Good book read for all, women especially!

[Dxi00rebel]

Hi all! I just finished a book titled;

Walking Home: A Woman's Pilgrimage on the Appalachian Trail, by Kelly Winters. Following a breakup with her boyfriend, Winters decided to pursue her lifelong dream of hiking the A.T. alone. She relates her experiences with lack of food, rain, bad knees, the "thru-hiker" culture, and the nuances of shelter etiquette in this story of self-reliance. -Julie Burns, Popular materials librarian.

It was the most honest account of a thru hiker's experience I have yet to read, and really wanted to share it with others, especially women, since the author was a woman who went alone. If you're thinking about heading to the trail alone, reading this would be very beneficial.

-Dxi

[codelzrd]

Hi Dxi!
As an avid reader and future woman thru-hiker... I will definitely pick this one up! Thanks!

[Rain Man]

Hi all! I just finished a book titled;

Walking Home: A Woman's Pilgrimage on the Appalachian Trail, by Kelly Winters. ...

It was the most honest account of a thru hiker's experience I have yet to read, and really wanted to share it with others, especially women, since the author was a woman who went alone. If you're thinking about heading to the trail alone, reading this would be very beneficial. -Dxi

YES!!! I read this book earlier this month, then gave it to my 19-year-old daughter who is planning to thru-hike this coming year. She read it in 3 days. We both loved the book. You are so right about this book. It is certainly among my favorites so far, if not my favorite.

Rain Man

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[texashiker]

Thanks for the tip! I just ordered it.

[Hammock Hanger]

and I met at the 2002 PA Ruck. She is a wonderful lady. Enjoy her book.

Sue/Hammock Hanger

[Rain Man]

and I met at the 2002 PA Ruck. She is a wonderful lady. Enjoy her book.

Sue/Hammock Hanger

AND... she's a WhiteBlazer too, if I'm not mistaken. Correct?

Rain Man

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[Amazin_Grace]

Thanks everyone for the comments on my book--I'm glad you liked it and am always happy to hear from people who've read it.

I was off Whiteblaze for a while these past months because of a very busy schedule but hope to be on more often now. If anyone wants to email me privately about the book, hiking, or anything else, feel free to drop me a note at [email protected]!

See you on the forums!
Kelly (Amazin' Grace)

[steve hiker]

Amazin Grace you plan on doing any sectioning or maybe another thru? Hope your hiking days aint thru.

[slider]

I have just finished " As Far As The Eye Can See" by David Brill. An AT Conference Book. This is not a how to book..rather one that covers his 1979 thur hike looking back twenty years later...Very enjoyable reading for that off trail time. I give it 4 stars.

[Furlough]

I just finished this book this past weekend. I really enjoyed the honesty and the humor. I hope that when life allows it Amazin Grace (and Gladys) can do the through hike again.


Harry

[Chickety]

I'm in the middle of "Walking Home" right now!

It's actually at a coffee shop I visit, and I hate leaving the book behind everytime I just get back "into" the hike. (but someone else has pages turned down....so I can't be mean and scoff it)

Love reading anything about the AT, esp. women's point of views, it is indeed a great read.

Pretty cool that Amazin' Graze is a Whiteblazer too!

[Hammock Hanger]

Kelly's (AG) is a great lady and her story is another good trail adventure. HH

[Mini-Mosey]

How amazing that this thread was started; I just bought and read the whole book last Thursday!! I am now going to reread it as time and circumstances permit. It is an absolutely wonderful, honest book. Very refreshing and moving.

[DebW]

I agree wholeheartedly. Best thru-hike book I've read.

[mountaineer]

This was one of the first books I read on the AT, and really enjoyed it. In researching my 2005 thru-hike and joining various forums on-line, I was beginning to get caught up in other people's expectations of what a thru-hiker should do, and the whole white blaze vs blue blaze and flip-flops and town stops, and it was beginning to get me a bit stressed out (NOT the proper mind-set for a hike). After reading Kelly's book and how she finally released herself from the other "purist" hiker ideals and really just enjoyed being out there, I relaxed a LOT about it and finally understood the true "hike your own hike" mentality. Thanks, Amazin Grace.

[Jersey Bob]

at least 10 characters

[Rain Man]

...I was beginning to get caught up in other people's expectations of what a thru-hiker should do, and the whole white blaze vs blue blaze and flip-flops and town stops, and it was beginning to get me a bit stressed out (NOT the proper mind-set for a hike). After reading Kelly's book and how she finally released herself from the other "purist" hiker ideals and really just enjoyed being out there, I relaxed a LOT about it and finally understood the true "hike your own hike" mentality. Thanks, Amazin Grace.

My daughter Sarah (aka GrassPicker aka Grass) is out there right now northbound in the Smokies. She read Kelly's book (and others) and is following that principle of HYOH and not fretting over the various kinds of blazes, but is just enjoying herself SO much. If she weren't happy out there, she'd come home. The goal is the fun, not an arbitrary "successful" conquest. Anyway, they're all Amazing Women in my book.

Rain Man

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[Amazin_Grace]

First of all, if someone else swipes that book from the coffee shop before you're done reading it, email me and I'll send you a copy.

Here's an update on me and Gladys for those who are curious--yes, we have done some section hikes on the AT, and we've also hiked almost all of the Long Trail in Vermont--the northern section of it is like all the hardest parts of the AT, all strung together, lots of cliffs and rock scrambles. Also, it's very wet--it rains almost every day (which is why the Green Mountains are so green). You can hike all day and NEVER see another soul, and you'll often be in shelters by yourself. It's a gorgeous trail. This northern part of it is very different from the 100 miles it shares with the AT--that section is one of my favorite hikes, but it's much more social and accessible than the northern part of the LT, which is much more wildernessy. I really recommend the LT--it's a great trail.

We've also hiked sections of the AT in Vermont and Maine--we even climbed Katahdin! However, I still don't call myself a 2000 miler because there are pieces of the AT that I have not hiked. We were whiteblazers on the LT, but I was a big blueblazer on the AT.

Gladys and I are still totally happy. We are so grateful every day that I got to do the AT hike, and that we met. That was truly trail magic, and it continues every day. We're really lucky.

We became civil union partners in Vermont in 2000 (we hiked 160 miles on the Long Trail to get to the town where we were having the ceremony, then our "honeymoon" was hiking some more), and we were married in Canada this last fall (no hiking there, though). However, no state in the US recognizes our marriage, even though they would recognize the marriage of any opposite-sex couple who was married there.

And, we just had a son, Cliff, who was conceived by donor insemination. He is a joy and the light of our life. He's only 6 weeks old but loves being outside in the running stroller. We can't wait til he's older and we can take him hiking and camping. We figure when he's 18 or so, we can all do a thruhike together. Until then, we'll be doing sections!

happy hiking everyone,
Grace (Kelly Winters)

[Amazin_Grace]

I keep forgetting to ask this--Rain Man, are you the same Rain Man that I met painting blazes in Georgia early in my hike in 1996? If that was you, you were really encouraging and I want to thank you for it. I even mentioned you in the book!

happy hiking,

Grace (Kelly Winters)

[Noggin]

So who had the baby, you or Gladys?