Sometimes a simple day hike or weekend trip just isn’t enough. Sometimes it’s good to leave society and immerse yourself in the wild for 2 or 3 weeks. To that we say cheers! The following trips are what we call “treks” – hikes with a duration of (minimum) 2 to 3 weeks.
John Muir Trail
When we planned for and hiked the JMT, I used the following book and map pack. I wished the maps were two-sided, but they worked very well. You can also download this elevation profile, which is a slightly improved version of the one from Parkay Maps.
Haute Route
There’s not much information on this trek, and it’s much less popular than Tour Mont Blanc (TMB). The Swiss Federal Office of Topography make the best topographic hiking maps in the world, though they’re quite pricey. If you plan to hike this route, you should buy this book to help with your planning:
Tahoe Rim Trail
In planning, I used this book by Houserman, and this map of the whole trail and lake by Tom Harrison. The map is excellent. The book, at least the second edition, seemed more geared toward doing the trail in sections, however, it still contained a lot of valuable information about lodging, water, etc.
The West Coast Trail
The West Coast Trail is on Vancouver Island in Canada. This trek was seven days of mud, beach, ladders, and fun. This book seems to be the most popular one, but you might consider cutting it in half if you take it along, since it repeats the same information to cover travelers going both directions. An excellent map is given out by Parks Canada along with your permit.
