Journey to a New Life

Journey to a New Life

Cheryl Strayed's novel Wild and subsequent movie of the same title has brought a variety of hiking journeys to light. The Pacific Coast Trail (PCT) which was featured in her novel, the Appalachian trail in the eastern United States, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and the West Highland Way in Scotland are just a few of the numerous long distance hikes throughout the world. The origins of the PCT stem from Clinton Churchill Clarke, "[he] believed that the time in the wilderness provided 'a lasting curative and civilizing value' " (Strayed, 206). While the origins of the Camino de Santiago are based religiously. The pilgrimage is said to be "one of three pilgrimages on which all sins could be forgiven" (Camino de Santiago). However, as times have changed, the reasons people go on long distance hikes have changed as well.

Cheryl meets several other hikers during her time on the PCT. Some  of the hikers she met were more outdoorsy and had "been planning this hike for years" (Strayed, 86). Some of them also so the hike as a "a life long dream for [us]" (Strayed, 107). Both of these hikers were of a ‘different breed’ than Strayed. Strayed felt more akin to a different type of hiker. The types who were not inclined to the wild lifestyle, who "despite all [their] confidence and ease, he had been through something" (Strayed, 109), introducing the other type of hiker. Cheryl herself embarked on her journey "in order to save myself" (Strayed, 5). A vague way to summarize her struggles leading up to the hike. Yet the fascinating thing that is exemplified in Strayed's novel is the diversity of people who hike. All the trails mean something different to the people on it "people ages 5 to 81 have completed the trail,​ among them singles, retired couples, families with kids, people with disabilities" (Marquardt). Each person with different goals and quests to achieve while on the trail.

Some people enjoy the freedom. There is another section of people who do not have particular ‘problems’ but enjoy disconnecting from the modern world. A woman who is hiking the PCT at the moment "To rely on my feet to get me to where I'm going, to be out in the wilderness with everything I need on my back, fresh air, quiet; it all sounds appealing" (Knepp). The simplicity of a life that is surrounded by wilderness. Others, like some of the men Strayed encountered, "hike purely for the love of the hike and simply existing out there" (Sally). Sally and her husband enjoyed the unity with nature in addition to their love of hiking. These are just a few examples of the diverse reasons people hike the PCT.

Since Strayed’s novel and subsequent movie, the PCT has had an increase in popularity. The book has inspired many women in particular to hike the trail and have found a deep connection with Strayed and her experiences. One woman “Linda Blaney, 53, a self-described ‘very burned out’ blackjack dealer” (Solomon), felt her immediate connection with Strayed upon reading the book. She saw the wonders that the trail did for Strayed and wondered if it could get herself out of the state she was in. Another woman admires Strayed, “ ‘She had the courage at 26 to do what I wish I had done, which was take care of herself, doing whatever she had to do,’ said Mrs. Sonnier, adding that in the past she had battled with alcohol and depression. ‘I went from Penny the kid to Penny the mother of two. I never got to live as Penny the individual’”(Solomon). To Penny, Strayed was an inspiration, a woman she lived vicariously through while reading her book, but also the woman who helped her realize how she wants to live her life.  Other women fell in love with the book as entertainment. Those women decided to hike for the love of the book “Ms. Seré  is not a particularly lost person, and ‘not at all’ outdoorsy… But when she picked up Ms. Strayed’s book in the summer of 2012, she loved it” (Solomon). The group of people who Strayed has appealed to through her novel has caused a notable spike in travelers doing day hikes, short-term, and long-term hikes on the PCT. A trend that was also observed after Emilio Estevez’s movie The Way about the Camino de Santiago.

People still hike the Camino de Santiago centuries after it was first hiked. Long distance hiking has been around forever, while it was often originated through migrations of people due to the elements and food it has become a recreational practice in the past century or so. Cheryl Strayed’s Wild just begins to delve into the different people who hike long distance trails.  The trails are symbolic to many of their hikers as they form a bond between each other. They become a part of one another’s history. Wild details this connection between the personified trail and Strayed. Other hikers see the same connection echoing in their personal lives that builds a connection between all long distance hikers, no matter their reason for beginning the trail.

Works Cited Page

"History of the Camino De Santiago Pilgrimage in Spain." Camino De Santiago. Web. 12 May 2015.

Knepp, Melinda. "Liz and Melinda's Excellent Adventure!" : Why the PCT? 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015.  

Marquardt, Katy. "How to Prepare Physically and Mentally for a Long Distance Hike." US News 25 Mar. 2015, Health sec. Web. 11 May 2015. .  

Sally & Nikita. "Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike 2015 | Travel Blog." Overland Undersea. 21 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 May 2015.  

Solomon, Christopher. "The Call of the ‘Wild’ on the Pacific Crest Trail." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 May 2015.

Strayed, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.