I love a title with more than one meaning. In this case. Wild can refer to the idea of hiking more than a thousand miles of the 2,663 mile Pacific Crest Trail, the wild trail itself, and even to the author, particularly in her former life. Wild by Cheryl Strayed is well named.
When Cheryl Strayed contemplated hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) she had no idea of the magnitude of her impulsive decision. She was totally unprepared for this rugged endeavor. She had researched the trail a bit, inquired and shopped for equipment at REI, and bought a trail guide. But she hadn’t done any preliminary back-packing to test her equipment, nor to build up her stamina. Indeed, she’d never backpacked at all, only day-hiked.
She starts her journey at the south end of the trail, near the Mexican border. She actually packs her backpack for the first time in the motel room the morning she is to begin her journey. She can barely lift it off the floor. She soon learns that her boots don’t fit her correctly, a mistake that plagues her during the entire trip. When she encounters snow and ice, she’s woefully unprepared and under equipped. Although she has arranged to have relief packages mailed to herself along the way, she underestimated the amount of money she’d need.
Still, over the next several weeks she strives on, overcomes fear and struggles through pain and extreme exhaustion. Her daily mileage is at first pathetic, but she eventually achieves an impressive 17 to 19 miles per day. Strayed’s appreciation of the beauty around her bolsters her morale. Her intention is to achieve this ambitious feat alone and for the most part, she is alone, though she encounters a few people along the way. She gains a reputation among other hikers and is dubbed “Queen of the PCT.”
Strayed skillfully includes flashbacks of her life, many of which directly relate to the purpose of this seemingly insurmountable quest.
Coming from a “hippy” background, Strayed’s sense of values will undoubtably differ from many readers, perhaps even to an irritating degree, but her sense of achievement and dedication to her goal will inspire and resonate with many readers. The author’s writing style sparkles with vivid descriptions and humor as this incredible journey unfolds against all odds. To learn more about the author, visit www.CherylStrayed.com
