The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-and Almost Found Myself-on the Pacific Crest Trail

When Dan and his girlfriend set out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, his parents wondered how two people who had never shared an apartment could survive in a four-by-six foot tent in the desert. Not to mention the fact that the trail stretches from Mexico to Canada, through boiling desert and snowcapped mountain passes. Despite the warnings of their loved ones, and even some naysaying strangers, Dan and Melissa set out into the wilderness. They are dubbed "The Lois and Clark Expedition" by their long-limbed, loping guru "The Gingerbread Man" after covering the requisite number of miles to be considered official PCT thru-hikers.As the desert gives way to mountains, and the winter threatens to abbreviate their trek, the hardships of the trail provide these addled adventurers a crystalline view of the American wilderness, themselves, and each other. This book tells the story of "one and a half step" Warren Rogers, co-founder of the Pacific Crest Trail. Rogers overcame polio and risked ruin during the Great Depression to chart the trail from beginning to end. As Dan White walks in Rogers' footsteps, he starts to wonder if he's assumed the man's bravery, or his insanity.