Flashbacks reveal that Cheryl went to therapy a year after her mother died. Cheryl is especially delighted to befriend two female hikers, Stacy and Trina. The kindness of fellow hikers and strangers, however, keeps her motivated. Despite lightening her pack by discarding items and burning books, and her improved fitness level, Cheryl continues to struggle.

Part 3, “Range of Light,” focuses on Cheryl’s experiences in the Sierra Nevada, a cooler and more verdant environment than the Mojave. However, she is energized by the people she meets at the campground, all of whom are astonished to learn that she is hiking alone. Her body is battered by the time she arrives at Kennedy Meadows to pick up her first resupply box. Cheryl reflects on her heroin addiction and abortion as she hikes, two factors that prompted her to attempt the PCT. She perseveres in the face of pain and fear by silently repeating self-affirming mantras. Cheryl is instantly struck by the heat of the Mojave Desert and the pain in her body, especially her blistered feet. Staggering under the weight of her backpack, which she nicknames Monster, she hitchhikes to the trailhead and begins hiking. Part 2, “Tracks,” centers on Cheryl’s early days on the PCT. 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. In a cheap motel in Los Angeles, she packs her new gear into an enormous backpack, which she struggles to lift. She says goodbye to her friends and arranges to have resupply boxes mailed to various pitstops on the PCT. Part 1, “The Ten Thousand Things,” describes Cheryl’s preparations for her hike. Her aim was to become the person she was before the death of her mother. At the age of 26, after terminating an unwanted pregnancy, Cheryl decided to hike the PCT alone, without prior hiking experience. 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. The Prologue orients readers to Cheryl’s life and the circumstances that brought her to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail comprises a Prologue and five parts.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed