Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)'s Reviews > Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
by
by
![796425](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p2/796425.jpg)
Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)'s review
bookshelves: nonfiction, travel-adventure, biography-memoir
Jul 03, 2012
bookshelves: nonfiction, travel-adventure, biography-memoir
3.5 stars
What kind of dimwit would decide to backpack the Pacific Crest Trail alone with zero backpacking experience? Apparently the same kind of dimwit who would try heroin just because the stranger she spent the night with happens to need a fix.
If you can tolerate essence of dingbat and overlook her lousy choices and even lousier excuses for those choices, this is actually an enjoyable read. You have to roll your eyes a lot while working to the point where she hits the trail, but after that it's quite engaging. I admire her tenacity in finishing what she started, given her cluelessness about backpacking that led to serious mistakes and potentially dangerous miscalculations. If you've never backpacked before, use this as a cautionary tale rather than an excuse to be a ditz. Many people with more backpacking savvy than Cheryl have lost their lives through poor planning or just bad luck.
The thing that saves this book is that Cheryl writes well. If I can say without unkindness that there's a certain charm in her idiocy, this is what makes her story worth reading. And if you have any backpacking stories of your own, you'll connect with so many of the little things that define the worldwide community of backpackers.
What kind of dimwit would decide to backpack the Pacific Crest Trail alone with zero backpacking experience? Apparently the same kind of dimwit who would try heroin just because the stranger she spent the night with happens to need a fix.
If you can tolerate essence of dingbat and overlook her lousy choices and even lousier excuses for those choices, this is actually an enjoyable read. You have to roll your eyes a lot while working to the point where she hits the trail, but after that it's quite engaging. I admire her tenacity in finishing what she started, given her cluelessness about backpacking that led to serious mistakes and potentially dangerous miscalculations. If you've never backpacked before, use this as a cautionary tale rather than an excuse to be a ditz. Many people with more backpacking savvy than Cheryl have lost their lives through poor planning or just bad luck.
The thing that saves this book is that Cheryl writes well. If I can say without unkindness that there's a certain charm in her idiocy, this is what makes her story worth reading. And if you have any backpacking stories of your own, you'll connect with so many of the little things that define the worldwide community of backpackers.
1012 likes · Like
∙
flag
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Wild.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
July 3, 2012
– Shelved
July 8, 2012
–
65.71%
"This brings back a lot of memories about my backpacking years. I had a lot more savvy than Cheryl, but there are some things that are the same for all backpackers. Dreaming of unavailable foods and beverages while treading a hot and dusty trail consumes much mental and emotional energy. Snapple Lemonade! Cheeseburgers! Pizza! Ice Cream!"
page
207
Started Reading
July 13, 2012
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 135 (135 new)
message 1:
by
Linty
(new)
-
added it
Jul 04, 2012 09:52AM
![Linty](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1294863429p1/3093309.jpg)
reply
|
flag
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
![Linty](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1294863429p1/3093309.jpg)
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
The line between adventure and stupid-idity is a moving target. She's older and wiser now.
![Mikki](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1376784536p1/2757888.jpg)
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
![Kelly (Maybedog)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1705177739p1/1059653.jpg)
She must have the luck virus. (From the Red Dwarf Series V episode Quarantine, my favorite episode.]
![Jessa Davis](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349227884p1/13339235.jpg)
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
Maybe it was a little more interesting to me because I'm familiar with the places she hiked through. And yes, she is VERY lucky to have survived. I've been hiking since I could walk, with my big brothers carrying me when I couldn't keep up, and I still can't believe she did this.
![Caroline](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
![Caroline](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1329765864p1/6257531.jpg)
My parents were very keen climbers though, and my brother is a runner. Sadly all those genes seem to have passed me by.
Even in the short time I have known you - I am picking up that you used to be very active.
![Kathy Piper](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1238180702p1/2073408.jpg)
![Troy Espe](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1351262935p1/13979123.jpg)
![Kathleen](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Amy](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1358541144p1/6978784.jpg)
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
Yeah, I didn't even find that troll comment till yesterday. Sometimes I miss comments because of the way they bundle them here on GR. And to think she's 55 years old and still can't mind her own beeswax and refrain from attacking people for their opinions. Jeez.
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
That used to be true, but now they even come after me on five-star reviews if they hated the book. The incivility here just gets worse and worse. Sigh.
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
![Alexis](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1574639885p1/689723.jpg)
![Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1304653755p1/796425.jpg)
Definitely good fodder for book group discussion. I hope you can all maintain your decorum, ha ha. I'm afraid I'd be tempted to throw crockery. ;-)
![Katie](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Kelly Stevens](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1537241334p1/17627974.jpg)
![Kathy Partelow](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1296592888p1/1459126.jpg)
![Larryponder](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Stephanie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1369947214p1/2742510.jpg)
![Kati](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1362080287p1/17917370.jpg)
![ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1483630520p1/2154037.jpg)
![Claire](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Becki Kremer](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1673305224p1/1292514.jpg)
![Julie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1403115509p1/3241580.jpg)
![Lauren Lowry](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1319292087p1/2655503.jpg)
![Heather M L](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1321072556p1/5255829.jpg)
![Lori](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1286779880p1/2868379.jpg)
![Laura Beth](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1355031960p1/10171283.jpg)
![Lori](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1286779880p1/2868379.jpg)
![Walter Rausch](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
![Denise Cossey](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Laura Beth](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1355031960p1/10171283.jpg)