Cheryl Strayed’s Biggest Fan

Posted by on April 4, 2012 in Bill Bryson, Cheryl Strayed, Pacific Crest Trail, pacific crest trail books, Pacific Crest Trail News, Skywalker--Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail | 0 comments

Cheryl Strayed, author of the wildly popular, 'Wild'.

I recently received the following message from Cheryl Strayed, author of the wildly popular book, ‘Wild’.

Dear Skywalker,

Thanks for the sweet words! And I totally agree with you that there is room for more than one book about the PCT. Mine is just one story of many. Happy trails!

Best,

Cheryl

It is ironic. I had the top-ranked Pacific Crest Trail book (Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail) on Amazon. Then Cheryl Strayed came along with her book, ‘Wild’. She has now soared beyond me and every other outdoor writer (including Bill Bryson). Yet I’m her biggest fan.

Why? For two reasons First, she has one heckuva’ moving tale to tell, hiking all alone in some of the most isolated regions of the country. This is all against a background of heroin abuse, divorce, and family tragedy. To boot, she’s a great writer.

But there is another more selfish reason. She has created a boomlet of interest in this great national scenic trail, The Pacific Crest Trail. That has served, among other things, to double sales of my own book in the past month. So thank you Cheryl!

But honestly, it goes beyond that. Like anybody who has hiked this jewel of a footpath, I feel an overwhelming affinity for it. It quite simply contains the most gorgeous and diverse landscapes I’ve ever had the privilege to behold. Given that the United States has one of the highest rates of obesity and depression of any country in the world, there is no better remedy than this great wilderness (and desert!) footpath. Quite simply, the more people out there the better off we all will be. Thank you Cheryl Strayed for the great lift you have given the PCT.

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