After I, sadly, finished the Harry Potter series I was searching for a new book to read. So, I started going through my "To Read" list on Audible. On that list was a bunch of outdoorsy books that at first glance just seemed really intriguing. I have previously read "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed and "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer and loved them tremendously. I glanced at one book and listened to the preview of it and was instantly enveloped into the story.
If you have not heard of the book "Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart: An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Carrot Quinn, you need to right now.
This book was enticing. It was so hard to stop reading. It shows a lot more than just the romanticized parts of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), but she also does not forget the nitty gritty parts as well. Quinn doesn't shy away from telling things as they are. She tells of her struggles and her achievements. When she was struggling through the deserts of California. the mountains of the Sierras, and all of Washington she was honest. If you read this book you will not be disappointed.
Quinn makes me want to hike the PCT. Now I know to a lot of people hiking from Mexico to Canada might seem daunting if not impossible, but many people do it year after year. Her story, and how she accomplished what seemed like the impossible, is inspiring to say the least. After reading this and "Wild" I liked this book better. Now I'm not saying "Wild" was a bad book because it wasn't, but if you are looking for a more complete interpretation of what is it like to hike the entirety of the PCT this book is the right book for you. This book is an account of what she did day to day, for some that might not be the most interesting thing to read, but I ate it up. Every time I set down the book, I was wondering what she would be doing next on the PCT. What she would be eating (It is almost always trail mix). Would she run out of water? Is she going to make it to her next resupply box? All these questions would run through my head every time I set this book down. Until it ended.
You know that hollow feeling you get when you finish a book and don't know what you are going to do next? That is how this book made me feel. I don't know what to do, I just want more. More Carrot Quinn. More trail friends. More PCT. Even though there are so many good books out there I don't want to go search for them because I want to just re-read this one over and over. But that would be crazy, right?
This book read more like a novel then a personal account. I kept having to remind myself that this actually happened. This is not made up stuff. Yeah names might be changed and some details left out for clarity and simplicity, but this is real. And honestly, I like that it is. It is a little more inspiring that way. Carrot just left her life behind and did this trail five months. She did not like how her life was so she just left and did this miraculous thing that a lot of people do not do.
Even though this makes me want to go hike the PCT this is one person's account of the trail. There are times in this book where I was like "No! Don't do that! Take more food or water!" And I can't say that I would do some of the things Quinn did on the trail, but that's okay. This isn't a guide to how to hike the PCT. I went back and read some comments on the book on Amazon, "I didn't like this book because she never learned from her mistakes." and to that I have to say, then you go hike it and don't make those mistakes. She had her goals, you have yours, and I have mine.
There are so many praises I give this book. But one thing in particular that I urge you to consider before reading this book is, this book will break your heart.
If you want to go read this book you can purchase it though Amazon or Audible.