About The Book
“What happens when you step into a record-snow wilderness alone? “Snowbound” is a story of storms, silence, and the long way home.
In 2023, Riley Riffel set out from Campo, California, and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail through a record-snow year. “Snowbound: Hiking the PCT in 2023’s Record Snow Year” is the story of endurance, solitude, and the search for meaning in the silence of the mountains.
The trail stretched 4,265 kilometers through deserts, forests, and peaks buried in snow. Riley faced frozen mornings and treacherous passes, summiting San Jacinto, surviving the ice of Fuller Ridge, and glissading through the high Sierra. Each step was a battle between exhaustion and willpower, and a quiet lesson in resilience.
At its core, this book is about more than hiking, it’s about healing. It’s a story of grief, courage, and rediscovering connection in moments of isolation. Through friendships on the trail, memories of home, and the raw beauty of nature, Riley learns that even in hardship, there’s grace and meaning to be found.
“Snowbound” reminds readers that discomfort can reveal peace when stripped of distraction. It’s a journey that challenges both body and spirit, showing that sometimes, the most complex paths lead us back to ourselves.
