Wild Movie

There is a concern in some circles that the popularity of the book and movie Wild will draw huge crowds of ill-prepared novice hikers to the Pacific Crest Trail and other wilderness trails, spoiling the solitude for those who've been there all along – similar to the hordes of novice fly fishermen who descended upon Montana rivers a few years ago (‘A Tourist Runs Through It’ – as the locals say). 

I don’t think this should be a long-term concern.  There’s lots of room in our western wilderness – and most people won’t venture more than a couple miles from the trailhead anyway.  Enthusiasm will likely draw people for a while who've rarely experienced wilderness; many will fall in love with it, and some will join the efforts to preserve it.  Most will then go back to their lives, enriched for the experience.  And with those few for whom this is truly life changing, they will be welcome to integrate this into their lives and healing processes.  Aside from a handful of grumpy purists, I can’t imagine anybody begrudging that of anybody.