This book was published in 1998 as a memoir of author Bill Bryson’s decision to hike the Appalachian Trail. He subtitles the story, ‘Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail’, and he manages to interject a fair amount of information about the US Forest Service history, geologic and mining history and lamentations on environmental destruction due to mining and acid rain.
The characters Bryson interacts with are all overshadowed by his colorful hiking buddy, Steven Katz. ‘Katz’, with his health issues, and overall approach to life feature prominently and Bryson has traveled and written about his adventures with Katz before in ‘Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe. Theirs is a weirdly symbiotic relationship on which Bryson burnishes the rough edges to softly here. Note: I strongly recommend against watching the movie version with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. It misfires again and again and I’m sorry Mr. Redford, but I’d like those two hours of my life back!
The book recounts Bryson’s quest from purchasing gear, to reading up on the many deadly dangers that hikers can, and have, encountered. Bears, and how to avoid being mauled to death, is a topic that comes up quite a few times. The book would have been richer if Bryson had included a better time frame from chapter to chapter, giving the reader an appreciation of the demands of the trail, section by section. The map at the beginning of the book is helpful, but no surprise, I would have liked to see more detailed maps and routes! Another of Bryson’s justified complaints is the lack of good maps for the hiker back in 1998. Access to a good map is always one of the keys to a good travel experience, whether on foot, wheels or from your armchair. Here’s an interactive example of how far we’ve come in 22 years courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and National Park Service using ESRI’s Arc GIS Online mapping technology, and a big disclaimer: While useful, this map is for general reference purposes only and not intended to replace the more comprehensive and accurate A.T. printed hiking maps, available from the Ultimate Appalachian Trail Store.
If you are interested in the history of the AT, Bryson does a good job introducing the reader to the two men primarily responsible for bringing the trail into being. He introduces Benton MacKaye, a regional planner who first proposed the trail’s concept in 1920, to Myron Avery who worked to complete the project. Once again, The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a good place to learn a lot more.
Only one in four who attempt to through-hike the trail succeed the 2190+ mile endeavor. It’s a hike I don’t have on my bucket list, but one that inspires me just the same.