Thousand-Mile Summer

This book, written in the early 1960s, traces the author's hike from the Mexican border to the Oregon border at a time when such an adventure was uncommon, to say the least. His choice of route also differed dramatically from that of the Pacific Crest Trail, a very popular route that extends all the way to the Canadian border.
While some aspects of the book do not age well, (some words are offensive today), it is amusing to note how certain aspects are dated. For example, Alaska wasn't a state yet, so the author commented about how close he got to the highest point in the U.S.
That said, I felt like I was sitting next to the author as he stoked his campfire. His storytelling made me feel as though I was hiking alongside him for the entire show more journey. Highly recommended. show less

Before Cheryl Strayed wrote Wild and her book was made into the movie of the same title, was Colin Fletcher. There wasn't even a Pacific Crest Trail yet. Thus, in an era when backpacking gear was primitive, Fletcher put on his pack and walked the length of California -- south to north. His experiences of places, people and inner thoughts is worth the read.

Another book about and adventure I'd never want to try, but one that was fun to read about.