Walking Thru: A Couple's Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail

by Michael Tyler

Bored and fed up with life, staring down a 50th birthday, Mike Tyler was looking for a change. Life had become routinized and unexciting. Maybe it was a mid-life crisis, or maybe just a yearning for one last big adventure. Mike decides to try hiking from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail, just to see what happens. Mike convinces his wife, Margo, to join him. Together they embark on a five-month hike full of anticipation. They hike through some of the most stunning and remote places in the country on a trail full of unique, offbeat characters. But the trail had even more to offer than either of them had anticipated.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Adventure, Memoir, Audiobook, Nature, Biography

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2019

About the author

Michael Tyler ireceived his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1998. He has hiked, climbed peaks, and traveled around the world. Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was his first long distance thru hike, and Walking Thru is his first full-length book. Michael currently lives with his wife, Margo, in northern California.

Reviews

[Duke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author uses a simple writing style and it gets old fast. Margo said.... I replied.... Margo laughed... etc.

[Christine A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of boring

Wanted more information about the author and his wife. It feels like your reading a journal not a story. I wish more details were given.

[David Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an author who has a lot to learn himself, I picked up on a lot of common writing mistakes that made me kind of cringe. That aside, I did find it enjoyable enough to finish it.

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that I wanted to read. It told a story I wanted to hear: how a couple in their mid life could walk away from careers and hike for 6 months on a trail I dream about. It did tell the story of their hike and hinted that it had a great impact on them, but never really dug into what that great renovation looked like. They referred to seeing each other in a new light, and how they wanted a fresh start somewhere new, but (spoiler alert) they wound up in almost the same place they started. I guess I was looking for more candor and more drama. One other thing I noticed, and I couldn't decide if this was the result of the author just not remembering exactly what was said or the narrator just not delivering dialogue well, but every time dialogue was spoken, it sounded stilted and unimaginative... Inauthentic. It rarely sounded like words that had actually been spoken. If it was the former, inexact because memory is rarely perfect, I can understand and sympathize. If it was the latter, I'm sorry the narrator didn't deliver it better.

[Tony Valente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to hike the PCT

It was not a perfect book, but that added to my enjoyment. You can always tell an author’s first. It was a bit clunky at times.

However, he did an excellent job recounting the different parts of the trail. He may have slighted Washington a bit, as it seemed to have very few pages, but overall he did an excellent job.

If at the end I wanted to hike this trail because of reading he book, there can be no finer praise for a recount of an adventure such as the PCT.

I would’ve like more photos, more details on both Oregon and Washington, and less emphasis on food, but overall I enjoyed the book. It is a great first intro to the PCT.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seem to have hit a spell of bad books and this one was certainly poorly written. It was so repetitive, and just basic writing structures of - he said, she said - dialogue that perhaps a grade 5 year old would use. I cringed a lot.
The actual walking and descriptions of the Pacific Coast Trail were thin, except for the High Sierras. Every chance the writer could, he would say how beautiful they were and the rest of the PCT was just a drag. It could have been a quick way to get drunk in a drinking game based on how many mentions of the Sierras you read.
If you hope to one day hike the PCT read a different book.

[Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Diary,

I just finished reading someone’s diary.

Signed, me

First off, this is a memoir and it reads totally like a personal journal. I get it. Very simple writing. “He said. Then she said. She laughed. I laughed. We ate dinner and went to sleep.”

Having said that, it was a very easy read like you’re having a conversation with the author. I really enjoyed learning about the Pacific Coast Trail and there was some great insight and information. I admire their commitment to taking on such an amazing lengthy adventure! By the time I was done reading I was thinking daaaaaamn I should make hubby do this with me 😂 Then reality kicked in and I know I couldn’t do it lol. But the author had my wheels turning for a bit there!

I love hiking but I’ll stick to my day trips 😂

[Lin F · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book's redeeming quality is that it's about thru hiking the PCT. I love these kinds of books. I wish I could have given it more stars, but the lack of editing (often an entire word is missing from a sentence), stilted dialogue, and repetitiveness brought the rating down. That being said, as an enthusiastic hiker, I enjoyed reading it. Since I feel most people who pick up this book either are planning to, dreaming of, or have hiked the PCT, it should have included a little more detail on some of the hiking specifics, such as what gear they carried and how they decided where and how often to resupply, etc. At the very least, it would have made a great appendix to the book.

[Joseph Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding love on the PCT

This was my fourth PCT book and the most enjoyable. I loved the way that Michael and Margo his wife interacted on the trail. The way they worked together and never seemed to argue was inspiring. I recommend for singles and couples alike.

[Carrie Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing style was very juvenile as other reviewers have stated. I appreciated that the couples relationship was stronger for having done it together. Not my fav PCT read but it was quick and I'm glad it's over.

[Marinda Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as thru hiking books go, I enjoyed this simply because it was written from the view of a couple, not a single as most are.
This is an untapped audience, because MANY couples thru hike together and would enjoy books by other hiking couples.
That being said, I really wish Margot had her own chapters, and I especially wish that the authors both narrated it themselves.
I was surprised they didn't settle in Washington after all that.
Still, it's refreshing to read books by older (45+) hikers. I'd really love to read more from the retired community because they are a good portion of hikers as well.
Someone has to pick up where Grandma Gatewood left off 💪🏽
Ps. Don't get into water with open wounds, especially when you're not showering daily!

[Santiago Loetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book feels more setup as a daily to weekly travel journal of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Fairly simplistic style of writing.

I can appreciate the sights and thoughts of the author along the way but I felt like there should have been a bit more depth to it, more detail into all aspects of the pre through post thru hike. Not that it needed to be drawn out and boring but make the reader a little more invested. There were great moments of description which make the visuals in my head clearer and made me pay attention that much more but at times it did get boring.

[Malcolm Mebane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice listen. Being the same age the author made this story relatable to me in many ways.
In the world of go go go the author reinforces the idea that it is okay to take a little time to reset. Corporate America says that this mind set is crazy, but this author goes against the norm.
What i heard from this book was enjoy this moment in time, get out there and live in the moment while you can.

[Scott Wise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited for the perspective of a couple on the trail. It was entertaining and even some of the quirks in the writing that bothered me in the beginning became endearing by the end. However, the wife in the story is definitely the supporting character rather than a co-star. I would love to read the book with one chapter written by each to get both perspectives

[Hilary Cockshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook.

[Kayla Duford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. It’s short and quick to read.

[David R Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. Well organized and interesting. Trail books make a good read as the story line is pretty linear and easy to follow. Although it is always the same, dream, struggle, complete and walk away with a new sense of peace about our place in the world. Tyler does a good job of keeping it interesting and keeping the reader engaged in the story. I have read a hundred trail books, and I would put this one up there with some of the better ones.

[Emily Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it’s sad to say but this was a pretty vanilla read. I suppose I’m glad that the story was not enhanced purely for the entertainment value but I feel like there was a bit of a barrier mentally between the author and his writing. When you read books like Wild by Strayed you really feel like you are living in her head. Her every nerve felt exposed on the page. Tyler feels a bit like a rock in comparison. Towards the end Tyler comments about how his wife and him were able to be closer during their hike but can’t really pinpoint why. This would have been a great opportunity to elaborate on how they had to choose each other just as much as they chose to keep walking. How the physical goal they both shared seemed to tangibly bond their souls and minds. The only standout moment I recall was when his wife was willing to eat from the hiker box and he stated he knew he loved her more than ever. (I feel like I must preface that I am not typically a fan of romance books.) It doesn’t have to be sappy. Just moments that allowed their bond to shine through. Don’t just state you were getting along, show us! It made me wonder if he had stopped documenting as many of the details in the second half of the trip and had fuzzy recall himself.

Kudos to your hike. No matter my feelings on this book the task you undertook was an awe inspiring feat. It would be indescribable to complete it myself. Happy trails!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was nervous about this one when I picked it up because I'd recently finished a book about a women's failed AT attempt, and she complained a lot. When he mentioned being worried about his knee failing, I was instantly worried. I was also apprehensive the first chunk of the book would be about how they prepared and what gear they gathered. Instead, they gave a one-page summary of preparing and got straight to the trail. Thank you! He tries to explain a lot of information through their dialogue with other hikers which can be fine, but in this instance, it was painful. It was often awkward, didn't flow, and served to explain things that could have been explained in a short paragraph with a little creativity. One of the first rules of writing is to "show, not tell." His writing style while explaining or describing their experience was easy to read and actually quite enjoyable, but his dialogue was too "tell-y." I got so sick of "telling" dialogue. (Also, he kept putting commas outside the quotation marks and that makes me crazy and made the dialogue even harder to read.) I made it about 40 pages in, skipped ahead 40 pages, and tried to start there. Same thing: awkward dialogue. There's too much attempted conversation. I skipped another chunk and tried to pick it up. In the end, I gave up. Life is too short to read books I don't enjoy.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for books about thru-hiking. I’ve always dreamed of hiking the PCT, but the older I get, the more I think the closest I will come is to read all the books I can get my hands on about other people doing it. I agree with many other reviewers about this particular book. The writing was very simplistic and sometimes too repetitive. I also felt a little left out of some things because he mentioned how much it had changed them and how different their life would be afterward, but never really gave any more details than that. No real introspection. But then again, he didn’t really give a lot of personal details of any kind.

He talked about trail names and mentioned his wife’s trail name once but never told us what his was. I thought that was weird. He definitely spent most of the book talking about the first half of the hike and the second half was just kind of a blur and seemed like they were just bored - which made me bored, too. As I think back on other books I have read about the PCT, it does seem like the bulk of the details come from the desert and sierras and then after that… not a lot. Maybe that’s just because by then everyone is sick of keeping track of details? Who knows?? I really wish I had it in me to do it for myself, but thank you to those who have done it and written about it so I can live vicariously through them.

[Shawn Oetzel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure where to start with this review.

First off, I guess, this seems to be another self-published book. The lack of editing is stunning. This is not a well-written book. I will say it gets better the final third but overall it's off-putting.

This was a hard read to get through. The dialogue sounds completely phoney and made-up. My eyes hurt from rolling so much. There are a number of formatting issues as well which made an already tough read even more unbearable. I'd also like to offer a piece of advice. The word "that" is not your friend. Stop using it.

The repetitive writing is a huge problem too. There was no flow to the writing, and again, the lack of even basic editing is such an annoyance.

I've read plenty of books about hiking, but this one has no depth - zero. This is not a thru-hiking memoir so much as a series of poorly written journal entries. The whole thing is kind of a farce anyway as they did not even hike the whole PCT.

Honestly, I cannot recommend this book at all. There are tons of other books written about hiking. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

[Stephani · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAWPILE 6.86 ⭐️ 3

This was a really cute book. I’ve read a few thru-hiking books and as much as I wanted to love this one. It honestly felt like a bit of a miss. From my previous PCT read, I guess I was expecting more pizazz and it just came off as a dry read. Although, I do enjoy hearing different experiences from the trail from various age groups. It gives me hope I can one day do this hike ❤️

I do love when these types of books add photos from their experience. It makes me feel like I am joining them on the journey. Plus, I am still a child at heart. I love pictures to help visualize.


Margo & Michael
September 10, 2018

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a kind of standard, boilerplate book on the PCT. It's in the sub-genre of, "here is what we did, and the things we encountered." It was interesting for the parts of the PCT hike that I've covered, but overall not a great book, just kind of an average view of one thru hike. If you compare it with "Journeys North" by Barney Mann, [yes, I've read enough PCT books to start comparing them], you'll see how much richer Mr. Mann's book is because he focuses on people that are on the hike and their back stories. This makes the book much richer and more interesting than this one. We find out only a little about the back story of the author and his wife in this book, and nothing about anyone else, or almost nothing anyway.

[Brian Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant read that was simply descriptive and very personal. Gave a real sense of what the trip must be like. And as an almost 55 year old with dreams of at least doing some section hiking, it scratched that itch nicely.

So bummed for the authors, though regarding the mentality of the thru hikers once they get to Washington with the worsening weather and the pull to finish. I’ve lived in Washington for the past 30 years and the scenery can be as breathtaking as anyplace I’ve ever been. Be sure to make it back!!

[Jason St. Clair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This came across as an honest, heartfelt account of a couple's hike on the PCT. They didn't have anything to prove, they just wanted to enjoy the experience and it looks like they did.
This book isn't full of drama or suspense, perhaps because they didn't really experience that on the trail, and that's just fine. I read PCT books to live vicariously through the words of different hikers and everyone hikes their own hike so you can get a broad range of human experience. I would want my own thru-hike to be just as free of drama and danger.

[Jclc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a relaxing listen. As the couple mentioned toward the end of the book they were lucky. No animal attacks. No injuries. No misadventures. They had a good time and enjoyed one another's company. Not much drama.
I took a long time reading this book because everytime the author described a scenic location I would want to see it too. So I'd have to stop and pull up Google images. I would not want to hike the whole trail but I would like to section hike several areas after reading this book.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this real life adventure of Mike and Margo's walk thru on the Pacific Crest Trail.

I often felt like I was there...having hiked and camped over the years...I understood much of the good and sometimes uncomfortable moments to be had being outdoors 24 hours a day...not to mention all the miles they covered!

Makes me want to go out and do the same...but until then I am thankful for books like this to 'take me there' for now! Thumbs up! :)

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this more of a 3.5 than a 4. It was a good, short book of the author's journey on the PCT. The only thing I wish it had more of was detail! I felt like they went through the trail so fast and didn't talk a ton about the people they met, didn't go into too much detail about their struggles/lessons, etc. however, it was still a good book. If you are as fond of the PCT as I am, I think you would enjoy this short, easy read.

[Nrofra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir about a couple who leave their jobs, pack up their lives and send their belongings to storage and set out for a summer’s long hike up the Pacific Crest Trail. I felt like I was on the journey with them as they gain trail names and meet people along the way and encounter obstacles, water shortage, food shortage, etc. what impressed me most about this story was that the couple never lost their cool nor did they stop having fun together.

[Marty Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

PCT with his wife, Margo. A really nice couple with no particular sense of humor, who hike most of the PCT without any problems...other than mosquitoes. His dialogue is a bit simple and repetitious. Typical for these PCT books, good detail at start and a quick gloss for OR and WA. This is not "Wild" or Carrot Quinn's "Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart."