WILD was a story about grief. Cheryl lost her mom at a time in her life when she was uncomfortable in her own skin. She went on the 1100 mile Pacific Crest Trail because she was lost. Some of the women in the group could not comprehend her compulsion to go on this trip. Perhaps some of them have not lost a parent yet or have never felt they had no roots to ground them. Blindly Cheryl walked, came across many obstacles, and along the way learned small lessons about herself. The solitude gave her mind a chance to make space for healing and clearer thinking. However, before the end of her trip she woke to the memory that she also carried pain that her father carried and passed along to her through abuse. Her last obstacle was her awareness that she also had to work through that painful memory to complete her journey and find herself.
We learned a lot about hiking, nature, and the kindness of strangers. Cheryl found herself and turned into a terrific author. It’s a good read, especially for this region. Gerene Leffenwell our EPWC Hiking Chair joined us for this discussion at Maureen’s house. Gerene has taken us on hikes for years and we wanted her to share this story with us.