Take a photo of a barcode or cover
11 reviews for:
The Trail Provides: A Boy's Memoir of Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
David Smart
3.87 AVERAGE
11 reviews for:
The Trail Provides: A Boy's Memoir of Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
David Smart
3.87 AVERAGE
Each time I read a book on the PCT it makes me want to experience this trail even more. This book was no different. I really enjoyed it. I loved the fact that there were photos in it and the story was great. I do wish the book was scattered throughout the trail more. Not just the "significant" things that had happened. But boy was it an adventure!
What a fantastic book that resonated on so many different levels with me. David describes his Thru-Hike from the border of Mexico to Canada, which is known as the Pacific Crest Trail. There are already many books likes this out there (e.g. [b:here|18923680|The Last Englishman A Thru-Hiking Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail|Keith Foskett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388247999l/18923680._SY75_.jpg|19156325], [b:here|12262741|Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail|Cheryl Strayed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453189881l/12262741._SY75_.jpg|17237712] or [b:here|45069883|The Great Alone Walking the Pacific Crest Trail|Tim Voors|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555292247l/45069883._SX50_.jpg|69770198]) but what makes it special is the rawness of the experience and how it turns into some sort of coming-of-age story.
In the beginning I was surprised that David and Bradley wanted to hike barefoot. I have tried it myself and can tell you that if your feet are not prepared you will develop blisters in no time. It's fun and looks so natural but it also has some serious disadvantages. I felt the pain down to my feet and must adore their stubbornness, how stupid it may be.
Then there is the relationship between David and Bradley. Bradley has more experience but it looks like the PCT is different, which results in some bad decisions. This makes the book really interesting because David holds nothing back, neither the good moments nor the tension and struggles. Again and again there are fortunate turns of events that prove the old saying: the Trail provides.
After the suffering in the beginning the hike turns into a jolly adventure when more people join the gang. This was the part I couldn't relate much too, it had a different vibe and was driven by group dynamics. Climbing Mount Shasta (2200m elevation gain) as part of a thru-hike without any hill training is something that only a group of foolish boys will do that has to burn energy. The "race" with the wolfpack falls into the same category, it was fun to read though. What I enjoyed more was how David explored his feelings and what the trail meant to him on a personal level. Everyone has other needs...
The last part is very different. The tension between David and Bradley becomes hostile, they try an experiment and it works wonders. A spiritual angle arises that foreshadows what David will undergo in the next years. These experiences again strongly resonated with me, I visited his homepage after finishing the book and found many parallels to my own journey. I guess this is one of the reasons why I loved the book so much.
Richard, who has hiked a long part with the boys, has posted many pictures on his Blog. This gives a great impression how everyone looked like. :-)
5 of 5 stars - what a trip!
In the beginning I was surprised that David and Bradley wanted to hike barefoot. I have tried it myself and can tell you that if your feet are not prepared you will develop blisters in no time. It's fun and looks so natural but it also has some serious disadvantages. I felt the pain down to my feet and must adore their stubbornness, how stupid it may be.
Then there is the relationship between David and Bradley. Bradley has more experience but it looks like the PCT is different, which results in some bad decisions. This makes the book really interesting because David holds nothing back, neither the good moments nor the tension and struggles. Again and again there are fortunate turns of events that prove the old saying: the Trail provides.
After the suffering in the beginning the hike turns into a jolly adventure when more people join the gang. This was the part I couldn't relate much too, it had a different vibe and was driven by group dynamics. Climbing Mount Shasta (2200m elevation gain) as part of a thru-hike without any hill training is something that only a group of foolish boys will do that has to burn energy. The "race" with the wolfpack falls into the same category, it was fun to read though. What I enjoyed more was how David explored his feelings and what the trail meant to him on a personal level. Everyone has other needs...
The last part is very different. The tension between David and Bradley becomes hostile, they try an experiment and it works wonders. A spiritual angle arises that foreshadows what David will undergo in the next years. These experiences again strongly resonated with me, I visited his homepage after finishing the book and found many parallels to my own journey. I guess this is one of the reasons why I loved the book so much.
Richard, who has hiked a long part with the boys, has posted many pictures on his Blog. This gives a great impression how everyone looked like. :-)
5 of 5 stars - what a trip!
This is a better-than-average book about one guy's experience thru-hiking the PCT. It's interesting and worth reading for a couple of reasons:
1. When he starts out at the southern terminus of the trail (Campo, CA), he has never backpacked before and indeed basically decides to do the trail on a whim when he finds out a college buddy of his is doing it. Hilarity ensues (and this is the best part of the book) as they settle in to learn how to backpack. They both decide to hike the trail barefoot, as you might imagine, this doesn't last long, but a lot longer than I expected (75 miles
1. When he starts out at the southern terminus of the trail (Campo, CA), he has never backpacked before and indeed basically decides to do the trail on a whim when he finds out a college buddy of his is doing it. Hilarity ensues (and this is the best part of the book) as they settle in to learn how to backpack. They both decide to hike the trail barefoot, as you might imagine, this doesn't last long, but a lot longer than I expected (75 miles
I normally don't like to rate memoirs (I've explained before that I don't agree with rating someone's experience as I believe all experiences are 100% valid and valuable!), but as an overall read, I rate this one 4.5-stars! (y'all know how seriously I take rating something 5-stars so this says a lot).
The author, David, writes in a way that allows the reader to truly feel as if they are walking the PCT themselves. As David and his friend, Bradley, take on this challenging trail, they learn more about the world, their purpose in it, and overall, themselves. In a similar manner, I found that through following along with David's experiences, and him describing his various encounters and tribulations, I too was able to apply what he learned and experienced with my own life.
When starting this book, I simply was excited to follow along David's adventures, but in the end, I was left with so much more. This book really captivates its reader and allows them to question their purpose in life and question their day-to-day internal battles. The book makes us look at our lives from an outward perspective and allows us to question why we do certain things, why we surround ourselves with certain people, and how our life's choices really add up to our overall happiness and fulfillment.
This book truly surprised me and, to me, felt like more than just a memoir. This book made me laugh, this book made me excited, and this book found a way to make me emotional. There were so many amazing quotes in this book and I ended up highlighting/annotating a ton of it! David's writing is beautiful, the chapters are short and quick to read, and overall I truly loved this book! I'd recommend it to all my friends and family. It doesn't matter if you're super into outdoorsy things either. In fact, that is another great thing to highlight. David does a tremendous job of teaching the reader various outdoor terminology. In the end, I ended up learning a ton about backpacking and camping on top of everything else.
Long story short, this is a phenomenal read and his book would be a riveting read for all.
Side note: this would also make for a great buddy read with a friend or friend group!
The author, David, writes in a way that allows the reader to truly feel as if they are walking the PCT themselves. As David and his friend, Bradley, take on this challenging trail, they learn more about the world, their purpose in it, and overall, themselves. In a similar manner, I found that through following along with David's experiences, and him describing his various encounters and tribulations, I too was able to apply what he learned and experienced with my own life.
When starting this book, I simply was excited to follow along David's adventures, but in the end, I was left with so much more. This book really captivates its reader and allows them to question their purpose in life and question their day-to-day internal battles. The book makes us look at our lives from an outward perspective and allows us to question why we do certain things, why we surround ourselves with certain people, and how our life's choices really add up to our overall happiness and fulfillment.
This book truly surprised me and, to me, felt like more than just a memoir. This book made me laugh, this book made me excited, and this book found a way to make me emotional. There were so many amazing quotes in this book and I ended up highlighting/annotating a ton of it! David's writing is beautiful, the chapters are short and quick to read, and overall I truly loved this book! I'd recommend it to all my friends and family. It doesn't matter if you're super into outdoorsy things either. In fact, that is another great thing to highlight. David does a tremendous job of teaching the reader various outdoor terminology. In the end, I ended up learning a ton about backpacking and camping on top of everything else.
Long story short, this is a phenomenal read and his book would be a riveting read for all.
Side note: this would also make for a great buddy read with a friend or friend group!
Relaxing easy read! Didn't love the beginning mainly due to the poor decisions people made but as the book went on it was more inspiring.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I was glad to see how much Stayin' Alive and Shake matured over the hike.
Note to author: If you are going to take the name of the Bee Gees most earworm song for your trail name, you should probably get Barry Gibb's name right, especially right under his picture. Gibb with no "s".
Note to author: If you are going to take the name of the Bee Gees most earworm song for your trail name, you should probably get Barry Gibb's name right, especially right under his picture. Gibb with no "s".
I listened to the audiobook. When I started out, I thought his surfer-esque accent would be distracting, but he is a great storyteller and brought some real emotion to the stories. The book itself contains insight, rawness, and openness between the reader and Stayinalive. Also, it will really make you want to hike the PCT. Thanks for the read dude!
I LOVE reading books about these crazy thru-hikes. The Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide trail are all hikes that blow my mind. I can't imagine doing such a thing myself, though I would love to, and these people who manage it just fascinate me.
I really enjoy finding out each individuals reason for doing the hike, and what they find out about themselves along the way. It's something I have seen in my own self while traveling the country to hit up all the national parks and to see what else is out there. I live very near the AT, and someday I would love to take a couple of weeks to at least do a section of it. I am also living to eventually get to Mount Katahdin to do the summit hike.
Someday!
I really enjoy finding out each individuals reason for doing the hike, and what they find out about themselves along the way. It's something I have seen in my own self while traveling the country to hit up all the national parks and to see what else is out there. I live very near the AT, and someday I would love to take a couple of weeks to at least do a section of it. I am also living to eventually get to Mount Katahdin to do the summit hike.
Someday!