Mile 445: Hitched in Her Hiking Boots

I loved this story because I really like Claire and Caleb and enjoyed the telling of their story. I liked that they were good, honest people who knew when they found each other that they were meant for each other. I felt the same way when I met my husband. Not many couples can fall in love and stay married after knowing each other for such a short time, but when you meet on the trail, you already have a lot in common just being there, and have the time spent together to get to know each other without all the other distractions. They also both had their Faith and I enjoyed the simple way they shared it. They were kind to everyone else on the trail and were two good hearted people who deserved each other. I'm a writer, and felt this story was well written and enjoyable to read. I'm really happy they are still together, which proves it wasn't a hasty decision with no foundation to build on, as some accused them of. When you know, you know. God bless you both. Thank you for such a nice story.

This is a memoir of traveling the trail, meeting someone you eventually marry during their journey, getting tired of being on the trail and making a decision that changes everything.If you are looking for a PCT travelogue, this might not be it, as it is more like a romance-on-the-trail, but I found it true to life and the decisions they make, realistic.

I enjoyed the desert section hike of the PCT. The real question and only time will tell. When the going gets tough, will they find an excuse to quit or will they stick it out. If a child or one of them gets sick will the other be there or make an excuse and bail. I can say this with 40 years of marriage and medical, financial and all the other things life throws at you. I won’t be here to read the sequel. I wish them well, but don’t buy this book if you want a story of thru hiking the PCT.

I picked this book because I wanted to learn how people grow, gain the connections with Mather nature and get back who they really are on the trail, however, from the point where Claire married on the trail, this book started leaning toward travel blog and lost the lights…I enjoyed the book overall but it seems like this book lost its purpose and theme in the middle.

An adventure of hiking with an unexpected ending , i enjoyed the writing style, a nice easy and fun read

I really, really wanted to like this book. I liked the idea of a strong, independent woman falling in love, but keeping her identity and finishing a grueling hike. But, this is not that. It is more of a run-of-the-mill romance novel set on a long distance hiking trail. Not necessarily the PCT. It honestly could have been any hiking trail. because the descriptions of her surroundings are not very illustrative and you don’t read much about her actual hiking experience. You get to know more of her inner monologue expressed with with big, flowery words that no one actually ever thinks or says. If anyone really talked that way you’d roll your eyes and walk away thinking “Man, that chick is trying way too hard.”Also, I got tired of reading about how everything just “worked out” for them because they were faithful Christians on the right path. I can see weaving this idea throughout the story here and there but that WAS the story. I don’t even feel like got much of their love story—what they fell in love with about each other. All we are told is that it was somehow magically meant to be.The last thing that turned me off was that the author was pretty judgmental and downright rude in some of her descriptions of the people who helped them. What appened to turning the other cheek?This story IS unique and could have been interesting, but I just couldn’t get over the lack of depth to any storyline, the unrealistic dialogue, and the rudeness of the author enough to care.

It actually took me a while to get into this book. Started the first chapter and put it down for a couple weeks but, once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I feel it was written much better than several trail books I have read as she made you feel you were there with her. Claire has to get her trail name and will she hook up with others walking the trail or stay on her own? It wasn’t just a hiking book but her life that she took us on. At the end she does give us an insight into how her life has moved on. I wouldn’t want to do it but love that she took me on her trip! I highly recommend this book.

As a PCT thru hiker with my husband, I was very excited to read this book. I loved the book until the decision was made to quit the trail. I feel that Claire gave up her dream to meet Big Spoon's dream. She planned and worked so hard to accomplish her goal but gave it up for someone else's goal. Granted, the PCT will always be there but the opportunity to hike it is not often presented, especially when life events come into play. I wish for Claire she would have fulfilled her dream and made it to the end. Having said that, I really enjoyed the book until they jumped off the trail.

If you have read Cheryl Strayed's Wild you might be reluctant to read another hiking book that ostensibly covers much of the same route. However this would be a mistake for a journey along the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail is not only a physical one but also a journey of self discovery for the walkers who are on their own individual quest looking for fulfillment and enlightenment. Firstly the account gives a vivid account of the practicalities involved in such a walk and the hardship of trying to walk up to 20 miles a day in an environment that can range from desert to high altitude mountain passes. From desert heat to sub zero temperatures, from blisters to sheer exhaustion all the rigours are accurately portrayed.We also get to meet a cast list of eccentric and unforgettable characters including the trekkers with their idiosyncratic trek names and the trail angels. But it is at Mile 445 when events culminate in a life changing act that at first sight would appear rash and reckless but as the journey continues appears to have been the consequence of fate. The descriptive writing is good and I could certainly visualise the places that Claire visited.I was intrigued whether she would make it all the way to Canada and if not what the reasons would be. The conclusion is certainly heart warming and shows how a decision to embark on such a walk can have profound consequences. You are not the same person at the end as the one who started.I would recommend this book to both trekkers and non trekkers alike.

You might expect more from an author will formal training in journalism/creative writing. "Hands" ( trail name, a love struck teenager ( who is an adult in reality), meets Big Spoon ( trail name) and marries him on the PCT. From this point on you will read the word "spoon" several times per page and this book morphs from a trail account to a teen comic. Big Spoon and Little Spoon will then become a tiresome duo. Find another title to read, there are plenty of PCT accounts out there.

I read a lot of these trail journals leading up to my 2016 thru hike, and there was a real big mix of writing styles and quality. Of all the ones I bought, I probably finished about half, and abandoned the rest as I wasn't enjoying them. Since coming home and having to face the post trail depression, I'm went to reading, and found thisThis is one of the good ones - so well written and entertaining, and really easy to get stuck into. Most importantly for me now, I think it really accurately represents trail life and the journey everyone goes through. As a successful thru hiker I would highly recommend this book!Other great books about the PCT:Erin Miller - Hikertrash: Life on the Pacific Crest TrailCarrot Quinn - Thru Hiking will Break Your HeartChris Townsend - Rattlesnakes and Bald EaglesKeith Foskett - The Last Englishman

First half is great, with all the bits about the actual hiking. Then second half of the book gets a bit soppy and is just cringe I felt I couldn’t finish it but I pushed on. The dialogue just seemed too contrived.

Bought this after reading the sample. Little did I know that it would degenerate into a fake pious mess.Note to the author - nobody speaks like this. Nobody. So why write it in the book as if you do?