Lost and Found: A John Muir Trail Thru-Hike

by Michelle Pugh

When she found herself craving a new challenge, Michelle “Brownie” Pugh set her eyes on the John Muir Trail—a hiking trail traversing 211 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney in California. Heralded by Backpacker Magazine as the best long-distance trail in the country, the John Muir Trail boasts scenic and demanding mileage through the High Sierras. In Lost and Found Pugh details her experiences from planning and training to the trail itself. The serene beauty of high mountain passes and alpine lakes is mixed with hilarious tales of river crossings, hail storms, altitude sickness, and hiking companions. You’re guaranteed to laugh out loud, and possibly head out to purchase your own pair of hiking boots.

Genres: Nonfiction

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2016

About the author

Michelle Pugh was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but grew up mainly in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. She moved to Greenville, South Carolina, to attend Furman University, where she earned a degree in philosophy. After college, she hiked the Appalachian Trail, which was the inspiration for her book, Love at First Hike. Michelle has lived in five states since college, but has now settled in Simpsonville, South Carolina, where she works as an Emergency Medical Technician. When she is not working she enjoys hiking, camping, reading, cooking, and quilting.

Reviews

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

More JMT! Quite a bit more detail than I Had a Dream, I Lived It (fun fact: Fulcher and her husband walked the JMT at the same time that Pugh did, so they show up in the book), though still a straightforward I-walked-from-one-place-to-another story (i.e., no dramatic Wild backstory). Pugh's good about getting as much out of the story as she can, though a significant chunk of the book (a quarter?) is devoted to training to do the hike with her father, who wasn't able to do the hike after all, so...that feels a bit longer than it needs to be. Probably mostly of interest if you want to do a thru-hike of your own—for that it gets the job done.

[Lin F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and contains a lot of details about the hike, her itinerary, and gear she carried. An interesting account of Brownie’s experiences, but also has the information you’ll want to consider if you’re planning a thru hike of your own.

[Gabriela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account of John Muir Trail thru-hike, engaging and easy to read. Highly recommend, especially if you like hiking and backpacking or are curious about long distance backpacking through beautiful US wilderness.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelle makes you feel through the whole book you are planning, then hiking along with her. Experiencing the trail on your own. I was disappointed when she reaches the top, has I knew our trip was ending just as if I had been on the trail with her. Book makes you want to start planning your own long distance hike even if backpacking isn't your thing.