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Hikertrash: Life on the Pacific Crest Trail
Teetering awkwardly on the brink of insanity, unable to handle life in snowy, cold, ultra-conservative North Idaho, Carl and Erin sold their house and set out in search of a new place to call home. Suddenly finding themselves completely free of responsibilities, jobless, and with a little spare cash in the bank, it didn’t take long before their serious search for a new life took some unexpected twists and turns.
“What do you think we should do when we return to the States?” Erin asked Carl, as they sat outside a tiny café sipping coffee. It was a question that had been plaguing her for weeks as they budget travelled across South East Asia in an attempt to avoid winter (and reality).
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I think we should thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail.” Was Carl’s totally unexpected reply.
Spend months on end traipsing through the wilderness, petting bunnies and chasing rainbows, as they hiked 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada? How could Erin possibly say no? Life Rule #1: Never, ever, turn down an adventure.
Friends wagered they wouldn’t last a week, but before they knew it, days turned into months as they made their way across America at three miles an hour. As Carl and Erin morphed into Bearclaw and Hummingbird, they found that being hikertrash suited them.
Though they will both admit the trail was life altering, there were no great epiphanies, no magic answers to all of life’s burning questions, no “ah-ha!” moments when suddenly life made sense. This is not a tale of personal growth.
Through blisters and shin splints, jaw-dropping landscapes and craptastically unspectacular forests, searing heat and pouring rain, complete hilarity and utter exhaustion, this is the story of what day-to-day life is really like on one of America’s greatest trails.
As told through Hummingbird's journal entries, this is the story of life on the trail - the people you meet, the things you see, and how, mile by mile, you eventually become Hikertrash.
• 6 Overview Maps to Follow our Journey
• 19 Black & White Photos of Sights Along the Trail
• Leave No Trace Tips
• Our Gear Lists
• Our Trail Recipes
What Is Hikertrash?
a long distance hiker, shabby and homeless in appearance, rarely bathed and rank in odor, more at home outdoors than in society, with a deep reverence and respect for all things wild.
“What do you think we should do when we return to the States?” Erin asked Carl, as they sat outside a tiny café sipping coffee. It was a question that had been plaguing her for weeks as they budget travelled across South East Asia in an attempt to avoid winter (and reality).
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I think we should thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail.” Was Carl’s totally unexpected reply.
Spend months on end traipsing through the wilderness, petting bunnies and chasing rainbows, as they hiked 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada? How could Erin possibly say no? Life Rule #1: Never, ever, turn down an adventure.
Friends wagered they wouldn’t last a week, but before they knew it, days turned into months as they made their way across America at three miles an hour. As Carl and Erin morphed into Bearclaw and Hummingbird, they found that being hikertrash suited them.
Though they will both admit the trail was life altering, there were no great epiphanies, no magic answers to all of life’s burning questions, no “ah-ha!” moments when suddenly life made sense. This is not a tale of personal growth.
Through blisters and shin splints, jaw-dropping landscapes and craptastically unspectacular forests, searing heat and pouring rain, complete hilarity and utter exhaustion, this is the story of what day-to-day life is really like on one of America’s greatest trails.
As told through Hummingbird's journal entries, this is the story of life on the trail - the people you meet, the things you see, and how, mile by mile, you eventually become Hikertrash.
• 6 Overview Maps to Follow our Journey
• 19 Black & White Photos of Sights Along the Trail
• Leave No Trace Tips
• Our Gear Lists
• Our Trail Recipes
What Is Hikertrash?
a long distance hiker, shabby and homeless in appearance, rarely bathed and rank in odor, more at home outdoors than in society, with a deep reverence and respect for all things wild.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2014
96 people are currently reading
1995 people want to read
About the author
Erin Miller
1 book17 followersErin Miller was born in the Great White North, otherwise known as Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada, where she lived until her tweens, when her parents divorced and her adventure seeking mother moved her and her brother to the white sand beaches of the sleepy fishing village of Bahia Kino, Sonora, Mexico. Growing up between worlds, Erin developed a passion for nature and the environment and a love of being nomadic. Erin met her equally adventurous husband Carl on the return end of a wander through Central America. When they aren’t living in a tent, or traipsing from hostel to budget hotel, they call Bend, Oregon their home. Erin is always dreaming up adventures, loves being outdoors, and is most content when she’s wild and free, her tangled hair matted with pine needles or sand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
February 17, 2015
I have also hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, and I have read many books before and since about long distance backpacking. "Hikertrash:Life on the Pacific Crest Trail" is the most accurate portrayal of the experience, and the best one that I have read. I highly recommend it to anyone with an adventurous spirit.
A truly enjoyable and engaging story of a bigger than life experience that is very difficult to put down once you start. I laughed out loud countless times and I found that the writing style drew me into the experience in a very visceral way. If you hear the trail calling your name, this is the book for you. Thank you Erin Miller for sharing your wonderful adventure!
P.S.
I have read a few reviews stating that this book needs editing, but I did not find this to be the case at all. The writing, spelling and punctuation were excellent. The author stated that the book was professionally edited after the initial release, so current copies, as mine is, are perfect!
A truly enjoyable and engaging story of a bigger than life experience that is very difficult to put down once you start. I laughed out loud countless times and I found that the writing style drew me into the experience in a very visceral way. If you hear the trail calling your name, this is the book for you. Thank you Erin Miller for sharing your wonderful adventure!
P.S.
I have read a few reviews stating that this book needs editing, but I did not find this to be the case at all. The writing, spelling and punctuation were excellent. The author stated that the book was professionally edited after the initial release, so current copies, as mine is, are perfect!
February 2, 2015
An honest description of the life of an thru hiker. Story that is easy to read and make you root for Hummingbird and her friends to win their race against the winter.
February 4, 2015
A great account of the couple's hike of the PCT.
January 22, 2015
I was really excited to read this book (c'mon- Hikertrash? Who wouldn't want to read a book with that title?), being committed to hiking the PCT one day, but it fell way short of my expectations.
The good: This book made me laugh a lot. Erin's descriptions of mishaps and foibles on the trail were really funny. I also enjoyed reading about her descriptions of the terrain and other thru-hikers she encountered on her journey. I liked her honesty about the experience; she didn't play the hero angle, which I really appreciated. It was nice to hear her accounts of the struggles she and her husband experienced without trivializing them post hoc.
The bad: This book needed an editor in the worst way. I appreciate that it's more like a book of blog posts that have been collated, but it was still disheartening to see so many typos. It's also fairly clear that the author does not know how to use commas or hyphens. A decent editor would have made this book so much better. I was also disappointed by the lack of research the author did post-trail but prior to publishing the book. Turtles and tortoises are not the same thing. And people steal Desert tortoise because they are threatened (i.e. valuable on the black market). I was really surprised that, for an 'outdoors woman' living in the west, the author did not know the namesake of Pinchot Pass. Really?! Additionally, most of the background information in the book seemed to be pasted straight out of Wikipedia.
The ugly: Oh man. Where to start? Maybe with the overwhelming sense of entitlement she exhibits throughout the book as a thru-hiker? The blatant disregard for the rules in various sections of the trail? So there's that. I also get really tired of reading thru-hiker's disdain and disrespect of day hikers and weekend warriors. Newsflash: you're spending a day or two in their backyard, not the other way around. Have some respect. You can't blame every piece of trash on the trail on them and your superiority complex of being a thru-hiker compared with a day hiker gets really irritating. I was similarly put off by her near obsession with being confused for or looking like a homeless person. You are accepting food from strangers, begging for rides on the road, living on the ground, dirty. You are not that far a stretch from a homeless person. Get over it. Additionally, I was flabbergasted by the fact that someone who had lived in the central Cascades region in Oregon didn't know the difference between Diamond Peak and Mount Thielson- they look nothing alike! I don't want to go off on a tangent about everything I found bothersome in this book, but there was plenty.
What it is: A travelogue; a daily journal of what happened each day on the trail.
What is isn't: Literature.
If you want to get a sense of the day-to-day challenges you might be faced with on the trail, this book might be up your alley. If you have a low tolerance for entitlement and/or you mind poor grammar and typos, give it a pass.
There seems to be a dearth of PCT books that have genuinely good writing and the bulk seem to be self-published with relatively bad writing. I would like to say there are better books about the PCT, but most I have read have been riddled with the exact same problems.
The good: This book made me laugh a lot. Erin's descriptions of mishaps and foibles on the trail were really funny. I also enjoyed reading about her descriptions of the terrain and other thru-hikers she encountered on her journey. I liked her honesty about the experience; she didn't play the hero angle, which I really appreciated. It was nice to hear her accounts of the struggles she and her husband experienced without trivializing them post hoc.
The bad: This book needed an editor in the worst way. I appreciate that it's more like a book of blog posts that have been collated, but it was still disheartening to see so many typos. It's also fairly clear that the author does not know how to use commas or hyphens. A decent editor would have made this book so much better. I was also disappointed by the lack of research the author did post-trail but prior to publishing the book. Turtles and tortoises are not the same thing. And people steal Desert tortoise because they are threatened (i.e. valuable on the black market). I was really surprised that, for an 'outdoors woman' living in the west, the author did not know the namesake of Pinchot Pass. Really?! Additionally, most of the background information in the book seemed to be pasted straight out of Wikipedia.
The ugly: Oh man. Where to start? Maybe with the overwhelming sense of entitlement she exhibits throughout the book as a thru-hiker? The blatant disregard for the rules in various sections of the trail? So there's that. I also get really tired of reading thru-hiker's disdain and disrespect of day hikers and weekend warriors. Newsflash: you're spending a day or two in their backyard, not the other way around. Have some respect. You can't blame every piece of trash on the trail on them and your superiority complex of being a thru-hiker compared with a day hiker gets really irritating. I was similarly put off by her near obsession with being confused for or looking like a homeless person. You are accepting food from strangers, begging for rides on the road, living on the ground, dirty. You are not that far a stretch from a homeless person. Get over it. Additionally, I was flabbergasted by the fact that someone who had lived in the central Cascades region in Oregon didn't know the difference between Diamond Peak and Mount Thielson- they look nothing alike! I don't want to go off on a tangent about everything I found bothersome in this book, but there was plenty.
What it is: A travelogue; a daily journal of what happened each day on the trail.
What is isn't: Literature.
If you want to get a sense of the day-to-day challenges you might be faced with on the trail, this book might be up your alley. If you have a low tolerance for entitlement and/or you mind poor grammar and typos, give it a pass.
There seems to be a dearth of PCT books that have genuinely good writing and the bulk seem to be self-published with relatively bad writing. I would like to say there are better books about the PCT, but most I have read have been riddled with the exact same problems.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2015
Well written and honest, I have to compare this to Wild, another PCT memoir. While Wild felt like a novel that happened to be written about someone's life, this felt more like a travelog which happened to be in book form.
Part of the appeal of a book like this is the day-to-day realities of life on the trail, and here Hummingbird does not skimp. She does't go so far as to write a series of reviews of her equipment, but she is honest and thorough in describing the trials and tribulations and joys of the trail.
What surprised me was her brutal honesty, especially when pointed at herself. It would be tempting to just write about the trail and only inject yourself as the narrator when the situation required it. But instead, she has no problem sharing unflattering aspects of her personality, specific times when she behaved in ways she regretted, people who rubbed her the wrong way, and so on.
I enjoyed just about every page of this, and grew sad when I realized she tale was nearing its end. In that way, the author made me feel some of what she felt, and that's why I seek out books like this.
Part of the appeal of a book like this is the day-to-day realities of life on the trail, and here Hummingbird does not skimp. She does't go so far as to write a series of reviews of her equipment, but she is honest and thorough in describing the trials and tribulations and joys of the trail.
What surprised me was her brutal honesty, especially when pointed at herself. It would be tempting to just write about the trail and only inject yourself as the narrator when the situation required it. But instead, she has no problem sharing unflattering aspects of her personality, specific times when she behaved in ways she regretted, people who rubbed her the wrong way, and so on.
I enjoyed just about every page of this, and grew sad when I realized she tale was nearing its end. In that way, the author made me feel some of what she felt, and that's why I seek out books like this.
July 29, 2016
I wanted to read this book just before the August-September influx of PCT thru-hikers to Bend, when my husband trolls REI to find hikers to bring to our house for a good night's sleep, laundry, and showers. It was extremely enlightening without getting too bogged down in minute details. I had a hard time keeping track of all the hikers by their trail names, except for the narrator's main crew, but it didn't reduce enjoyment (and neither did the several typos).
March 4, 2015
Adventure, Friendships Made and Challenges of life on the trail
I gave this a five out of five because it was an enjoyable true account of hikers Hummingbird and Bearclaw and life on the Pacific Crest Trail. Along the way the developed New friendships with other PCT through hikers, and people they met along the way. It gives real accounts of the conditions of living months on the trail dealing with the good the bad and ugly weather, the importance of a good tent and other gear. Hummingbird describes the beautiful scenery, the not so good scenery, the wildlife both human and animal...lol. She is strong and has this drive to push on.
Anyway I thought it was a great book.
I gave this a five out of five because it was an enjoyable true account of hikers Hummingbird and Bearclaw and life on the Pacific Crest Trail. Along the way the developed New friendships with other PCT through hikers, and people they met along the way. It gives real accounts of the conditions of living months on the trail dealing with the good the bad and ugly weather, the importance of a good tent and other gear. Hummingbird describes the beautiful scenery, the not so good scenery, the wildlife both human and animal...lol. She is strong and has this drive to push on.
Anyway I thought it was a great book.
January 17, 2016
I enjoyed this book a lot. OK, it's possible that I give 5 star reviews a bit too much, but come on, I have to follow my heart! I don't intend to actually hike the Pacific Crest Trail, so I do it vicariously, though this and through Wild.
August 10, 2016
Great intertwining of trail description, social interactions, and inner thoughts/feelings. The format of the book made for convenient stopping points even if I only had a few minutes to pick it up. Great story!
February 12, 2015
Great ground level view of long distance thru-hiking. Great read for anyone thinking about trying to do the PCT.
September 1, 2016
Very informative, well-written narrative of what it is like to thru-hike on the PCT
July 21, 2019
This was an excellent book about thru-hiking because it had a good balance between trail/hiking descriptions and entertaining/humorous stories. Erin (Hummingbird) really helps the reader get a feel for the different parts of the trail and what's it like to hike the PCT. I like how the chapters and sections within were divided up by date, mileage, and location. Some minor mistakes could have been corrected by more careful editing, but I'm still giving the book 5 stars because of how much I enjoyed it. I feel like I know Hummingbird and we are friends!
March 29, 2021
I'm addicted to reading books on hikers experiences hiking the PCT. Another great book. Really enjoyed all the stories.
May 21, 2015
A husband and wife team hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico northward. The book is written by the wife. Along the way, they develop an extended trail family whose membership morphs as people drop out, skip sections, drop in, quit the trail, and meet for impromptu reunions along the way. The book captures the monotony as well as the regenerative essence of thru hiking: you hike all day, you eat, you sleep, and then do it all over again, day after day, week after week, month after month, mile after mile. If that bores you, don't read the book. If you've done any thru hiking, you can relate to the story and enjoy the book. By the time they reach Washington, the story becomes bittersweet: they will soon be leaving the trail and the trail has become their home, where they belong. They are no longer Erin and Carl, they are Hummingbird and Bearclaw. Home is a tent; the kitchen is a campsite, sometimes right on the treadway of the trail; the kitchen appliance is a backpacking stove. And there is a surprise ending.
I would recommend this book to my backpacker friends, but for those who have not done any long distance hiking or for those who get "bored" easily (boredom is from within you - it is your inability to relate to your environment), I would say "Read Dean Koontz, James Patterson, or Janet Evanovich" instead.
I would recommend this book to my backpacker friends, but for those who have not done any long distance hiking or for those who get "bored" easily (boredom is from within you - it is your inability to relate to your environment), I would say "Read Dean Koontz, James Patterson, or Janet Evanovich" instead.
December 20, 2016
Hikertrash: Life on the Pacific Crest Trail is the story of Erin Miller and her husband Carl, who set out on the 2,650 mile trail from Mexico to Canada. The book was generally good, though it never quite decided if it would rather be a recounting of the logistics of their hike or a gossipy volume about their fellow hikers. Erin and Carl are likeable, and their hike sounds like a grand excursion. Good content for armchair and actual through-hikers. It gave me more of a feel for trail life than it did of the land the trail passes through. Somewhat marred by numerous grammatical errors and homonym abuse ("peak" instead of "pique", etc.), though my understanding is that volumes after the first edition have been professionally edited and these errors virtually eliminated. I was also put off by occasional through-hiker snobbery, such as expecting "trail magic" (unsought acts of kindness such as a cold beer in a cooler left by the trail) and repeatedly blaming things on day hikers. All in all, a good read.
June 2, 2015
I just never knew!!!! This was amazing read. It had me both crying and laughing. I hope that Mrs. Miller has been able to finish her trek! I hope all those that left and went on ahead, came out the other end safe and sound. I knew a woman who has walked the Appalachian trail, but she never went into details like this book, and I just never thought about all the planning involved in such a feet. Congratulations to all of those that have the stamina and the fortitude to do something like this. I had never heard of this trail, and I lived in CA, which you would think would be at least mentioned in school, like the Appalachian trail is. Thank you for the opportunity to learn about this part of America. Good luck in all future treks!!!
February 4, 2020
In my hiking book phase this book really stood out to me. I LOVED reading this book and have actually returned to read it a second time this summer. I liked the adventurous spirit Erin and her husband have, and this has automatically become my life goal to travel more and maybe even do more hiking myself. I liked the humor in the book, as well as a realistic description of the hardships and upsides of the hike. I would love to see more books from this author (hopefully maybe the AT or CDT?).
January 1, 2017
Should this be a book? I would give it a 4 for the journey and enthusiasm put into sharing that journey, but a 1-2 for the actual prose—this is more a day to day journal a young woman kept on her trip on the PCT, than a book/memoir. There is some good info here for thru hikers, and I was psyched to see the couple's tenacity, but the writing itself could have been significantly more adequate with a lot of editing.
April 10, 2015
Great fun! I hiked the PCT in 2009 and kept a trail journal. This book follows the same format as mine (daily miles, notes etc.), so I had fun referring to my own journal while reading about the author's adventures. We had many of the same experiences and stopped at most of the same places, but the difference in years was also evident. Loved it.
June 7, 2016
Hikertrash
I loved this book!!! Wanting to do the PCT myself, I seriously thought well maybe I need to read about it from another persons point of view! So that is exactly what I did. I cried, I whooped, I laughed and I even giggled through the majority of this book. One day, I hope to be on the trail, and I will definitely keep a journal, just like Erin and Carl do.
I loved this book!!! Wanting to do the PCT myself, I seriously thought well maybe I need to read about it from another persons point of view! So that is exactly what I did. I cried, I whooped, I laughed and I even giggled through the majority of this book. One day, I hope to be on the trail, and I will definitely keep a journal, just like Erin and Carl do.
July 20, 2016
I honestly felt like I was there with the author. The imagery of the landscapes made me feel like I was looking at what the author was looking at. Great day to day journaling and an exciting cast of people. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but most commonly a day hiker I was put off by the superiority complex.
March 18, 2015
I loved this book. It is probably my favorite trail book next to Cheryl Strayed's "Wild." But it is a different take on the experience of hiking the PCT. Erin's down to earth humor with her love of nature and optimism, made this more than just another day on the trail.
February 17, 2015
Very good!! I loved this book because my nephew Brett is leaving in 2 days to 'Thru Hike' the Appalachian Trail. I am so excited for him and this gave me an idea of what daily life of his trip will be like. Looking forward to reading their blog too!!
September 12, 2015
Really enjoyed this book with its day by day format. Not an introspective tale directly but you'll still come away with insight into what the trail means to the author.
Be sure to read the appendix for a co-hikers account of battling severe weather when others were getting off the trail.
Be sure to read the appendix for a co-hikers account of battling severe weather when others were getting off the trail.
September 22, 2016
Loved the descriptions, the realness, the challenge. These people spent many months on the trail, had their ups and downs, and endured.
While I am not sure yet that the PCT is something I want to take on, it certainly fuels my desire to hike sections of it.
While I am not sure yet that the PCT is something I want to take on, it certainly fuels my desire to hike sections of it.
March 23, 2015
I cannot say enough about this book! It was great!! Excellent writing. Thoughtful, touching. I really liked "Wild" but this is a better book for those of us who relish the long trail.
July 22, 2015
4/18/2015
August 14, 2015
read it twice and will again! The next best thing to being there.
March 19, 2016
Great read
Wonderful book. Never a dull moment. Erin Miller makes you feel as if you are along for the hike. Definitely must read.
Wonderful book. Never a dull moment. Erin Miller makes you feel as if you are along for the hike. Definitely must read.
September 19, 2016
Really gave an insiders view of threw hiking..... great read to prepare for my 3 day hike on the pct:)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews