PCT movie with Reese Witherspoon coming out

" the rest of it was whining about her mom and her relationships and her mom and her relationships and her mom and her relationships and her mom and her relationships."

Isn't that the reason why so many men go solo backpacking?

–B.G.–

LMAO, Lori!!! :^)

What I find funny is the kvetching about the whining in Strayed's book and now movie. ;)

One person even went so far as to start a website and pay for sponsored posts for said website on FB because he was so upset. The favebook page avatr is subtle enough that it has stick figure with a blonde wig falling over-the-cliff.

Rather ah, overblown, no?

I've had people email, text me and PM me (seriously) if I knew when it is coming to Denver as if my association with LD hiking means I am automatically interested in this movie and know everything about it. :) [1] I admit it is getting a little annoying..but like a mosquito. Just wave it off.

OTOH, I think it is great people are getting interested in the longer trails.

Maybe there will be a sh** show at Springer (the ATC is concerned about more pressure. 50 people a day started last year), Campo and so on.

But rather than playing hiker hipster,I'll do my modest best to help people out on their first long hike. And encourage people to try alternate hiking plans or trails as well.

And in five years, it will be yet-another-annoying thing we remember from the past.

[1] I'm nice and say this Friday, but I tempted to send them this link ;)
http://bit.ly/1GgguGB

I was going to go see the movie, but when I saw Cheryl's PCT pack "Monster" on Oprah, I knew that I'd just sit in the theatre and do nothing but think about how to lighten the pack.

Her PCT hike is considered a success, but I must be missing something here. She made it a little over 1000 miles. Last time I heard the PCT is 2600 miles long.

Have not seen the movie, but the trailer is painful; it shows Witherspoon carrying this giant pack that looks like it weighs five pounds. It jumps and bobs around, so both the pack and the body of the actress don't communicate any sense of an onerous load.

It looks ridiculous.

I heard that the 2015 PCT will be crowded with people inspired by the movie. I'll bet you could buy a lot of gear the town about a week from the start :)

Lori, thanks for your review…lol. I will skip this one and maybe watch it on dvd. I have yet to see The Way and should watch it soon.

Loved "The Way"..,Great Movie.

The reaction to this book is… well interesting. It’s certainly not a great book but I’ve read far worse. So I wrote this yesterday.

Wild

Then I re read Paul’s write up on it and realized I was channeling him for about half of my write up. Oops. Not intended. Great minds think alike?

That Book

I pretty much summed up my thoughts on the topic but, and I’m not singling out Monte as this has been a common theme, the whole “she only hiked 1000 (1100) miles” baffles me. With the gear she had, the drugs she was taking just prior to the hike, and lack of information, it’s amazing to me that she made it that far. In all honesty, we tend to be a bit too analytical here and spend hours researching JMT pencils. Maybe most of us could learn something from here and just grab a kit and go (hopefully something under 100lbs though).

Edit to add: The whole “only 1100 miles” to me is analogous to “only climbed Mt. Rainier when other people have climbed K2.”

I’ve only hiked 30 miles of the PCT so I’m in no position to criticize her accomplishment.

I’m no head shrinker and I’m not going to pretend to be one through osmosis from being married to a therapist. What I do know, and see on an almost daily basis in our local jails and my limited knowledge/relationship with the mental health community, substance abuse is a fairly common co-occurring disorder associated with a number of illnesses, including illnesses that don’t impact cognitive function.

What I can say coming from a criminal justice background is that there’s a well known trend of people aging out of this behavior. It’s not uncommon to see people who were a mess in their 20s become productive members of society in their 30s.

I’m not excusing it. I’m not saying that they are not responsible for their actions. I know people who came from far worse situations than hers who never took drugs. But, as I mentioned in my blog, are any of us somehow superior to Ms. Strayed because our “sins” are superior to her’s? For the record, I’m agnostic so I’m not getting theological here. People are getting a bit too preachy and judgmental here in my opinion.

Regardless of how she re organized her book, I can only assume that the account is mostly true as there’s no way anyone in their right mind would think that her accounts of her drug use and her 1000lb backpack would ever be viewed with respect or admiration. Honesty is rarely rewarded though.

All that being said, the book is meh. I just don’t think she’s deserving of all the venom.

The trailer for Wild is pretty lame. I’ll probably watch it though.

Ha! No need to say "oops". :)

I think you, I and the vast majority of people just don't have any emotional attachment to the book.

For us, it was just an OK read. Not bad. Not good. Frankly, I probably would not have read it if it was not for the Oprah buzz on one side and the extreme hate from the other.

For one very specific set of people, it was a life changing book. So they are emotionally invested.

For others, the PCT was a life changing event..or the long trails in general. Much like Saul on the way to Damascus, their journey on the XYZ Trail became a conversion. And like the Wild-fans, they are very zealous about any impact on the One Truth Faith. For one, it was a book. For another, it was spending 4-6 months of their life walking.

My long trail hiking experiences were life changing for me. It is why I moved to Colorado and part of the why I have a website.

OTOH, my identity is not tied into the long trails at this point in my life. I am an outdoor person more than a long trail hiker, a husband, a friend, a pretty good cook, a loving son, a brother, a person who love's craft beer…..having hiked the long trails is far down the list of my identities at this point. It is part of who I am. It is NOT who I am. Any more than working in IT for 15+ years is who I am…

So for me, personally, to get angry and upset over a book, and the people who have hiked because of the book or movie, would be silly.

As mentioned, I'll do my best to educate people in my own small way. But, I've always loved to help people.

OTOH, I think for many people who have a life outside of the long trails (the vast majority of us), it is just another book or trend that will pass. A "meh" moment as we go back to being outdoors people, spouses, friends and pretty good cooks.

And if the PCT is too crowded for someone? As I said before, do something different. The 2004 or 2008 trail is less crowded than the 2015 trail..but the 2004 or 2008 trails with its water caches, trail angels, ample guide books, maps and websites is more mellow and easier than the 1995 trail when Strayed hiked it, too. You have to take the trails for what they are..not what you want them to be.

Very well said Ian.

Sort of similar to Mags' point, I only get annoyed about it when people think: "Oh, Katherine likes backpacking, therefore she must care about this book/movie!!!"

A family friend today on the phone was under the impression I had recommended it. I quickly and gently set her straight that I had no opinion on it whatsoever. At least she cared enough to know that was in the general area of my interests, if not exactly on the mark.

Much ado about nothing people…

pouring from the empty into the void

billy

Oooooh! Watch it Billy! Oprah's mafia will get you for saying such a thing.

Give him a break Ian, he's been waiting to use that line a long time.

My wife and I saw the movie last night in Seattle. We gave it a 3 on a scale of 5.

Generally unremarkable movie from my viewpoint. Reese never looked like she was walking fast enough to get anywhere.

It was kind of a one trick dog. Just cycled back and forth from trail to the traumas in her life. I connected emotionally more with her Mom (Laura Dern) than the Reese character.

Showed very few people on the trail. Were there that few PCT hikers in the 90s?

I have bad ears and my wife has good ears but we both had trouble hearing a lot of Rees's dialog. I don't think it made much difference, however.

Had some good product endorsements for REI, MSR, etc.

Reese doesn't know how to bury her human waste in a proper cat hole. Showed a fresh pile with rocks over it.

Liking the movie less as I write about it here.

One scene looked like it was in a rain forest when she runs into a woman, kid and Llama. . Is there a stretch of rain forest south of the Bridge of Gods?

One scene she drops to her knees on the trail to weep. Seem overplayed.

The seat I had in the theater was broken.

Yesterday was my birthday.

We ate dinner at Julia's in Seattle.

I think I ran out of things to say several lines ago.

Happy Birthday Daryl , I assume you went to the Guild 45th then walked a few blocks to Julias.

Link,

Correct on both counts.

You must be psychic.

You, of course, also know that I had a PBR tall boy and stir fry.

"You, of course, also know that I had a PBR tall boy and stir fry."

Quoting The Kingdom, "they don't just give that blue ribbon to any ol' beer."

Daryl,

I believe we may be related.

Ron Moak seemed to like it:

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/blog/187-wild-the-movie.html

Personally, I wasn't even able to finish watching the trailer.

Knowing that I have done the PCTmy mother in law has asked me about first the book and now the movie. My answer was the same for both; I don't do Oprah, I'll pass.

Liz Thomas' review of the movie is a bit more upbeat.

http://www.eathomas.com/2014/12/15/wildthemovie/

Once you understand that the book and the movie are NOT about the PCT you have a much better idea of what to expect. The PCT is merely the setting for her story.

One of the Daryls said: "One scene looked like it was in a rain forest when she runs into a woman, kid and Llama. . Is there a stretch of rain forest south of the Bridge of Gods?"

I haven't seen the movie so I don't know how 'rain forest' you're meaning, but the area south of BofG is most certainly green and mossy.

Neither of those is right on the PCT, though, and I don't recall the trail itself feeling all that rain foresty.

Just like Daryl and Daryl I caught the movie Friday night here in Seattle at the Guild 45th. However it wasn't my birthday and I didn't eat at Julia's. I went a few more blocks away and ate at Kate's Pub. My buddy had a PBR.

I didn't care much for the movie. I found myself bored with the mother/daughter story. I wanted to see her on the trail. I give the author credit for making it as far as she did. She had no experience and exceeded to go much further then I'd have imagined. The movie definitely shows the author had a difficult time after her mother passed away. Hiking the trail my have actually saved her life.

At the end of the show we see actual photos of the author on the trail. It looks like she was in a Sierra Design Clip Flashlight…or something very similar. They did get the exact same pack for Reese W. to carry as in the 1995 pictures. Would I recommend seeing the movie….sure…..but wait until it's a rental and save some money.

I've only hiked the Oregon and Washington section of the PCT. I was surprised how barren southern California was along the trail. The beginning of the hike doesn't look enjoyable at all.