Pretty Good at Walking: A family journey

by Vince Strawbridge

"This book isn't about rambling through the mountains from Canada to Mexico. This book is an instruction manual, showing parents how to take the important steps of loving their kids."
— Steve Spencer, reader

In 2018, Vince and Monica Strawbridge walked the Pacific Crest Trail southbound with their four Aiden, sixteen; June, fourteen; Henry, thirteen; and Georgie, eleven. 2,650 miles. 142 days on foot.

It's about what it costs to ask more of your kids than they think they can give, and the hours afterward when you're not sure you were right. It's about a marriage conducted at walking pace, in front of an audience of four. It's funny more often than it's solemn.

The drawings in this book are Georgie's, from the trail journal she carried the whole way.

"Although Vince is the author of the book, the real hero is Monica."
— Steve Spencer, reader

SECOND EDITION, 418 pages, down from 535.

535 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2024

Reviews

[Meghann]

A journal entry memoir of a family of six that hikes the PCT, and I have never felt so lazy or more inspired in my life.

[Ginny Yurich]

Intriguing!!!! They walked the entire PCT as a family! 🤯

[Sara]

New thoughts:

I finished this book in Feb 2026. Then hiked the PCT myself from April 2026- Sept 2026. After finishing the PCT, I thought back to this book.

My respect and absolute awe they got their 3 kids to finish, especially JUNE blows me away. I also related to June so many times on trail. Another huge climb..!!? Blahhh. No. I don’t want to do it. I totally understand why she would just break down and cry. Hell, I broke down and cried many times. My favorite quote from the dad that I repeated to myself many times on trail, “You can cry, but ya gotta walk and cry” 🤣

[Linda]

As a former hiker who has raised three girls, I was amazed at how well this adventurous family managed this trip! I loved learning the personalities of the family, and watching the kids' growth as the journey progressed. I could see that the entire family.learned a lot about grace. I would love to read about their other adventures!

[Jesse]

I had mixed emotions throughout the book. I found myself getting frustrated at the dad, especially at the beginning. I think he got wiser as the trail wore on though. At least that is what I perceived. Anyway, I ended up enjoying the story more as it progressed. My only wish during the book was to hear more perspectives from the other family members. I want to hear Monica’s side of the story. Her honest perspective would have made the story way better.

[Elise Powell]

Quite an interesting story! I would have loved to hear more from the perspective of the kids throughout the book... still a solid listen. Inspires me to do something big with the kids. Not PCT big. Maybe more of a medium-sized adventure. 😅

[Kathy]

What is not to love about the journey of a family and the real struggles with real kids.... just out in the wilderness for six months. Totally normal... yet it was. How does one motivate oneself, much less a kid, to just put one foot in front of the other?

[Trinity Cunningham]

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of this. The narrator did a fantastic job. It was really cool to hear about this family's journey on the PCT (and it may have inspired me to want to do the same with my family, though I think I might die.)😄
Still, very inspiring.

Ultimately, what I took from this book was that it's about endurance and strength of mind/willpower. I can't imagine how challenging it would have been at times—especially when dealing with foot pain every day, among other things. Yet, the family prevailed right to the end (spoiler alert—they made it!)

I loved what the father had to say about facing trials and how they make us stronger. It's true that some people have to work a little harder than others in life. But we grow and adapt, and we're all the stronger for it. Lovely adventure and I love seeing pics and videos on the Strawbridge family Instagram page. It's neat to see some of the places where they'd trekked and have actual visuals to go along with what's being described.

[Bob Lyons]

Look, "Pretty Good at Walking" isn't your typical trail memoir - it reads more like a novel, and a good one at that, especially considering this is a first-time author. While most hiking books are all about lone wolves finding themselves in the wilderness, this one drops you right into the middle of a family figuring it out as they go.

As a hiker myself, I appreciate - the dirt, the blisters, and the whining.

The story is told in the first person narrative from Dad's perspective, but he doesn't fall into that trap of making it all about his deep thoughts and feelings (though I gotta say, I wouldn't have minded a bit more of that). Instead, he gives voice to the other characters through some pretty well wrought dialogue. And just wait till you meet June - seriously, you're gonna fall in love with that kid.

Fair warning: if you're hoping for one of those "How to Crush Your Thru-Hike" guides, this isn't it.

But I would guess that even if you've never set foot on a trail in your life, this book is worth your time. Because at its heart, it's about how families handle the tough stuff together. And let's face it, we could all use a little wisdom there, whether we're scaling mountains or just trying to get through Tuesday.