Blackwoods Press Publications

John Muir Trail Pocket Atlas

John Muir Trail Atlas is a compact guide book that fits in your pocket, weighs just 2.5 ounces, and includes all of the maps and information you need to hike the 210 mile John Muir Trail from Yosemite to Mount Whitney.

Colorado Trail Pocket Atlas

Colorado Trail Atlas is a compact guide book that fits in your pocket, weighs just 3.5 ounces, and includes all of the maps and information you need to hike the 485 mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango.

Pacific Crest Trail Atlas

Pacific Crest Trail Atlas is a compact guide book that fits in your pocket, weighs just 5 ounces, and includes all of the maps and information you need to hike the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.

22 Responses to “Blackwoods Press Publications”

Terri November 28, 2010 at 6:03 pm

Hi Erik,

Just want to let you know I really like your JMT Atlas. I have the most popular JMT book and map pack out there and the way you have organized your information is SO much better. It’s well organized and easy to use. Your trail track also appears to be more accurate, i.e. showing greater details like switch-backs up steep inclines.

I’m having a great time organizing my itinerary with your book! Thanks. Terri
Erik The Black November 29, 2010 at 7:13 am

Thanks Terri, I appreciate that. Good luck with your hike!
bii filsinger December 10, 2010 at 4:33 pm

When will your new books be available?

Ultralight backpacking and How to hike the PCT
Erik The Black December 10, 2010 at 4:45 pm

@bii: Ultralight Backpacking and How To Hike The PCT are in progress. I’m still working on both books so I don’t have a release date set for these yet.
John Sund February 8, 2011 at 5:06 pm

We are planning to hike John Muir Trail September 9 – 22, 2011 north to south.
where do we get permits?
any ideas on transportation to the trail heads?

thanks
John
Erik The Black February 9, 2011 at 8:44 am

@John: You get your John Muir Trail wilderness permit from the agency in charge of your entry trailhead, and it is valid for the whole trail. If you plan to hike southbound starting at Happy Isles it would be Yosemite National Park. If hiking northbound from Mount Whitney it would be Inyo National Forest. It’s more difficult to get a Mount Whitney permit due to trail quotas.

You can find more info about permits here:

Yosemite Permits
Mount Whitney Permits

I had written an in-depth article about transportation to and from the John Muir Trail, but unfortunately it got lost during a website redesign.

But, here are the websites of public transportation providers servicing different parts of the John Muir Trail:

Yosemite Area Regional Tranportation System (YARTS)
Yosemite Valley Shuttle
Mammoth Area Shuttle
Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA)
Mount Whitney Shuttle Service
Wally Sanford April 14, 2011 at 5:03 pm

I have been reading just about everything you post and it is great. I am planning my first thru hike for this summer, I am hoping to complete the Finger Lakes Trail in New York. I am interested in purchasing your book “Ultra Backpacking” but have been unable to find a way to purchase on your site. I am sure you can help me with this questiuon.
Erik The Black April 14, 2011 at 5:26 pm

@Wally: Thanks. I am still working on Ultralight Backpacking, but I hope to have it finished and available sometime later this year (hopefully by summer).
Bryce September 11, 2011 at 3:40 pm

Hey Eric, love your stuff. I’m planning a PCT through hike in 2012 and was wondering when or if your 3rd edition trail atlas would be available. Thanx for all the great info, Bryce
Erik The Black September 24, 2011 at 7:23 pm

@Bryce: Some of the PCT Atlas 3rd Editions will be available in 2012, but not all. Volumes 1 and 2 (Southern and Central California) should be ready by Spring. Volume 5 (Washington) later in the year and Volumes 3 and 4 (Nor Cal and Oregon) in 2013.
Jared October 10, 2011 at 9:16 am

Erik,
I am planning a thru-hike of the PCT for 2013. Will the 3rd addition be ready before the season??
Erik The Black October 11, 2011 at 11:27 am

@Jared: Yes, if all goes according to plan all five books of the 3rd Edition PCT Atlas will be completed before Spring 2013.
Doug Prosser December 11, 2011 at 6:24 pm

I was following a discussion on backpackinglight@yahoogroups.com that talked about putting guide books & maps on Amazon’s Kindle readers. Any thought to putting you guides on Kindles??
Erik The Black December 12, 2011 at 8:12 am

@Doug: I am a big fan of Amazon Kindle. I use mine all the time. But they are not very graphics-friendly. The black and white e-ink screens are good for displaying crisp text, but don’t do a very good job with graphics. I’m not familiar with Amazon’s new color Kindles. They would probably do a good job of displaying graphics, but I imagine they suffer from the same problem as other color LCD devices like Ipads and Smart Phones, which is poor battery life. The black and white Kindles are great because you can go for weeks without recharging, but when you add a color screen into the mix battery life tends to plummet. Personally, I don’t think it is a good idea to rely on an electronic device in the back-country for anything, because they can be so easily damaged, malfunction or run out of batteries. But, the world is changing, and people are becoming increasingly dependent on their electronic devices. If things continue along that path and hikers decide they no longer want printed books, then I will publish my books for those devices. But, my plan is to resist as long as I can, because I think it is irresponsible to rely on technology on a hike.
Meredith Kifer December 21, 2011 at 10:06 pm

Erik how can I get a copy of the PCT Atlas Vol 1. I live in Escondido, CA
Erik The Black December 22, 2011 at 9:46 am

@Meredith: The 2nd Edition PCT Atlas Vol 1 are currently sold out. The new 3rd edition for Southern California is in progress and should be coming out in 2012.
Jeff Hubbard April 19, 2012 at 10:50 am

Hey Erik, I’m planning a thru trip on tbhe Oregon PCT in Aug. 2013. Any idea if and when the Gudebook will be available?
Russell April 21, 2012 at 6:52 pm

Erik, I can’t seem to find the ultralight backpacking book. Have you just not completed it yet?
Erik The Black April 22, 2012 at 8:49 am

@Jeff: The 3rd Editon PCT Atlases will be coming out one at a time as they are finished, starting with SoCal. So Oregon is 4th in line. I’ve given up on making estimates because they are too hard to stick with, but I am working diligently and the new books will be coming out sometime over the course of this year and the next.
Erik The Black April 22, 2012 at 8:51 am

@Russell: The Ultralight Backpacking book is on the back burner for now. I am concentrating on finishing the 3rd Edition Pacific Crest Trail Atlases first, which will be my primary focus for the next year or so. However, I intend to keep posting free articles here on the blog as often as possible.
William Howard May 13, 2012 at 6:55 pm

Eric
My son is on the PCT now and has seen your guide book and aske me to find them for him. I have been all over the internet and I have only found them sold out, do you have any sujustions as to where I might find them? Thank you
Bill
Erik The Black May 14, 2012 at 2:59 pm

William Howard: Unfortunately all of the Pacific Crest Trail Atlas 2nd Editions are sold out. I did one final print run earlier this year and the last of them were bought up couple of weeks ago. I am in the process of transitioning to the new 3rd Editions which will be coming out over the next 12 months, but in the meantime I don’t have any PCT books to sell. Sorry about that.