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Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Mexico to Canada
One April morning I left the Mexico border and walked north on the Pacific Crest Trail. For five months I hiked through the California desert, the snows of the Sierra Nevada, and the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington. My goal was to succeed in an epic challenge: to hike 2,650 miles and reach Canada before the October snows. It was an unforgettable summer of sunrises, river crossings, and high mountain passes; of physical and mental challenges and peaceful wilderness camps under the stars. In the fall colors of September I reached the border of Canada.This is the story of my thru-hike.
296 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 23, 2020
Enjoyable and engaging. It isn't too heavy on other hikers stories and instead focuses on Bruce "Buck" Nelson. Brief and to the point. The author does discuss personal issues and what makes a person hike the PCT, but he doesn't linger- it's as if he doesn't want to bore/lecture the reader.
What I liked most was the epilogue- while the book may not have focused heavily on other hikers, those who are important to the story (i.e. those who spent a large amount of time with Bruce Nelson)- well, we are informed (briefly) of what happened to them after they left the trail. It also gave me the name of another book to read. Five stars easily earned, and I am off to amazon.
What I liked most was the epilogue- while the book may not have focused heavily on other hikers, those who are important to the story (i.e. those who spent a large amount of time with Bruce Nelson)- well, we are informed (briefly) of what happened to them after they left the trail. It also gave me the name of another book to read. Five stars easily earned, and I am off to amazon.
September 11, 2020
The author obviously isn't a professional writer, still, this is an enjoyable read for those interested in reading about long thru-hikes.
June 20, 2021
This was nothing more than a trail report. Very boring to me.
This book highlighted the facts of modern day “make everything easy” thru hikers.
No longer does anyone really “thru hike” the PCT.
* countless hotel/motel breaks.
* eating at diners
* people supplying you water and food.
* changing routes because it’s too hard to go straight through.
Yes, it is incredible that anyone can hike 2700 miles. No doubts there. Major accomplishment indeed.
But it is SO watered down now.
Now, all you need is Time, Money, and Desire. Like climbing Mt Everest. It’s turned into a social event instead of a true challenge… one against nature.
The writers callous attitude toward his girlfriend sucked. I’m glad she dumped his ass.
This book helped me to see the PCT thru hike for what is really is today.
If I decide to ever do it I will do it right, as it was intended. Start south, head north, and hike all the way without car transports and all the convenient stops.
I would hike to get away from computers, blogs, cell phones, and for the most part….people. This man did everything but….
Nothing technical. Nothing really about the routes. No pointers to aid other hikers. Just “hey, look what I did”.
Very disappointing.
I hope to find a real PCT thru hiker book. Wish me luck.
And as I side bar, I am not a couch poster just criticizing someone’s journey. I have spent countless months in the wild, long hikes, over 150 mountains summited. Camping/hiking/climbing at 20 below, I didn’t hike for convienence or to profit. I hiked/climbed to enjoy nature and a simpler world.
I never changed a route because it was too hard….to hard is the point. To challenge yourself.
Sad world we live in when you can’t take on nature for a fair fight.
Just one persons opinion.
This book highlighted the facts of modern day “make everything easy” thru hikers.
No longer does anyone really “thru hike” the PCT.
* countless hotel/motel breaks.
* eating at diners
* people supplying you water and food.
* changing routes because it’s too hard to go straight through.
Yes, it is incredible that anyone can hike 2700 miles. No doubts there. Major accomplishment indeed.
But it is SO watered down now.
Now, all you need is Time, Money, and Desire. Like climbing Mt Everest. It’s turned into a social event instead of a true challenge… one against nature.
The writers callous attitude toward his girlfriend sucked. I’m glad she dumped his ass.
This book helped me to see the PCT thru hike for what is really is today.
If I decide to ever do it I will do it right, as it was intended. Start south, head north, and hike all the way without car transports and all the convenient stops.
I would hike to get away from computers, blogs, cell phones, and for the most part….people. This man did everything but….
Nothing technical. Nothing really about the routes. No pointers to aid other hikers. Just “hey, look what I did”.
Very disappointing.
I hope to find a real PCT thru hiker book. Wish me luck.
And as I side bar, I am not a couch poster just criticizing someone’s journey. I have spent countless months in the wild, long hikes, over 150 mountains summited. Camping/hiking/climbing at 20 below, I didn’t hike for convienence or to profit. I hiked/climbed to enjoy nature and a simpler world.
I never changed a route because it was too hard….to hard is the point. To challenge yourself.
Sad world we live in when you can’t take on nature for a fair fight.
Just one persons opinion.
November 16, 2025
Buck Nelson knows how to move through the wilderness. That much is clear from the first chapters of “Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Mexico to Canada.” His experience as a smokejumper shows in his competence, his efficiency, and the way he describes the terrain. If you’re looking for a straightforward account of what the physical trail looks and feels like mile after mile, this book absolutely delivers. The landscape is vivid, the pacing steady, and the logistics are laid out with almost clinical precision.
What the book doesn’t offer is much of the person behind the hike. Buck gives us a brief nod to his background in Alaska, but that’s about as far as the personal history goes. He doesn’t spend time opening up about his motivations, his fears, or what drove him to take on a journey of this scale. The tone stays firmly rooted in the external world, and that focus makes the narrative feel a bit distant.
His interactions with others are described in the same stripped-down way. Buck doesn’t come across as someone who seeks connection on the trail. Encounters with other hikers are quick and transactional. There’s a moment where he calls an old friend he hasn’t seen in years and leaves a voicemail that’s basically a grocery list he wants delivered to him. It’s efficient, sure, but it also reads like he’s treating his friends as a resupply service rather than people he’s excited to reconnect with. Even his girlfriend, Stephanie, appears mostly in the context of logistics. He mentions she was having a hard time but doesn’t explore what that meant or how it affected their relationship. Instead, he simply notes he now needs someone else to mail his packages.
Because of that tone, there’s almost no character development. We don’t learn much about Buck beyond his competence, and we learn even less about the hikers around him. The Pacific Crest Trail is full of personalities, stories, and chance connections, but those elements rarely appear here. What you get instead is a detailed, almost clinical trail report that covers the miles but not the emotional journey.
That said, the book has value. If you want a clean, practical, unembellished look at the PCT from someone who clearly knows what he’s doing in the backcountry, it’s worth picking up. Buck’s skill level is undeniable and his eye for physical detail can be helpful for anyone planning a thru-hike.
If you’re looking for a deeper story, though, or something that explores the friendships, inner transformation, and human side of the PCT, there are other trail memoirs I’d recommend first. This one gives you the miles, but not much of the man walking them.
What the book doesn’t offer is much of the person behind the hike. Buck gives us a brief nod to his background in Alaska, but that’s about as far as the personal history goes. He doesn’t spend time opening up about his motivations, his fears, or what drove him to take on a journey of this scale. The tone stays firmly rooted in the external world, and that focus makes the narrative feel a bit distant.
His interactions with others are described in the same stripped-down way. Buck doesn’t come across as someone who seeks connection on the trail. Encounters with other hikers are quick and transactional. There’s a moment where he calls an old friend he hasn’t seen in years and leaves a voicemail that’s basically a grocery list he wants delivered to him. It’s efficient, sure, but it also reads like he’s treating his friends as a resupply service rather than people he’s excited to reconnect with. Even his girlfriend, Stephanie, appears mostly in the context of logistics. He mentions she was having a hard time but doesn’t explore what that meant or how it affected their relationship. Instead, he simply notes he now needs someone else to mail his packages.
Because of that tone, there’s almost no character development. We don’t learn much about Buck beyond his competence, and we learn even less about the hikers around him. The Pacific Crest Trail is full of personalities, stories, and chance connections, but those elements rarely appear here. What you get instead is a detailed, almost clinical trail report that covers the miles but not the emotional journey.
That said, the book has value. If you want a clean, practical, unembellished look at the PCT from someone who clearly knows what he’s doing in the backcountry, it’s worth picking up. Buck’s skill level is undeniable and his eye for physical detail can be helpful for anyone planning a thru-hike.
If you’re looking for a deeper story, though, or something that explores the friendships, inner transformation, and human side of the PCT, there are other trail memoirs I’d recommend first. This one gives you the miles, but not much of the man walking them.
January 6, 2021
I enjoyed this book. I have read many travelogues written by people undertaking life changing trips, hikes etc. I thought Buck Nelson brought the reality of the challenge of such a trip to the page without having to bring (or invent) so much drama. Reading this I thought his experience was one that was challenging, but not overwhelming, for him at least. His style of writing, is more of story telling. He tells his experience but does not try to make me feel his every emotion or step or blister. Buck also doesn't spend too much time writing about other experiences as reference, which some writers turn into bragging about how many experiences they have had. I was intrigued enough to Google Nelson and see what else he had done. I was surprised to find we are near the same age. Did this book inspire me? Yes. Did it make me want to hike the PCT? No. But it did give me a good time of reading adventure.
April 15, 2021
I spend the majority of my time reading books about running, long-distance hiking, and other endurance sports. I added this book to my list of favorites here on Goodreads because I felt this book was different from the others. I highly recommend it for anyone like me who dreams incessantly of long-distance hiking.
I liked how he weaved in details like how the methodology of how he repacks his backpack and how he decides what foods to pack/not pack. I like how he described his stove set-up and how he uses HEET but sometimes resorts to using alcohol. (He also has a complete packing list on his website for those who are as obsessed with packing lists as me.)
I also felt like he shared enough of his life that I felt a connection but not to the point where I felt like it was pontification and I just wanted to fast forward.
I listened to the author narrated Audible version of this book while out on my daily runs. The author reads at a brisk pace.
I liked how he weaved in details like how the methodology of how he repacks his backpack and how he decides what foods to pack/not pack. I like how he described his stove set-up and how he uses HEET but sometimes resorts to using alcohol. (He also has a complete packing list on his website for those who are as obsessed with packing lists as me.)
I also felt like he shared enough of his life that I felt a connection but not to the point where I felt like it was pontification and I just wanted to fast forward.
I listened to the author narrated Audible version of this book while out on my daily runs. The author reads at a brisk pace.
October 25, 2021
Bruce Nelson hiked the Pacific Crest Trail over five months. He faced the California desert, the mountains and snow of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains. He hiked 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada. He talks about the mental and physical challenges he faces on this journey.
He shares the story of his thru-hike and the struggles along with the friends he makes. If you are into long-distance hiking and what to learn the perils that you will go through then this book provides the answers.
He shares the story of his thru-hike and the struggles along with the friends he makes. If you are into long-distance hiking and what to learn the perils that you will go through then this book provides the answers.
January 1, 2021
Great book about his travels along the PCT. Also how he and Wyoming flopped north to avoid the heavy snows in the Sierras and actually hit snow from the north. It was exciting to hear the food he packed, the foods he bought, and how he would purchases foods or utilize the food that was shipped into a town. A lot of interesting material in this book about the thru-hike and the obstacles that are encountered.
May 5, 2023
I thought the book was okay but to me everything the author wrote was too positive. I’m sure attitude is a huge part of success for any major undertaking but Bruce didn’t appear to have one bad day in five months. Even a break up with his girlfriend was met with “oh well”.
Apart from that complaint, I thought his writing was quite descriptive as far as nature went and I did enjoy seeing the photos throughout the book.
Apart from that complaint, I thought his writing was quite descriptive as far as nature went and I did enjoy seeing the photos throughout the book.
September 29, 2023
Good chronicle of the PCT
I like reading this book, The author and his solitary style fits what I like to imagine this hike would be. Interesting what one author focuses on about this hike while other authors focus on things this man never mentioned. (Poop) Fascinating when he started talking about his experience with giardia and the experience of getting medical help. He's a very resourceful fellow.
I like reading this book, The author and his solitary style fits what I like to imagine this hike would be. Interesting what one author focuses on about this hike while other authors focus on things this man never mentioned. (Poop) Fascinating when he started talking about his experience with giardia and the experience of getting medical help. He's a very resourceful fellow.
January 20, 2019
I enjoyed the book. I’ve read quite a few peoples books about their trip on the PCT. yours was a bit different and the book made me feel like I was along for the trip without being too detailed on hiking stuff or too into the stories of the people. The parts about your past as a smokejumper were near to hear.
August 18, 2019
I've read a lot of Pacific Crest Trail memoirs and this was one of my favorites to read. He had a positive outlook on life and on the trail. It was a fun read and I liked reading about the characters I've read about in previous PCT books.
October 31, 2020
Amazing journey
I enjoyed this book. I have read other books by this author and enjoy his style of writing. He is descriptive without being mundane. Shocked at how many days/weeks traveled in wet socks!
I enjoyed this book. I have read other books by this author and enjoy his style of writing. He is descriptive without being mundane. Shocked at how many days/weeks traveled in wet socks!
January 16, 2021
Where are all those photos you took?
Well done, easy read. I have read several PCT books and admire all those who have finished the hike. Would have enjoyed seeing more photographs.
Well done, easy read. I have read several PCT books and admire all those who have finished the hike. Would have enjoyed seeing more photographs.
March 23, 2021
Very well written, a gentle but engaging read and gives a good feel for thru hiking. Some great descriptions of the scenery and you can tell that the writer knows his trees, plants and birds. I’ve read many books about people’s PCT and AT thru hikes and so far this one is in my top 5 😊
October 25, 2022
very detailed blow by blow account of his hike.
I greatly enjoyed it.
One thing I liked best was the short appendix at the back that related what many of the thru-hikers he had come to know have done since the hike.
I greatly enjoyed it.
One thing I liked best was the short appendix at the back that related what many of the thru-hikers he had come to know have done since the hike.
August 17, 2019
A Well Written Story
I have read many PCT/AT thru hike stories and this is one of the best. Thanks for the entertaining narrative and thoughtful descriptions. Kudos
I have read many PCT/AT thru hike stories and this is one of the best. Thanks for the entertaining narrative and thoughtful descriptions. Kudos
December 19, 2019
Takes you there
Incredible detail and an interesting read! Great photos too. Really captured what the Great American West is all about. Bravo!
Incredible detail and an interesting read! Great photos too. Really captured what the Great American West is all about. Bravo!
January 16, 2020
Great reading good information.
Good read. Great perspectives and good trail knowledge. Great insight into making decisions and where to resupply along the trail.
Good read. Great perspectives and good trail knowledge. Great insight into making decisions and where to resupply along the trail.
December 5, 2020
Great!
Got this on a whim. Hiking the PCT is on my bucket list. wonderful read. Congrats & good luck. SJE
Got this on a whim. Hiking the PCT is on my bucket list. wonderful read. Congrats & good luck. SJE
February 21, 2021
Motivating read
A very well written and motivating adventure. This book makes me want to really do it. Just need to put life aside for a while.
A very well written and motivating adventure. This book makes me want to really do it. Just need to put life aside for a while.
May 3, 2021
Could not put down
I am not sure what prevented me from giving 5 stars, but this was a great day by day of a great adventure.
I am not sure what prevented me from giving 5 stars, but this was a great day by day of a great adventure.
May 12, 2021
A good insight to the Pacific Crest Trail.
January 28, 2022
great book
Veery well written, the best book I have read on thru hikes of the pct. Highly recommend this book for anyone considering doing a thru hike of the pct.
Veery well written, the best book I have read on thru hikes of the pct. Highly recommend this book for anyone considering doing a thru hike of the pct.
September 24, 2024
Fun read. Really enjoyed.
June 16, 2025
Fun read
I like reading about the adventures of others who do thru-hikes, since I'm unlikely to ever do such a thing.
I like reading about the adventures of others who do thru-hikes, since I'm unlikely to ever do such a thing.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews