Lost Canyon by Nina Revoyr

The only thing they have in common is their trainer from the gym.  They're only going to be gone for a few days, they should be able to get along for that long.  Sounds good, doesn't it?

Akashic Books sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

The trainer is going to take them up to see Lost Canyon.  They are going because work and life are not making them happy right now and they think a backpack trip might relieve the stress and give them a chance for reflection.  When they find out there is a fire on their trail and they can't go where they originally planned, the trainer doesn't want to go home.  She finds them another trail.  It hasn't been used in a long time but it's still there.  The problem is that someone else has found that trail...

If you've never backpacked, you won't understand about how much a pack weighs, how your feet feel, or how exhausted you can get.  Nothing in this story is exaggerated; it's all fact.  I once ate nothing except dehydrated chicken noodle soup for a week because we weren't able to access the lake we were going to fish.  It's not pleasant but you survive.  These hikers ran into even more trouble.

There are bears in the area.  That's scary enough but it's not the ultimate problem.  The real problem is other humans doing illegal activities that they will kill for.

This is not boring.  It is gut wrenching and nail biting time.  As I learned long ago, if you put people in a stress situation, they change.  Some for the better, some for worst.  This happens with this group, too.

I especially enjoyed the woman who started with a minimal belief in herself and became the savior of the group.  Her little trip in the mountains changed her life.  It all has to do with perspective and personal strength.   You can do more than you think you can.  Especially when backpacking.