Product Description

The West Coast Trail, which traverses 50 miles of gorgeous Northwest Canadian coastline, has been dubbed the "Graveyard of the Pacific," having claimed 60 ships since 1854. Tim Leadem, who’s hiked it many times, shows readers how to make the most of this demanding trail. The book contains two-color maps covering trailhead to terminus; checklists for food, clothing, and gear; easy reference charts for navigating tricky tidal areas; and a brief text describing the historical, cultural, and geological highlights along the way.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #778161 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 88 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781553651550
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Good information, but dated.
It would be impossible to keep a book like this 100% current but anyone preparing to hike the West Coast Trail needs to be aware of changes. One specific: the book leads you to believe that the required trail orientation at the South end is held near the Gordon River ferry. That orientation is currently held at the Port Renfrew Community Center 2 kilometers away. We would have missed our start date on the trail had we not discovered that in time.

The author failed to place adequate emphasis on footwear and hiking techniques. This trail is mucky and slick. People that are used to dry mountain hiking will not be adequately prepared. Plan on hiking with wet feet. You will waste much time and energy trying to pick your way around the mud. Just maintain your normal stride and walk on through it. Knee-high, snug fitting gaiters over your boots will filter out most of the mud. Thick socks will embed any sand that might get in, thus preventing abrasions and blisters. Rubber soles with a agressive tread should be selected over the harder urethane soles found on most boots. Don't try to get by with an old pair of boots. One member of our group didn't want to get her new boots dirty so she brought her old one. The worn soles resulted in a lot of unnecessary slips and the water soaking resulted in both soles falling off before the trip was over.

To the positive: There is a lot of good contact information in the book. One gem was the Juan de Fuca Express water taxi. We hadn't initially considered doing the shuttle by boat but are very glad that we did. It was a great trip in and of itself.

For what it is worth, the ranger that gave our orientation felt that "Blisters and Bliss" gave a better picture of hiking the trail than Leadem's book.