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Colin Fletcher, 'Father of modern backpacking' dies


Colin Fletcher, author of "The Man Who Walked Through Time" and reluctant icon to thousands of Canyon hikers, died in Monterey Peninsula, Calif., last week at age 85.

The cause of death was listed as natural causes. In robust health most of his life, Fletcher suffered a physical decline after being hit by a car in 2001, never fully recovering.

Fletcher's epic solo journeys, vigorous writing and meticulous attention to technical detail earned him the title of "Father of Modern Backpacking." His how-to book, "The Complete Walker," known as the Hiker's Bible, is in its fourth edition.

Fletcher was born in Wales on March 14, 1922, was educated in England and served for six years in the Royal Marines during World War II. After time as a farmer in Africa and and prospector in Canada, he moved to the U.S. in 1956, settling in California.

His first book, "The Thousand Mile Summer," was published in 1958. It chronicled a two-month trek he made from one end of California to the other as he tried to decide if he should marry the woman he was living with. They did marry and were divorced within a year. Fletcher remained a confirmed bachelor for the rest of his life.

In 1964, he published "The Man Who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First Trip Afoot Through the Grand Canyon." While it was, indeed, about that journey, he linked it to broader themes like the soul-cleansing benefit of solitude.

As he noted in a 1997 interview with the literary blog Beatrice.com, "I'm never really writing about places ... I loathe guidebooks."

In that same interview, he commented ruefully on the irony that in celebrating wild solitude, he'd played a role in making it harder to find.

"I didn't feel bad about writing about it (Grand Canyon), because nobody went there," he said. "I didn't think I was going to be doing any 'harm.' I was wrong."

Solitude was something that Fletcher cherished in his everyday life, closely guarding his phone number and exact address. A sign outside his house said "Beware of the man." He chose to dispense his knowledge and his views through his books, particularly "The Complete Walker," an exhaustive look at all aspects of hiking that is still considered the definitive work on the sport, as much for its wit as its wisdom.

Though he's known as a great journeyer because of his epic travels that also included a mostly solo trip the entire length of the Colorado River (the subject of the book "River"), he denied that perception in the Beatrice.com interview.

"People think that this is what my life is, but the fact is that I did the "Thousand Mile Summer" walk in 1958, Grand Canyon trip in 1963, and this is the third major journey that I've done. I do smaller backpacking trips often, but not long journeys like this."

Fletcher left no survivors.

azbackpackr wrote:Ha Ha! And some of the help at REI Tempe hasn't improved after all this time. Imagine that!

Thanks, Joe, for the heads-up on where to find The Man From the Cave. I think I will order it right away.

For used books I always hit Bookman's in Tucson or Flag. I think there might be one in the Phx. area, too. You just take in some of your old books, see if they might want them. If they do, they give you a credit slip, and you can get more used books. The books you bring them have to be in good shape, etc. I have often seen Fletcher's books at Bookman's.