Old Photos of Cheryl Strayed From Her ‘Wild’ Days

Writer Cheryl Strayed's best-selling 2012 memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail has been turned into a major motion picture starring none other than Academy Award-winner Reese Witherspoon. (If you're going to have someone play you in a movie, it truly doesn't get much better than her, does it?) The film has been garnering early Oscar buzz for Witherspoon's emotionally and physically transformative performance as the soul-searching Strayed and while Witherspoon and Strayed may not exactly be doppelgängers (they are, however, both strong and talented women) the actress captures the essence of her spirit and her journey in Wild. The stills of Witherspoon in the film have been everywhere in anticipation of the release, but are there old photos of Cheryl Strayed? I wanted to take a look at the woman herself during her Wild-era, and found a few great pics.

Since the release of her beloved book, Strayed — who took an 1,100-mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail over the course 94 days in 1995 as a way to heal after the devastating death of her mother and her divorce from her husband — has shared photos of her younger self on her Facebook page. In addition to shots of Strayed on her fateful trip, she's put up pictures from her childhood, including photos of her late mother Bobbi Lambrecht.

With Monster

Just a few weeks into the journey that would change the course of her life forever, above is Strayed on the PCT with her backpack, lovingly nicknamed Monster.

With Joshua

Fans of both the memoir and the big screen adaptation will recognize Strayed with one of her fellow PCT hikers Joshua.

In August

Above we see Strayed, in what she describes as a "a wet and chilly August day" on her Wild hike.

Of Mom

Earlier this year, Strayed posted a beautiful photo of her mother on the anniversary of her passing. (In the film, Bobbi is played by actress Laura Dern.) "I'm so lucky she was my mom," she wrote on her Facebook page.

Be sure when you see Wild in theaters this weekend (which you absolutely should, because it's pretty incredible) to carry these pictures in your mind with you as you go on her amazing journey.

Images: Cheryl Strayed/Facebook