Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is a 2012 memoir by Cheryl Strayed, an American author whose work centers on personal struggle, perseverance, and self-discovery. The book chronicles Cheryl’s 1,100-mile journey on the Pacific Crest Trail four years after her mother’s sudden death. Interweaving the story of the hike with flashbacks of Cheryl’s earlier life, the book addresses the physical and emotional challenges of long-distance hiking and Cheryl’s personal growth on the trail. A New York Times Bestseller, the book was the first selection of Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 and the winner of the 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards in the Memoir and Autobiography category. Wild spent 52 weeks on the NPR Nonfiction Bestseller List in 2013. In 2014, a film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon was released to critical acclaim. This guide refers to the 2012 edition published by Alfred A. Knopf.

Summary

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail comprises a Prologue and five parts. The Prologue orients readers to Cheryl’s life and the circumstances that brought her to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Cheryl lost her mother to lung cancer at the age of 22, initiating a downward spiral that resulted in her alienation from her siblings (Karen and Leif) and stepfather (Eddie), her divorce from Paul, and her addiction to heroin. At the age of 26, after terminating an unwanted pregnancy, Cheryl decided to hike the PCT alone, without prior hiking experience. Her aim was to become the person she was before the death of her mother.

Part 1, “The Ten Thousand Things,” describes Cheryl’s preparations for her hike. She says goodbye to her friends and arranges to have resupply boxes mailed to various pitstops on the PCT. In a cheap motel in Los Angeles, she packs her new gear into an enormous backpack, which she struggles to lift. Interspersed in the primary narrative are flashbacks of Cheryl’s happy, if unconventional childhood, her mother’s illness and death, the disintegration of her family, and her divorce.

Part 2, “Tracks,” centers on Cheryl’s early days on the PCT. Staggering under the weight of her backpack, which she nicknames Monster, she hitchhikes to the trailhead and begins hiking. Cheryl is instantly struck by the heat of the Mojave Desert and the pain in her body, especially her blistered feet. She perseveres in the face of pain and fear by silently repeating self-affirming mantras. Cheryl reflects on her heroin addiction and abortion as she hikes, two factors that prompted her to attempt the PCT. Her body is battered by the time she arrives at Kennedy Meadows to pick up her first resupply box. However, she is energized by the people she meets at the campground, all of whom are astonished to learn that she is hiking alone.

Part 3, “Range of Light,” focuses on Cheryl’s experiences in the Sierra Nevada, a cooler and more verdant environment than the Mojave. Despite lightening her pack by discarding items and burning books, and her improved fitness level, Cheryl continues to struggle. The kindness of fellow hikers and strangers, however, keeps her motivated. Cheryl is especially delighted to befriend two female hikers, Stacy and Trina. Flashbacks reveal that Cheryl went to therapy a year after her mother died. Her life spiraled out of control in subsequent years. Being alone on the PCT allows Cheryl to start healing. After just three weeks of hiking, Cheryl feels changed.

Part 4, “Wild,” describes Cheryl’s final days in California before entering Oregon. Cheryl has a series of memorable encounters on this leg of the hike. In addition to being interviewed by a reporter for the Hobo Times, Cheryl meets a woman whose young son died in an accident and an elderly woman with a llama. The increasing pain in her feet prompts Cheryl to contact a customer service representative at the outdoor store REI, who agrees to send her new boots in a larger size free of charge. Cheryl continues to hike in her old boots when the new ones fail to arrive. On this stretch of the hike, Cheryl’s boot falls off the edge of the trail. She proceeds to her next pitstop in sandals, which she duct tapes to her feet until her new boots arrive.

Part 5, “Box of Rain,” focuses on the last leg of Cheryl’s journey. The rainy Oregon weather makes her miserable until she reaches Ashland. There, she has a brief romantic relationship with Jonathan, a music promoter who lives on an organic farm. On the beach with Jonathan, Cheryl finally forgives herself for sabotaging her marriage. Another breakthrough comes at Crater Lake, where Cheryl expresses her anger at her mother for dying. Her anger dissolves when she comes across a patch of crocuses, a word her mother taught her. Cheryl then mentions her mother’s name–Bobbi–for the first time, marking a key moment in her healing. Although an encounter with two threatening hunters reminds Cheryl how vulnerable she is on the PCT, she comes to realize that she was not preyed upon on the trail. On the contrary, people were kind to her. Descending to the Bridge of Gods, her destination, Cheryl reflects on her journey. Her body is still sore. Her feet remain covered in blisters. Despite her pain, Cheryl is grateful for her experiences and, at last, she feels at peace with herself.