Book Review: Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail by Andrea Lankford
This book, written by a former member of the National Park Service’s law enforcement team, focuses on the years-long search for three through-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail who disappeared without a trace, two in California and one in Washington. It reminded me, of course, of Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild, which Lankford says was responsible for a huge burst of popularity for the PCT, but also of Lost in the Valley of Death, an account of the search for a hiker lost in the Himalayas (my three-part review is here and here and here) and The Adventurer’s Son, about the search for a hiker lost in Costa Rica. The difference between these two books and Trail of the Lost is that the searchers eventually found evidence of what had happened to the hikers in the Himalayas and in Costa Rica, but in Trail of the Lost the cases remain unresolved. I suppose that’s a bit of a spoiler, but not really. As one of the searchers says, “The best final chapter would be these hikers being found, but I guess the reality that sometimes they aren’t found is equally important.” What is fascinating is the quest for answers, the commitment of the searchers, and the descriptions of the many dangers that face hikers on long-distance treks such as the PCT.
A hike from the trailhead near the Mexican border to the far side of the PCT near the Canadian border goes through some of the most gorgeous scenery in the world. It can be the experience of a lifetime, and most people manage to walk it without life-threatening mishaps. However, the dangers to be aware of include mountain lions, swarming bees, feral dogs, wanted criminals, farming cults that recruit new members along the PCT, and trigger-happy illegal marijuana growers. Lankford’s account of the dope farmers reminded me of a time long ago, back in the mid-1970s, when I was hitchhiking in the hills between Interstate 5 and the Lost Coast in Northern California and I was picked up by a pot farmer. I’d heard that there were numerous plantations in those hills but I’d never expected to come across any growers. In this instance, at least, the man who gave me the ride was a true gentleman and a paragon of hospitality. He put me up for the night at his mansion in the forest, fed me, and offered me some samples of his product. Times have changed, I guess, in the ensuing decades, and illegal growers now are more on the defensive.
Lankford’s description of the use of cell phones and social media in tracking down clues and support made me recall a hike I took into the mountains of Nepal near the town of Pokhara. This was also back in the mid-70s. Back then there were no cell phones. The only way my parents and friends had any idea of my whereabouts was when I would post an aerogram, a folded up bit of paper, every week or two. When I walked into the mountains of Nepal, I went alone on an unmarked trail and told no one where I was going. If I had got lost in those mountains there would have been no way anyone would have had the faintest clue where to look. When I think of some of the chances I took back then… It’s good that now hikers can carry their phones and tracking devices and so on in case they run into trouble. But as this book points out, the wild places of the world are still fraught with danger, and people disappear, and their loved ones grieve and try to find them. It is heartbreaking when they search for years and never find closure.
What shines through in this account is the self-sacrificial kindness of those who dedicate their time and strength to finding their own lost loved ones and the loved ones of others. Yes, there is great evil seeking to waylay the unwary; however, there is also great good. Many people are willing to undergo personal sacrifices to assist others. As the story progresses, the network of searchers Lankford becomes a part of grows and grows and expands its priorities to attempt to locate other lost people besides the missing ones they had originally focused on.
This book delves deep into the subculture of PCT hiking enthusiasts, their solidarity, and the dangers that face them from nature and from other humans. It’s a story of the detection and analysis of clues, of determination and perseverance, of loss, of disappointment, and of shared grief. Recommended.
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