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Book details

  • Genre:travel
  • Sub-genre:Special Interest / Hikes & Walks
  • Language:English
  • Series Title:PapaDen's Pacific Crest Trail Journey
  • Series Number:3
  • Pages:392
  • eBook ISBN:9798317829049
  • Hardcover ISBN:9798999649232

PapaDen's Pacific Crest Trail Journey Book 3

PCT Section 2 NOBO Sierra Nevada

By Dennis Clairmont

Overview

PapaDen's Pacific Crest Trail Journey: Book Three is an unforgettable passage through the heart of the High Sierra. Starting at Walker Pass and climbing into Kennedy Meadows—the symbolic gateway to the Sierra—Dennis A. Clairmont leads readers into some of the most demanding and breathtaking miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. From the blast-furnace heat of the Mojave's final ridges to the icy grandeur of Forester Pass and the mythic John Muir Trail corridor, this book blends vivid day-by-day storytelling with practical details for fellow hikers. Along the way, readers experience the hardships of food carries and high passes, the camaraderie of resupply stops, and the majesty of granite cathedrals, alpine lakes, and roaring rivers. This is the Sierra at its most rugged and rewarding—a journey of both body and spirit.
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Description

In PapaDen's Pacific Crest Trail Journey: Book Three, the Mojave Desert gives way to the granite stronghold of the Sierra Nevada. With Walker Pass as the starting line, Dennis Armand Clairmont ("PapaDen") takes readers north into the most dramatic and legendary stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. These chapters bring to life the pivotal miles that test every hiker: the symbolic crossing into Kennedy Meadows, the long climbs over Forester Pass, the rugged John Muir Trail corridor, and the return through Yosemite and Desolation Wilderness toward Echo Lake. PapaDen's narrative blends sensory-rich descriptions, trail history, and daily observations into an immersive account. Readers will feel the searing heat of the desert's last miles, the thin air above 13,000 feet, the rush of icy creeks, and the quiet grace of star-filled alpine nights. His candid reflections reveal not only the physical challenges of high passes, food shortages, and unpredictable weather, but also the deeper rewards—friendship, humility, and the peace found in wilderness. More than a memoir, this book doubles as a practical resource. Each section is supported with detailed daily itineraries, resupply points, and insights from experience. Vivid photography enhances the storytelling, inviting readers to step onto the trail themselves. Whether you're a dreamer planning your own thru-hike, a traveler who longs for wild landscapes, or a reader drawn to stories of endurance and discovery, Book Three delivers the Sierra in all its raw beauty and unforgiving splendor. Together with Book One and Book Two, it completes a trilogy chronicling a full Pacific Crest Trail journey—2,653 miles from Mexico to Canada—through the eyes and footsteps of one determined hiker.
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About The Author

DENNIS ARMAND CLAIRMONT was raised in the small New England town of Gilford Village, New Hampshire, at the base of Gunstock Mountain, where he developed a lifelong love for the outdoors. Fall meant playing football, winter brought skiing, and spring was for baseball. But summer was always his favorite season—building treehouses, digging underground forts, fishing for trout in nearby streams, raking blueberries, and hiking and camping with the Boy Scouts. In 1968, his family relocated from New England to California, leaving behind the landscape that had shaped his early passions. More than five decades later, after raising four children, Dennis found himself returning to those childhood roots. At 66 years old—despite arthritic knees and armed only with a backpack—he set out to undertake the most physically demanding challenge of his life: hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Campo, California, to the Canadian border. Dennis has chronicled that adventure in PapaDen's Pacific Crest Trail Journey, a trilogy of three books that tells the full story—one of perseverance, adventure, and personal rediscovery along one of America's great long-distance trails. Dennis now lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Shelley—his college sweetheart—after 52 years of marriage. They remain close to their four children and fifteen grandchildren.
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Book Reviews

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Marsha
PapaDen's Pacific Crest Trail Journey Wow—this final installment of Dennis Clairmont’s three-part Pacific Crest Trail series is outstanding. Returning to Southern California, Clairmont completes the Mojave Desert miles before heading north into the breathtaking High Sierra, wisely saving the most challenging stretch of the PCT for last. A standout moment is his side trip to Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. Though not directly on the PCT, the summit represents a powerful physical and emotional milestone, which Clairmont beautifully captures through vivid storytelling and thoughtful illustrations that inspire awe at God’s magnificent creation. As with the earlier volumes, this book doubles as an excellent practical guide, offering helpful advice on gear, resupply locations, mileages, and daily itineraries. What truly sets it apart, however, is how deeply it draws the reader into the journey. You feel every step, every struggle, and every triumph—making this a deeply rewarding conclusion to an exceptional series. Read more
Dennis
PapaDen’s Pacific Crest Trail Journey Trilogy Dennis Clairmont’s trilogy on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is a true gift for anyone who loves nature, adventure, or the quiet joy of walking through God’s creation. Each book explores a different stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail, offering a rich variety of terrain and landscapes that keep the reader engaged—whether you read one book or immerse yourself in all three. Book One covers Southern California, Oregon, and Washington. Book Two returns to the section from Hiker Town to Tehachapi and continues on to Walker Pass, then picks up again at the California–Oregon border and heads southbound to South Lake Tahoe (PCT Section 3, SOBO: Northern California). Book Three follows the trail from Walker Pass northbound to South Lake Tahoe (PCT Section 2, NOBO: Sierra Nevada). Throughout these journeys, Clairmont perseveres along the PCT looking forward to the promise of the towering peaks of the glorious Sierra. Beyond their beauty, these books are remarkably practical. Clairmont includes appendices with daily itineraries, mileage charts, detailed meal planning, and resupply locations—so thorough they could serve as an actual blueprint for a thru-hike. For anyone dreaming of taking on the PCT, his guidance is both reassuring and indispensable. Clairmont also weaves in fascinating tidbits of history throughout, adding depth and capturing the interest of history buffs. Pictures are placed at just the right intervals, giving welcome glimpses into the landscapes he describes. Perhaps the most moving element of Clairmont’s writing is the gentle, steady gratitude woven through every chapter. His reflections offer the same comfort as settling into camp after a long, satisfying day—breathing deeply, absorbing the stillness, and feeling grateful for the beauty that surrounds you. Along the way, the reader is invited into moments of camaraderie with fellow thru-hikers and trail angels—swapping stories, sharing meals, and taking stock of how far they’ve come. These encounters add warmth and humanity to the rugged solitude of the trail. Whether you’re planning your own Pacific Crest Trail journey or simply want to experience the wilderness from the comfort of home, these books are an uplifting, inspiring companion you’ll return to again and again. PapaDen’s Pacific Crest Trail Journey Book 1: Southern California, Oregon and Washington is available from Barnes and Noble at the following link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/PapaDen's Read more