A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and Wild by Cheryl Strayed are both books of long hikes. Bryson hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) and Strayed hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Both trails are arduous and over 2,000 miles (3,000 km) long. On one level both hikers had similar experiences of feeling ill-prepared, satisfaction from getting in shape, isolation, obsession with hunger, especially junk food, giving up on the most difficult sections, obsession with soft beds, clean clothes, and showers, and a sense of pride at their personal accomplishments.
There were also notable differences. Cheryl was a single woman in her 20s and broke, while Bryson had support and was in his 40s and a best-selling author. The PCT is more of a wilderness trail, while the AT is rarely far from civilization. His book was written as a travel book, while hers was a quest to grow beyond her mother’s death, her divorce, and heroin addiction.
The prelude for a long hike includes guidebooks and extensive preparation. Virtually everything from food and water, to sleeping bags and tents, to shoes, clothes, and packs, is available in a multitude of expensive and high-tech variations. Advice is available from people and books. Both authors agree that all the preparation is insufficient to prepare for the actual hike.
Bryson’s experience was more upbeat for three reasons:
- The AT goes through the relatively populous each coast (13 colonies). He was never far from basic necessities or comforts such as motel and restaurants.
- As a family man and an established author, he had plenty of cash, credit cards, and people to show up in a car.
- Bryson tells the story of the Appalachian Trail with plenty of comic relief and history.
Strayed on the other hand:
- The PCT passes through the wilderness where even the established towns were often just a general store and a post office. No motels. No restaurants. What is proof of wilderness in the 21st century? No overnight delivery. Only regular USPS service.
- As a broke single woman, she was on her own.
- Strayed tells her personal story of challenge and discovery while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Highlights from Cheryl Strayed’s story:
Since the PCT went through the wilderness (and Cheryl was broke), she prepared resupply boxes that were mailed to general delivery post offices along the trail. Resupply boxes included new clothes, food, and cash. She was often broke and out of food, so the resupply schedule provided strong motivation to stick to a schedule determined months earlier.
As a single female hiker (who signed each of the many logs along the PCT), she became a minor celebrity. The other hikers (predominantly in groups, and male) treated her well, but she did have a few encounters with creepy and predatory men.
The weather along the PCT, even in Summer, included significant snow and chilling rain. Many decisions and detours were determined by the weather. Regardless of the risk, she mostly chose to hike on her own. Her resupply boxes always included a book, which she burned after reading to avoid carrying extra weight.
She proved herself to be brave and resourceful. While pack weight was a constant issue, she never discarded her roll of duct tape and used it often in creative and life-saving ways.
Highlights from Bill Bryson’s story:
Bryson and his hiking companion both smoked cigarettes (1995)!
Regardless whether the AT goes through National Parks, National Forests, or National Trails, development pressures are evident in visitor centers, parking lots, and other tourist facilities. As a result, hardcore backpackers (like Bryson) regularly interacted with casual hikers and plain tourists. While the backpackers claimed the moral high ground, the tourists had numeric and financial superiority.
Historically Pennsylvania was an energy powerhouse (oil and coal), today it suffers from its legacy, including a deserted town that is above a burning coal mine that might not burn out for a thousand years.
Risks on the AT includes death from hypothermia (theoretically avoidable) and homicide (not avoidable). Because of the proximity to population centers, there are unlimited stories like:
“They were able to report their [GPS] position…but unfortunately didn’t have the faintest idea what that meant, as they hadn’t brought maps or compasses or, evidently brains.”
If you plan to hike either trail, pick the book that matches your destination. If you’d like some light reading with comic relief and no real jeopardy, Bryson is for you. If you are looking for struggle and victory, go with Strayed. Oprah chose Strayed.
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