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Journeys North: The Pacific Crest Trail
2020 Banff Mountain Book Competition Finalist in Adventure Travel
In Journeys North , legendary trail angel and thru hiker Barney Scout Mann spins a compelling tale of six hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2007 as they walk from Mexico to Canada. This ensemble story unfolds as these half-dozen hikers--including Barney and his wife, Sandy--trod north, slowly forming relationships and revealing their deepest secrets and aspirations. They face a once-in-a-generation drought and early severe winter storms that test their will in this bare-knuckled adventure. In fact, only a third of all the hikers who set out on the trail that year would finish.
As the group approaches Canada, a storm rages. How will these very different hikers, ranging in age, gender, and background, respond to the hardship and suffering ahead of them? Can they all make the final 60-mile push through freezing temperatures, sleet, and snow, or will some reach their breaking point?
Journeys North is a story of grit, compassion, and the relationships people forge when they strive toward a common goal.
In Journeys North , legendary trail angel and thru hiker Barney Scout Mann spins a compelling tale of six hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2007 as they walk from Mexico to Canada. This ensemble story unfolds as these half-dozen hikers--including Barney and his wife, Sandy--trod north, slowly forming relationships and revealing their deepest secrets and aspirations. They face a once-in-a-generation drought and early severe winter storms that test their will in this bare-knuckled adventure. In fact, only a third of all the hikers who set out on the trail that year would finish.
As the group approaches Canada, a storm rages. How will these very different hikers, ranging in age, gender, and background, respond to the hardship and suffering ahead of them? Can they all make the final 60-mile push through freezing temperatures, sleet, and snow, or will some reach their breaking point?
Journeys North is a story of grit, compassion, and the relationships people forge when they strive toward a common goal.
320 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2020
199 people are currently reading
3142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
August 6, 2020
Short version: If you have an interest in long, personal journeys in the outdoors you need to read this.
Long version: I've thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail three total times and done long section hikes two more times. I'm familiar with the trail in a way that really makes it hard for me to consume certain books and other media about the trail because the experience can be so hard to quantify and communicate. However, Scout has done it! It reads much like a hike should.
A long hike like this can be anything to anyone, so there's no way for there to be "one" hike, or one hiking story. One of the greatest parts of this book is the variety of characters. It's not "one man against the wilderness" or a death-defying tale, though those themes are present. It's a multi-faceted tale with many different characters experiencing struggle, emotion and humor all in their own way.
That's why I think this is the best novel I've read when it comes to communicating the experience of the Pacific Crest Trail. If you're thinking about a thru-hike, know someone who has thru-hiked or just want a sneak peek into that world, this is the book for you.
Long version: I've thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail three total times and done long section hikes two more times. I'm familiar with the trail in a way that really makes it hard for me to consume certain books and other media about the trail because the experience can be so hard to quantify and communicate. However, Scout has done it! It reads much like a hike should.
A long hike like this can be anything to anyone, so there's no way for there to be "one" hike, or one hiking story. One of the greatest parts of this book is the variety of characters. It's not "one man against the wilderness" or a death-defying tale, though those themes are present. It's a multi-faceted tale with many different characters experiencing struggle, emotion and humor all in their own way.
That's why I think this is the best novel I've read when it comes to communicating the experience of the Pacific Crest Trail. If you're thinking about a thru-hike, know someone who has thru-hiked or just want a sneak peek into that world, this is the book for you.
January 9, 2022
I started reading deeply on the Pacific Crest Trail several months ago when it seemed likely I’d be losing my lease on my apartment in San Francisco and would have to leave the city I’ve lived in most of my adult life. I realized hiking the PCT would be a good ‘reset’ button. Kinda like one of those novels that put a tiny chapter between major sections of a book. Huh… is there a name for those? Google is of no help. Anyway, I did that when I left the computer industry, riding my motorcycle around the U.S. perimeter (roughly) for six months and 25,000 miles.
Now, the timing of that break is in question. 2023 seems more likely than 2022, which would be welcome because it would leave me more time for last explorations of my beloved Sierras before relocating to… where? Maybe the Cascades, maybe near the Whites or Greens in the Northeast, or the Rockies?
But despite any delay, my reading has left me quite determined to make the attempt, and Barney Scout Mann’s book is central to that decision.
Most of the other books I’ve read and perused are either too personal or too abstract. Mann follows a sizeable cast trudging slowly northward. That does the best job of examining the very broad range of personal experiences over both short portions of the hike and the entirety of the adventure.
But as a local, very experienced with backpacking in the Western mountains of the United States, he also provides deep knowledge of the interaction hikers have with the communities they pass. So we receive a better idea of how hike-ending problems might be overcome, as well as how incredibly difficult it can be to surmount those challenges when they occur many, many miles from any obvious help.
A good companion is The Great Alone by Tim Voors. Coming to hike the PCT from the Netherlands, Voors is a great example of the kind of innocent who knows little about the threats and wonders he’ll face. That provides a more intimate portrayal than Mann’s, but at the same time highlighting how Voors’ hike is just one variation among many.
If you’re not going to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and you want such an intimate inside view, Voors’ book will meet that need better. But for everyone else, Mann’s book should be the one more closely examined and enjoyed.
Now, the timing of that break is in question. 2023 seems more likely than 2022, which would be welcome because it would leave me more time for last explorations of my beloved Sierras before relocating to… where? Maybe the Cascades, maybe near the Whites or Greens in the Northeast, or the Rockies?
But despite any delay, my reading has left me quite determined to make the attempt, and Barney Scout Mann’s book is central to that decision.
Most of the other books I’ve read and perused are either too personal or too abstract. Mann follows a sizeable cast trudging slowly northward. That does the best job of examining the very broad range of personal experiences over both short portions of the hike and the entirety of the adventure.
But as a local, very experienced with backpacking in the Western mountains of the United States, he also provides deep knowledge of the interaction hikers have with the communities they pass. So we receive a better idea of how hike-ending problems might be overcome, as well as how incredibly difficult it can be to surmount those challenges when they occur many, many miles from any obvious help.
A good companion is The Great Alone by Tim Voors. Coming to hike the PCT from the Netherlands, Voors is a great example of the kind of innocent who knows little about the threats and wonders he’ll face. That provides a more intimate portrayal than Mann’s, but at the same time highlighting how Voors’ hike is just one variation among many.
If you’re not going to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and you want such an intimate inside view, Voors’ book will meet that need better. But for everyone else, Mann’s book should be the one more closely examined and enjoyed.
September 7, 2021
I got off one the wrong foot (sorry about the pun) with this book because author Barney "Scout" Mann begins by throwing out the names (and trail names) of dozens of hikers who attempted a through-hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2007. I was instantly confused and irritated. Eventually, most of the characters either disappeared or settled down and I got into the flow of the narrative, but it's never a good idea to perplex the reader from nearly the very first page.
Mann is not a very good writer. He is prone to hyperbole and definitely doesn't know how to tone down his "purple" prose. His writing grated on me almost throughout the entire book.
At the end of the book, I was wondering how Mann managed to assemble this account of the hike. Though he and his wife hiked with four other people on their trek from Mexico to Canada, they weren't together all the time. Did he subsequently interview the hikers after they returned to the "real" world, or did he gather as much information from them as he could while they were hiking and then piece together the account afterward? I really would have liked to know.
The book would have been improved significantly with (1) better maps (there are a few, but they are not detailed enough to really enhance the narrative), and (2) a "cast of characters" presented right up front, with a one-paragraph synopsis about the six hikers profiled in the book.
Based on other reviews of this book, I expected better. It's a compelling read, but ultimately not a great one.
Mann is not a very good writer. He is prone to hyperbole and definitely doesn't know how to tone down his "purple" prose. His writing grated on me almost throughout the entire book.
At the end of the book, I was wondering how Mann managed to assemble this account of the hike. Though he and his wife hiked with four other people on their trek from Mexico to Canada, they weren't together all the time. Did he subsequently interview the hikers after they returned to the "real" world, or did he gather as much information from them as he could while they were hiking and then piece together the account afterward? I really would have liked to know.
The book would have been improved significantly with (1) better maps (there are a few, but they are not detailed enough to really enhance the narrative), and (2) a "cast of characters" presented right up front, with a one-paragraph synopsis about the six hikers profiled in the book.
Based on other reviews of this book, I expected better. It's a compelling read, but ultimately not a great one.
December 15, 2020
Scout and Frodo will likely go down as the greatest Trail Angels of all time. In addition to be being an amazing and selfless person, Scout is a masterful storyteller and fantastic writer. This book delves deep into the struggles, joys and life changing moments many thru-hikers experience and makes you wish you were out on the trail yourself. Whether you have thru-hiked or not, this book is an excellent read.
January 24, 2021
Wow, this is easily the best book about thru hiking I’ve ever read. It features both the backstory and trail experiences of a handful of hikers and intertwines these in a masterful way. The book captures not just the people and their motovation to thru hike, but also the connections between hikers which is an essential part of the whole adventure. Also, the suspense almost killed me at multiple points xD Dear PCT, please be kind to me in 2022!
April 16, 2021
I was so impressed with Scout's telling of the stories happening all around him on the PCT. Journeys North is such a perfect illustration that we all hike for our own reasons-- but our reasons are also all the same in some way. We hike to be reborn. We don't want to leave the trail the same as we arrived. And we don't.
Through beautiful descriptions of scenery, humanity and physical trials, he brings the experience of a thru-hike to life.
Through beautiful descriptions of scenery, humanity and physical trials, he brings the experience of a thru-hike to life.
February 28, 2022
Thruhiker Review:
The book does its job well. Having thruhiked the PCT myself, it was refreshing to hear the author's experience and thoughts on the trail from his perspective as a longtime trail angel/thruhiker. Since he hiked before the use of smartphones and electronic maps, you hear a unique experience that many recent stories do not have. Due to the lack of accessibility, it was arguably more difficult the year he hiked, and the number of hikers around him offered an intimate and unparalleled experience.
I think the book struggles in that we read this account from his singular perspective. Scout's lens dictates our perception of these hikers, including a substantial focus on the feelings and relationships of two female hikers, Blazer and Nadine.
It seemed like there were a lot of assumptions on how these people felt, thought, and what their personal and romantic feelings were. He intersperses short dialogue between hikers and interactions alongside descriptions of trail life to fill out the rest of the book.
My main complaint is that Scout appears to offer a semi omniscient perspective of real people - while at no point communicating that what he is saying is based on an interview, firsthand account, or diary entry. Etc.
It reads as if we are hearing Scout's perspective of the inner thoughts of other hikers, his assumptions on how they felt, what they desired, what their hopes and aspirations are. All of this leads to a distinctively male gaze which is awkward at times and problematic in the worst instances.
Why is it written in this way? The romantic parallels of these other hikers are contrasted with his own 30+ year relationship with his wife.
While their relationship does seem healthy when they hiked PCT up to the present day - Scout focuses a portion of the book on his wife's experience with infidelity, a child with another man, and a 3 year separation in a moment of vulnerability for the author and reader.
The romantic focus of the book strikes at the heart of how close bonds can be formed on trail. The fact that a thruhiker will know other hikers intimately after a very short while and be willing to share their personal experiences with people who were only strangers in the weeks prior. It appears therapeutic and cathartic for the author to write these words, but doesn't quite accomplish the feat of delivering a life lesson to the reader.
It is a memoir of thruhiking in relation to his own personal life, what it means to form connection with people - platonically or romantically - and the difficulties in between.
It's not a bad book, but the assumptions of the thoughts of other people make it a difficult memoir to work though. I found myself uncomfortable in many parts of the book where he wrote from the perspectives of: Tony, Nadine, Blazer, and Dalton.
It wouldnt be my first reccomendation to non hikers necessarily, but that being said, I am excited to read future novels by this author and would gladly pick up another book.
The book does its job well. Having thruhiked the PCT myself, it was refreshing to hear the author's experience and thoughts on the trail from his perspective as a longtime trail angel/thruhiker. Since he hiked before the use of smartphones and electronic maps, you hear a unique experience that many recent stories do not have. Due to the lack of accessibility, it was arguably more difficult the year he hiked, and the number of hikers around him offered an intimate and unparalleled experience.
I think the book struggles in that we read this account from his singular perspective. Scout's lens dictates our perception of these hikers, including a substantial focus on the feelings and relationships of two female hikers, Blazer and Nadine.
It seemed like there were a lot of assumptions on how these people felt, thought, and what their personal and romantic feelings were. He intersperses short dialogue between hikers and interactions alongside descriptions of trail life to fill out the rest of the book.
My main complaint is that Scout appears to offer a semi omniscient perspective of real people - while at no point communicating that what he is saying is based on an interview, firsthand account, or diary entry. Etc.
It reads as if we are hearing Scout's perspective of the inner thoughts of other hikers, his assumptions on how they felt, what they desired, what their hopes and aspirations are. All of this leads to a distinctively male gaze which is awkward at times and problematic in the worst instances.
Why is it written in this way? The romantic parallels of these other hikers are contrasted with his own 30+ year relationship with his wife.
While their relationship does seem healthy when they hiked PCT up to the present day - Scout focuses a portion of the book on his wife's experience with infidelity, a child with another man, and a 3 year separation in a moment of vulnerability for the author and reader.
The romantic focus of the book strikes at the heart of how close bonds can be formed on trail. The fact that a thruhiker will know other hikers intimately after a very short while and be willing to share their personal experiences with people who were only strangers in the weeks prior. It appears therapeutic and cathartic for the author to write these words, but doesn't quite accomplish the feat of delivering a life lesson to the reader.
It is a memoir of thruhiking in relation to his own personal life, what it means to form connection with people - platonically or romantically - and the difficulties in between.
It's not a bad book, but the assumptions of the thoughts of other people make it a difficult memoir to work though. I found myself uncomfortable in many parts of the book where he wrote from the perspectives of: Tony, Nadine, Blazer, and Dalton.
It wouldnt be my first reccomendation to non hikers necessarily, but that being said, I am excited to read future novels by this author and would gladly pick up another book.
August 13, 2022
Warning to Rachel, if you let Ben read this he will be on the trail next year
August 14, 2024
Brilliant. I’ve wanted to walk the Pacific Crest Trail for a long time so inhale anything PCT related. Scout is an icon of the PCT and his book really captures the trail, the hikers and their personal stories, the trail magic, the hardships. This is the PCT.
August 8, 2020
At first I thought that Journeys North by Barney "Scout" Mann would be another travel guide to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) that runs up the spine of the west coast from Mexico to Canada. It did have some of that, to be sure. I learned about several stretches of the trail I had never experienced in my traipsing around the Sierras. The book turned out to be much more than just a travelogue, though, because of the people I met in its pages along the way. In fact, it's more of a story about a few interesting people that undertook a demanding challenge, set against the backdrop of some fantastic scenery and a challenging trail. And both the people and the backdrop are real.
Barney has told an exciting story that at times had my heart pounding and my eyes racing across the page and at other times had me chuckling and thinking fondly of my own backpacking adventures in a new way. Thank you, Barney, for such an engaging ride...uh, read.
Barney has told an exciting story that at times had my heart pounding and my eyes racing across the page and at other times had me chuckling and thinking fondly of my own backpacking adventures in a new way. Thank you, Barney, for such an engaging ride...uh, read.
September 7, 2022
3.5 rounded to 4
I loved getting the day-to-day details of what Scout and the other hikers were facing in relation to the trail itself. The build up to the snowstorms in Washington was particularly interesting.
What brought it down for me was the way he chose to talk about other hikers’ experiences (did he interview them after? Pull from what he remembers them saying? Read their journals?), particularly the trail romances of Blazer, a single woman in her 20s who considered Scout and his wife, Frodo, her trail parents. That part didn’t feel right to me.
In the end though, as someone who loves hiking and has consumed a lot of media regarding the PCT(and AT and CDT), I enjoyed my time with this.
I loved getting the day-to-day details of what Scout and the other hikers were facing in relation to the trail itself. The build up to the snowstorms in Washington was particularly interesting.
What brought it down for me was the way he chose to talk about other hikers’ experiences (did he interview them after? Pull from what he remembers them saying? Read their journals?), particularly the trail romances of Blazer, a single woman in her 20s who considered Scout and his wife, Frodo, her trail parents. That part didn’t feel right to me.
In the end though, as someone who loves hiking and has consumed a lot of media regarding the PCT(and AT and CDT), I enjoyed my time with this.
June 29, 2024
It’s fine, not my favorite trail book. Idk man, it’s just like really weird to read about a young women’s “increased libido” from the perspective of a 50 year old man who refers to himself as her trail dad.
August 23, 2020
I wish I'd spent the same amount of time hiking that I did reading this, and I mean that in a good way. Great story of the trail and the community that embodies it. #maybenextyear
April 1, 2021
I heard about the PCT for the first time about a year ago, and since then it has become a personal ambition. I am no stranger to the outdoors. I'm from Minnesota; my family camps in tents for fun; my family cabin lacks running water and electricity; my brothers are Eagle Scouts. But I understand that the PCT is an entirely different beast. Which is exactly why I get so excited about it.
Scout's take was an insightful one. He articulated the tribulations of trail without destroying the honeyed dreams of a potential thru hiker. Details about the personal lives of fellow thru hikers were woven artfully throughout the entire book. It read cohesively, even amidst the chaos of a tale about a 2,650 mile long trail.
Some of my favorite parts were when the strength of Scout and Frodo's marriage was on full display. I'll spare you the details for the sake of spoilers, but the dedication page and the final paragraph of the acknowledgements are enough to make your heart give a little pang. Beautiful.
I would recommend this book to everyone but my mom, as there's just enough adventure for her to feel anxious about me wanting to complete it one day. But! If you're not my mom? Pick up a copy.
Cecilia
(PCT '28??)
Scout's take was an insightful one. He articulated the tribulations of trail without destroying the honeyed dreams of a potential thru hiker. Details about the personal lives of fellow thru hikers were woven artfully throughout the entire book. It read cohesively, even amidst the chaos of a tale about a 2,650 mile long trail.
Some of my favorite parts were when the strength of Scout and Frodo's marriage was on full display. I'll spare you the details for the sake of spoilers, but the dedication page and the final paragraph of the acknowledgements are enough to make your heart give a little pang. Beautiful.
I would recommend this book to everyone but my mom, as there's just enough adventure for her to feel anxious about me wanting to complete it one day. But! If you're not my mom? Pick up a copy.
Cecilia
(PCT '28??)
September 30, 2023
I’ve always been intrigued by the PCT, so I was excited to read this book. It started off well, but became more of a story about people and relationships than the details of the trail that I was seeking. It’s kind of like watching The Olympics for the bios and athlete stories than watching for the actual sport. Anyhow, I still enjoyed it and am inspired by the brave souls that hit that trail each year, but this book was not the 5-star read I was hoping for.
January 15, 2025
Got to be a little bit of a grind towards the end, probably a lot like the PCT. Looking forward to doing this hike in 25 years
May 14, 2024
Wowza. A thru hike like this would be absolutely life changing. The sheer determination, incredible amounts of kindness and shared community experienced by these hikers in the book brought me to tears. Makes me want to pack up and relive my WCT magic but at this magnitude (and altitude lol).
June 23, 2025
wow that was really good. a top tier thru hiking story. also a really good book to listen to at work. would read again one day no doubt.
January 23, 2021
I have read a number of books on thru hikes such as the Appalachian Trail and the PCT. they each have something to offer but sometimes can be frustrating. I like a trail story that covers both the physical journey as well as the inward journey. But I especially liked about this book was that we got to hear about multiple peoples inner journey. They travel together and they grow and change. Definitely a favorite for hiking books.
January 4, 2025
I have a weird fixation with the PCT (and other similar interesting thru hike trails) and I was really excited to read this book. Honestly I think it was quite interesting, but it just didnt pull me in as much as I had hoped. I didnt really end up connecting w any of the characters or their journeys, maybe because the narrative just jumped around too much for me or something idk esp at the start where there were like 500 names that just jumbled in my brain.
Still, was a lovely read and I really enjoy these sorts of day-to-day tales of people of the trail.
Still, was a lovely read and I really enjoy these sorts of day-to-day tales of people of the trail.
December 24, 2023
I usually write three star reviews for books that feel mediocre, which I actually don’t think this book was. It was well written and compelling. I really enjoyed the vast majority of the narrative and I appreciate Mann’s contribution to the developing , beautiful world that is the PCT. It’s a book that measures up to any other PCT book I’ve read personally.
The thing was, as others have stated, there’s a real uncomfortableness that comes along with his discussions of the relationship and sex lives of the women he hiked with. I think I get what he was trying to do in presenting the trail as a healing experience, and crafting a compelling narrative, but it just frequently veered into territories that felt inappropriate and uncomfortable - particularly in discussions around the sex lives of women who’d gone through sexual trauma. Even with permission and input from the women themselves (which I believe the author had), it felt inappropriate.
It definitely felt at times that an editor should have struck some of this stuff out. I’m a male myself and I can’t presume to speak in anyone else’s behalf, but I try to imagine a young woman being asked by an influential and popular older male about sharing in a book about their sex life on trail - it just feels like a power imbalance is at play here in a way that feels uncomfortable and potentially hurtful. I don’t know - I came away feeling uncomfortable despite feeling like it’s a very well done book in other respects. I can’t easily rate it as something I’d encourage other people to read.
The thing was, as others have stated, there’s a real uncomfortableness that comes along with his discussions of the relationship and sex lives of the women he hiked with. I think I get what he was trying to do in presenting the trail as a healing experience, and crafting a compelling narrative, but it just frequently veered into territories that felt inappropriate and uncomfortable - particularly in discussions around the sex lives of women who’d gone through sexual trauma. Even with permission and input from the women themselves (which I believe the author had), it felt inappropriate.
It definitely felt at times that an editor should have struck some of this stuff out. I’m a male myself and I can’t presume to speak in anyone else’s behalf, but I try to imagine a young woman being asked by an influential and popular older male about sharing in a book about their sex life on trail - it just feels like a power imbalance is at play here in a way that feels uncomfortable and potentially hurtful. I don’t know - I came away feeling uncomfortable despite feeling like it’s a very well done book in other respects. I can’t easily rate it as something I’d encourage other people to read.
October 19, 2020
I felt like I had heard enough stories about the PCT from friends, other hikers and other books. I thought I would just skim through this book & say, "oh yeah, I read this book." This book wrapped me up & would not let go! It was so much more than a hiker's book, or a "how-to-guide" about thru-hiking, or even a voyueristic hiking fantasy. It's about hikers, and people, and resilience, and kindness, and luck, and revering mother nature, and connection, and putting one foot in front of another, even if those feet are covered in snow & blisters. I got so caught up in everyone's stories that I found myself wondering how they were doing in between readings! This book would be a great gift for people who love hiking, or love other people who love hiking, or for people who are curious as to why people hike or thru-hike in the first place. Or a great gift for yourself because you love fantastically written books. Just do it. Buy this book. I dare you not to try to read it all in one setting.
January 23, 2021
I've read a number of thru-hiking memoirs over the past couple of years, and Journeys North features some of the highest quality writing of the lot. I read through it quickly, staying up later than I should have each night because I wanted to find out what happened next. However, I couldn't get over the odd feeling of being hidden behind a tree on the trail, accidentally overhearing very personal confessions and stories from the hikers featured in Mann's account. While I know that Mann had permission from those hikers to tell their stories in this book, it bothered me. I suppose I prefer thru-hiker accounts that primarily focus on the hike of the writer himself/herself rather than this one, which tells more about the journeys of others than of the author. It was somewhat jarring to be pulled back and forth on the trail, jumping from one hiker to another.
December 11, 2022
This was fine, I guess? I liked reading about places I've been, but we didn't learn much about our author Scout or his wife Frodo. We somewhat randomly wandered through (half a dozen?) people's lives before and during trail. Lots of trail drama and overplayed nonsense, for the most part. The storytelling was disjointed and took us through so many side stories within side stories that I lost track of who was who within 25% of the book and mostly stopped caring about anyone individually. People's interpersonal worries all seemed pretty low stakes and the author didn't help us with organization or differentiating our main characters. I honestly thought this would be about Scout and Frodo but it's about like, 95% other people.
June 15, 2023
The author's writing style was enjoyable, and the sections about the trail and thru-hiker life were fascinating. The personal stories were interesting, but it was hard to keep track of all these different names. I would read several chapters and then wonder "where did so-and-so" go? And have to flip back to figure out when they disappeared from the narrative. Some just dropped from the book, I can only assume the same way they left the trail. Others were mentioned just a handful of times, but we never really get to know them. I kept reading simply because I wanted to know who made it to the end of the trail. I'd recommend this as one of several books you read about the PCT - but if you want to form a good idea of what thru-hiking is like, don't make it the only one.
December 30, 2020
I have read quite a few accounts from PCT hikers, as I'll be taking on the trail next year, and Scout's, Journey's North, is one of the most compelling and well written that I've enjoyed. The unique manner in which he shares the trail—offering multiple stories within the overarching narrative—keeps the reader engaged and intrigued. Thanks for sharing this journey from so many angles, and for all you've done for the hiking community. Looking forward to your next book!
October 7, 2020
Incredible! Scout did a wonderful job of capturing the story of so many PCT hikers. The trail is so much about the people and this book showcases those special relationships. This made me miss trail life, sad to be done reading it!
June 12, 2022
Enjoyable story, for the right reader.
> Directly under us in the Mojave was a river sufficient to quench an entire city’s thirst, the gargantuan pipes of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. In the 1970s, PCT hikers lifted the covers off the aqueduct’s intermittent access manholes, climbed down steel pegs, and stole L.A.’s finest. They weren’t in danger of dehydration; they were in danger of drowning. Now the covers were locked, so we carried over ten pounds of water apiece, all the while listening to that cold flow gurgling southward
> Directly under us in the Mojave was a river sufficient to quench an entire city’s thirst, the gargantuan pipes of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. In the 1970s, PCT hikers lifted the covers off the aqueduct’s intermittent access manholes, climbed down steel pegs, and stole L.A.’s finest. They weren’t in danger of dehydration; they were in danger of drowning. Now the covers were locked, so we carried over ten pounds of water apiece, all the while listening to that cold flow gurgling southward
February 8, 2024
Journeys North is an excellent novel on the incredible world of thru-hiking! Barney "Scout" Mann introduces the reader to a fascinating group of thru-hikers (Blazer, Frodo, Figaro, Luigi, etc.) who all have a reason for walking the Pacific Crest Trail and a story to share about their experience. When anyone devotes 5+ months away from family, work, etc. to walk 2650 miles from Mexico to Canada, it changes them...almost always for the better.
Scout allows readers, like myself, to tag along on their journey. I have hiked more than a few trails over the years, but none over 25 miles. The thought of setting out on such a grand adventure is exhilarating to the mind. While I cannot go back to my late teens or early 20s... before careers, marriage, children and grandchildren...I can immerse myself in the adventure that Barney and his like-minded adventurers share with us in Journeys North. I also remind myself that retirement is not too far away and quite a few people my age pick up the trail and set out on the trek of a lifetime!
Scout allows readers, like myself, to tag along on their journey. I have hiked more than a few trails over the years, but none over 25 miles. The thought of setting out on such a grand adventure is exhilarating to the mind. While I cannot go back to my late teens or early 20s... before careers, marriage, children and grandchildren...I can immerse myself in the adventure that Barney and his like-minded adventurers share with us in Journeys North. I also remind myself that retirement is not too far away and quite a few people my age pick up the trail and set out on the trek of a lifetime!
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