by Richard Getgen
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| Richard Getgen with Mt. McLoughlin & Devil’s Peak. 1995. |
On December 12 the movie Wild will arrive in theaters in Portland, with Reese Witherspoon playing
a 26-year-old novice PCT hiker named Cheryl Strayed. My wife and I are
wondering, who, if anyone, will be playing us in the movie. In the book,
Cheryl mentions “encountering a group of backpackers and hikers” as she enters
the Sky Lake Wilderness. That group was Billie Goodwin, Tom Cawi, John
Harmon, Judith Salter, and Richard & Carol Getgen.
a 26-year-old novice PCT hiker named Cheryl Strayed. My wife and I are
wondering, who, if anyone, will be playing us in the movie. In the book,
Cheryl mentions “encountering a group of backpackers and hikers” as she enters
the Sky Lake Wilderness. That group was Billie Goodwin, Tom Cawi, John
Harmon, Judith Salter, and Richard & Carol Getgen.
 |
| John Harmon, Billie Goodwin, unknown, Judith Salter & Tom Cawi at Crater Lake. 1995. |
Billie
Goodwin and I were leading an eight-day Mazama Outing from the rim of Crater
Lake to the south end of Brown Mountain along the PCT. A foot problem
kept Billie from walking most of the route, so she and Judith spent a week in
the Klamath Falls area while I led Tom and John through the wilderness.
The five of us met-up on the trail at the south end of the wilderness.
Billie convinced us to set up camp at Fourmile Lake. While at Lake of
the Woods, enjoying a hamburger (fine cuisine after a week of freeze-dried
meals), Billie came across a solo backpacker looking for a place to pitch her
tent, and Billie invited her to join our group for the night. This young
woman was Cheryl Strayed.
Goodwin and I were leading an eight-day Mazama Outing from the rim of Crater
Lake to the south end of Brown Mountain along the PCT. A foot problem
kept Billie from walking most of the route, so she and Judith spent a week in
the Klamath Falls area while I led Tom and John through the wilderness.
The five of us met-up on the trail at the south end of the wilderness.
Billie convinced us to set up camp at Fourmile Lake. While at Lake of
the Woods, enjoying a hamburger (fine cuisine after a week of freeze-dried
meals), Billie came across a solo backpacker looking for a place to pitch her
tent, and Billie invited her to join our group for the night. This young
woman was Cheryl Strayed.
Like
many long-distance hikers, Cheryl was “writing a book” of her adventures, and I
had long-since forgotten her plans to capture her trek on paper.
Seventeen years passed. When I read Wild a couple of years ago, I got
goosebumps when I realized that her walk coincided with the 1995 outing Billie
and I had led. I immediately went to my hiking journal to see if Cheryl
Strayed was indeed the same woman who shared a campsite with us at Fourmile
Lake all those years ago.
many long-distance hikers, Cheryl was “writing a book” of her adventures, and I
had long-since forgotten her plans to capture her trek on paper.
Seventeen years passed. When I read Wild a couple of years ago, I got
goosebumps when I realized that her walk coincided with the 1995 outing Billie
and I had led. I immediately went to my hiking journal to see if Cheryl
Strayed was indeed the same woman who shared a campsite with us at Fourmile
Lake all those years ago.
From
my journal of August 1995:
my journal of August 1995:
 |
| Judith Salter & Tom Cawi at Brown Mountain. 1995. |
“The
sun evaporated the clouds late in the afternoon. This meant a cold
evening (twenty-six degrees). We gather firewood in an effort to make it
through the evening in comfort. Our five some was increased by one when a
PCT hiker named Cheryl joined us. Cheryl had started in the Sierra-Nevada
Mountains and was hiking 1,300 miles to Portland by herself at an average of
twenty miles each day. She had been cold for the last two weeks due to
the unseasonable ‘fall weather’.”
sun evaporated the clouds late in the afternoon. This meant a cold
evening (twenty-six degrees). We gather firewood in an effort to make it
through the evening in comfort. Our five some was increased by one when a
PCT hiker named Cheryl joined us. Cheryl had started in the Sierra-Nevada
Mountains and was hiking 1,300 miles to Portland by herself at an average of
twenty miles each day. She had been cold for the last two weeks due to
the unseasonable ‘fall weather’.”
I
had a habit of getting out of the tent at sunrise each morning, and on the
frosty morning which Cheryl mentions in her book as being 26 degrees is a quote
from Carol and me. I promptly started a campfire to thaw-out my stiff
muscles, at which time Carol drove into the campground to join the group.
(I had telephoned Carol the previous afternoon from Lake of the Woods , and she
drove through the night.) Carol told me that the radio broadcast had said
it was 26 degrees, and later when Cheryl crept out of her tent she asked me if
I knew how cold it was.
had a habit of getting out of the tent at sunrise each morning, and on the
frosty morning which Cheryl mentions in her book as being 26 degrees is a quote
from Carol and me. I promptly started a campfire to thaw-out my stiff
muscles, at which time Carol drove into the campground to join the group.
(I had telephoned Carol the previous afternoon from Lake of the Woods , and she
drove through the night.) Carol told me that the radio broadcast had said
it was 26 degrees, and later when Cheryl crept out of her tent she asked me if
I knew how cold it was.
 |
| Billie Goodwin in the Sky Lakes Wilderness. 1995. |
My
chivalrous act of building a fire on this icy cold morning did not make the
book, but the conversation about the weather did. It gives me a warm
feeling to know that I am mentioned (not by name) in a New York bestseller,
doing what I like doing most in life: hiking.
chivalrous act of building a fire on this icy cold morning did not make the
book, but the conversation about the weather did. It gives me a warm
feeling to know that I am mentioned (not by name) in a New York bestseller,
doing what I like doing most in life: hiking.
After
breakfast that morning, Cheryl continued north toward Woodpecker and Badger
Lakes , and our group walked south along the shoulder of Mt. McLoughlin and
across the lava-strewn mass of Brown Mountain. That was the last we saw
or heard of her until reading the book.
breakfast that morning, Cheryl continued north toward Woodpecker and Badger
Lakes , and our group walked south along the shoulder of Mt. McLoughlin and
across the lava-strewn mass of Brown Mountain. That was the last we saw
or heard of her until reading the book.
At
the time, this was not a “meet someone famous” encounter for the group. Cheryl was just another hiker on the trail. The previous night, a
thru-hiker named Trapper camped with us, sharing our campfire. The next
year, when I walked with Billie through the section of trail she had missed in
1995, a woman named Curly camped with us at Red Lake. Billie met Curley
at Cascade Locks a few weeks later, and received a letter from Curly after she
reached Canada. Cheryl was the only one of us to get published.
the time, this was not a “meet someone famous” encounter for the group. Cheryl was just another hiker on the trail. The previous night, a
thru-hiker named Trapper camped with us, sharing our campfire. The next
year, when I walked with Billie through the section of trail she had missed in
1995, a woman named Curly camped with us at Red Lake. Billie met Curley
at Cascade Locks a few weeks later, and received a letter from Curly after she
reached Canada. Cheryl was the only one of us to get published.
In
1995, Billie Goodwin and I were the most-active Mazama hike leaders. Billie and I are still the all-time most-active male and female Mazama hike
leaders. Billie has led 632 hikes for the Mazamas and I have led 1,071
hikes.
1995, Billie Goodwin and I were the most-active Mazama hike leaders. Billie and I are still the all-time most-active male and female Mazama hike
leaders. Billie has led 632 hikes for the Mazamas and I have led 1,071
hikes.
Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern will be in Portland on Dec. 8 at premiere of Wild (admission to this screening is by invitiation only). They will be joined by Cheryl Strayed. More info on Oregon Live.