and section hiking on the PCT.
In addition to objective statistics regarding hiking distance and total elevation change, the aptly named Day and Section Hikes series rates hikes ranging in length from a few hours to a few days based on scenery, suitability for children, difficulty, and solitude. The informative, pocket-sized paperbacks also discuss permit requirements, maps, and driving directions, making it easy to plan a weekend outing or a short trip. Each hike is accompanied by a graphic profile of elevation and a description written by Money Harris, who has personally hiked every section of the PCT featured in the Southern California book, sometimes with his young sons.
A typical page in David Money Harris’ well researched guide.
The Southern California volume describes segments of the trail from the Mexican Border north to Olancha Pass in the South Sierra Wilderness. Harris has also written a free electronic guidebook app, eTrails, which includes maps and information about the PCT in Southern California from section A through O. Harris is a Professor of Engineering and the Associate Director of the Engineering Clinic Program at Harvey Mudd College. You can find his full bio as well as his other books published through Wilderness Press here. Harris donates all royalties from the sale of his Southern California volume to the PCTA to protect, preserve, and promote the trail.