PCT books

When I talk to people about the PCT, they often ask me about the book "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed, or the Reese Witherspoon movie based on the book. I haven't seen the movie and I'm on the record as not loving the book. I know a lot of people found the book inspirational and wonderful but I just didn't love it. So I'm going to talk about some of the PCT memoirs I do love:


Through Hiking Will Break Your Heart author Carrot Quinn has become one of my favorite writers since I read this memoir. Carrot describes feeling burnt out and wanting to log off and she does this by hiking from Mexico to Canada.

Thirst by Heather Anderson is one of the best hiking books I've read. She describes her childhood and how it brought her to trying to set the unsupported fastest known time (fkt) on the trail. 

I Promise Not to Suffer by Gail Storey is a love story by a woman who does not want to hike the PCT but doesn't want to be away from her husband for the many months it will take him to hike 2650 miles. She trains and prepares and makes it through several hundred miles before exhaustion sends her home, an impressive attempt considering she wasn't excited about the trail itself.

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