Pacific Crest Trail

        Have you ever looked at a picture of the Rocky Mountains and thought to yourself what a vast space this is? Barney “Scout” Mann and Cheryl Strayed saw this vast space as adventure and opportunity. Cheryl Strayed is a best selling author of “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” and winner of several prestigious literacy awards, including the Indie Choice Award. Barney Mann is the author of the article “The Making of the First Pacific Crest Trail Guidebook” which follows the story of a young Thomas Winnette and his journey to making the Pacific Crest Trail Guidebook. Mann has also written several other articles pertaining to the Pacific Crest Trail and its origins. Subsequently, because of there deep love of the outdoors, I will be arguing that although similar in taste, their motives for going to the Pacific Crest Trail differ greatly.

        Cheryl Strayed and Barney Mann share a deep love for the outdoors, especially for the Pacific Crest Trail, but their motivations for going differ. But before I go on, heres a little about the PCT. The PCT begins in southern California at the Mexican Border and goes up through California, Oregon and Washington eventually ending in Canada stretching a breathtaking 2,650 miles. Many people are credited with the original idea of building the PCT including Catherine Montgomery from the State Normal School in Washington, Fred W. Creator, who oversaw the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service and Clinton C. Clarke founder of the Pasadena Playhouse. The PCT gained so much popularity that in 1965 President Lyndon designated it, along with the Appalachian Trail, as the nation’s first national scenic trails. Always considered a hotspot for hiking and outdoor activities, Clarke also organized the YMCA PCT Relays held every summer from 1935 through 1938 which involved several young hikers to scout the trail to gain better knowledge of the trail. This rich history is probably what led Barney Mann wanting to learn its origins. Barney “Scout” Mann is a recently retired lawyer, avid PCT hiker who completed the hike 2007 and is currently a writer. Often being published in the Communicator

as well as the Portland Oregonian. He has also served as the Pacific Crest Trail Association fundraising committee Chair since 2008. Cheryl Strayed, on the other hand, is a best selling author best known for her book “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail”. A book about her decision to take on the PCT after the death of her mother and separation of her husband. She has won multiple awards including the Inide Choice Award and was a first selection of Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.

        Although they lead fairly different lives, Cheryl Strayed and Barney Mann share one thing in common, their love for the Pacific Crest Trail. Whether it be for the scenes or the hiking, both share a love for the outdoors. However, their motivations for wanting to go differ in the sense that Mann goes to learn the history of this massive trail where as Strayed goes to find peace and tranquility in its vast beauty to escape the loss of her mother. Describing her decision to go after her mothers passing as: “Three and a half years later, I was at an outdoor store in Minneapolis.” (#268). This coupled with the separation from her husband, whom she still loved, gave her all the reasoning she needed to venture into the unknown. In contrast, Barney Mann chooses to go to this beautiful trail because of his passion to find out the origins of this trail. Mann travels far and wide searching for anyone or anything that can get him a little closer to finding out everything there is to know about the Pacific Crest Trail. Not only has he written “The Making of the Pacific Crest Trail”, he has also written also articles and books about the PCT including “The Search for the Relay Boys.” which documents the finding of the boys who hereto scout the trail. Although they do share this difference, they also share similarities such as their pre scion to detail with Mann being incredibly descriptive and detailed in his articles and Strayed depicting her surrounding to the touch. In one instance describing her start to the hike as “I began panting and sweating immediately, dust caking my boots and calves and the trail turned north and began to climb.” (#270).

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