Journey on the Crest: Walking 2600 Miles from Mexico to Canada [Paperback]

Cindy Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1987

A compelling narrative of a young woman's journey on the rugged Pacific Crest Trail.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1982the same year her account (A Woman's Journey) of a 2000-mile trek along the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine was publishedRoss began hiking the 2600-mile Pacific Crest Trail. She started in the California desert, survived a horrifying, near-fatal fall on the icy Sonora Pass slope and completed the first half of the trail by the end of summer. Two years later, she returned to finish the journey with her new husband, also a hiker. In these lengthy diary entries of the two trips, Ross writes with an ear for dialogue and an eye for detail, pulling the reader into the physical and emotional landscape of long-distance hiking. She notes the fears, physical ailments, encounters with wildlife and observations on everything from nature to spirituality. She also succeeds in depicting life in the hiking communitythe ever-shifting "circus" of Crest charactersby showing the interaction, friction and attitudes (sexist and otherwise) among hikers. This book will be appreciated both by armchair hikers and by those who like to head into the great outdoors.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This is the author's second book about a long-distance walk (the first is A Woman's Journey). Here she tells about following the Pacific Crest Trail north. The motivations and interest of long-distance hikers are made clear, as are the problems and joys of the sport. Ross also describes people and adventures met on the trail and provides artistic drawings of these characters. Unlike the polished prose of Colin Fletcher or John Hillaby, Ross writes in a breathless, jerky style. Her book is worthwhile alone for its insights on hikers and hiking. Recommended. Paula M. Strain, M.L.S., Rockville, Md.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (November 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898861462
• ISBN-13: 978-0898861464
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,366,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible, informative, holds your interest., February 12, 1999

By 

Andrew Jacobs (Tucson) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey on the Crest: Walking 2600 Miles from Mexico to Canada (Paperback)

I left this book wishing Cindy Ross wrote more about her travels. She comes across as very likeable, though at times slightly goofy, but very authentic, respectful of others, and deeply appreciative of the wonders of the California desert, the High Sierras, and the mountains of Oregon and Washington. You will leave this book wishing to visit Muir's Sierras in particular. My wife read and enjoyed it just as much as I did. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Her explanation for why the rattlesnakes of the southermost PCT are all silent (they really are), and her description of hiking through their land, will make your hair stand on end.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Void of Detail and Humor, October 28, 2000

By 

"finchsnotes" (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey on the Crest: Walking 2600 Miles from Mexico to Canada (Paperback)

This book read like an eighth-grader's diary. Easy to read, but more frustrating and irritating than entertaining and informative. I wanted to vomit everytime the author spoke of how much she loved her trail mates, and especially the second half of the book when she gushes puppy love about her new husband. The author spends too much time discussing her fear of snow, and not enough time telling the history of the trail. I wanted to learn about the development of the trail, and the history of the many national parks the trail runs through. I guess I have been spoiled by other books. If your goal is to get a feel for the day-to-day of being on the trail, and want something that doesn't challenge your mental facilities, then this is the book for you. If you want something that is informative and humurous, in the mold of Bryson, skip this book. For a more informative read about the PCT, take a look at "Along the Pacific Crest Trail."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An honest account of one woman's difficult journey., November 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Journey on the Crest: Walking 2600 Miles from Mexico to Canada (Paperback)

Cindy is to be commended for her accomplishment. Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is quite a feat. While I would say I liked reading the book, I felt it spent too much time on interpersonal relationships and not enough on the grandeur of the trail. Too much petty bickering, not enough mountain. When Cindy does write of the physical dangers and beauty, the book is at its best. Overall this is probably a good book about the Pacific Crest Trail, if you want a great book read Karen Berger.