Are You Kidding Me?? A Walk in the Woods

[MuddyWaters]

springer to NF gap is only 200 miles. Really not very far at all for someone that sets out to hike 2180. I dont know how anyone gets surprised by that. Many well prepared NOBOs will knock that out in about 2 weeks.

Of course if someone takes a month to do it, due to low mileage days and frequent town zeros, I can see how they might realize they could never finish at their rate. Seems to be what happened to Bryson.

[rocketsocks]

To say A Walk In The Woods is not a good book is a big stretch. It was listed on the NY Times best seller list for 35 weeks (Non-fiction). It is available in any type of format a book can be made available. It's still for sale on the bookshelves of most book stores and backpacking stores through out the U.S. The movie rights have been sold to Robert Redford. This can't be said for any other book written about the AT. I've purchased and read most of the books written by AT hikers (heck, I'm mentioned in 2 of them). Some of them are ok reads and some of them are just plain boring. One book I've read is probably, to me, the second most entertaining to AWITW, and it contains fictional material, the same as AWITW. Bryson may be a bum, I don't know the man, but I betcha he's a rich bum.

And you know when holywood gets a hold of it,look out,fiction city baby.

[MuddyWaters]

It's OCD. The drive that compels them to hike the whole doggoned thing in under one year also makes them a bit testy towards one who so capably makes light of the ridiculousness of the enterprise.

I've determined I'm a peakbagger more than a long-distance hiker. Will probably hike 1000 miles of the A.T. in my career, including much of New England. But the whole thing? No thanks. Give me the good parts.

As for purism, I've always thought it kinda lame that the A.T., proper, follows the Crawford Path and the Gulfside Trail over most of the Presidentials, rather than topping the several peaks other than Washington. Come on! If I *were* to thru the A.T., I dadgummed well would be sure to summit all of them, plus Killington, Old Speck and any other significant peak the trail passes by rather than traversing.

To each his or her own. As I said, peakbagging's more my bag. ...

As much as I like the AT culture, and ease of re-supply, etc., there are other things out there worth seeing too. No reason to devote ones life to a single trail.

My son and I summited our first 14'er in CO recently, will hike in Grand Canyon in 2013, and are planning for the JMT in 2014. Lots of things more challenging and exciting out there than the AT. (heresy)

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[ChinMusic]

will hike in Grand Canyon in 2013, and are planning for the JMT in 2014. Lots of things more challenging and exciting out there than the AT. (heresy)

If a challenge is what you are looking (something harder than the AT) the Grand Canyon and JMT will be a disappointment. While BOTH are beautiful, and a MUST for all bucket lists, they certainly are easier hiking.

[Lone Wolf]

OK - I know by now that there are some who have walked the AT who have a more "purist" attitude than others. Some believe in strictly following the trail; others don't believe in slackpacking, etc. And even from the journals, I've noticed that the "purity" of one's hike can change a lot from beginning to end! At the moment, before ever stepping foot on the trail, I am a "purist" who does believe in slackpacking. Heck, I also believe in any Special Ops or Marine who will carry my tent. I imagine once I have hiked the first 7 miles, this list will include any branch of the service as well as a Boy Scout or two...

So I'm reading Bill Bryson's, A Walk in the Woods. Admittedly, I've only read about the first 110 pages, but he gets as far as Newfound Gap and goes into Gatlinburg, TN, I believe. He's at an outfitter's and happens to look at a 4 ft map of the AT. He realizes that he has only hiked "2 inches" of it so far and decides to get in a cab and then skip the entire state of Virginia. Are you frickin' kidding me?? Who plans for months and has to look at a map in a store to realize that it is going to be one long trail??

Yeah. I know this book is suppose to be humorous, but skipping a whole state?? Like the largest one?? And anyone know if Katz is a real person? What was his trail name?

bryson is typical of MOST that attempt a thru-hike. they fail. but he's a great writer and it's a great book. it's just entertainment and you need to lighten up cuz it's just walkin' honey

[rocketsocks]

As much as I like the AT culture, and ease of re-supply, etc., there are other things out there worth seeing too. No reason to devote ones life to a single trail.

My son and I summited our first 14'er in CO recently, will hike in Grand Canyon in 2013, and are planning for the JMT in 2014. Lots of things more challenging and exciting out there than the AT. (heresy)

.

I agree with both of you,100%,now we are on a AT enthusiasts site,so lets not get carried away here,but yes if your a purist(I'm not)go for it,I think I'll end up being more of a hike the sections I want hike,on the trails I want,yep...and there you have it.

[ChinMusic]

And life is "just breathing"..........don't your forget it.

[WIAPilot]

I don't think that a thru is for everyone. Many hikers just simply want to do other things with their lives. I just think that Bryson bailed out - because initially he had planned to hike the entire trail. Or at least that is what he wrote in his book.

And Chin, I know that the task is daunting, which is why I personally plan to have daily and weekly goals. Will that work? Will I be successful? I just don't have the answer right now, but it would seem to make sense.

I don't think think the AT was about "The Journey" at all to Bryson. I think it was about "The Book."

[rocketsocks]

I really don't see anything wrong with somebody bow-up and even a little cocky before a start,I think it's even helpful,people,athletes do it all the time,even done it in my trade,it's kinda like hyperventilating and holding that last breath before you go do a task that stinks like hell,but if ya don't then families aren't gonna be able to flush there toilets tonight,and no water to drink or bath.yep that what turd herding is all about folks,protecting the health and welfare of the nation,at least that what my first journeyman mechanic told me...be fore he sent me into the trenches.@#$%*!#

[ChinMusic]

And Chin, I know that the task is daunting, which is why I personally plan to have daily and weekly goals. Will that work? Will I be successful? I just don't have the answer right now, but it would seem to make sense.

I'm just as much in the dark as you on that.

Re daunting: That map is awesome. For someone (like me at the time) the distance from Springer to the Smokies was pretty damn far. To look at that map and to realize how insignificant a distance you had just travelled, gets your attention.

I'm not saying it was a bad feeling, just daunting. It was the one big thing in Bryson's book that had me thinking the same thing.

[MuddyWaters]

If a challenge is what you are looking (something harder than the AT) the Grand Canyon and JMT will be a disappointment. While BOTH are beautiful, and a MUST for all bucket lists, they certainly are easier hiking.

Dont know that i agree with that. There are certainly some more difficult parts of the AT, like the Whites. And you can certainly make any of it as hard as you want by hiking in winter conditions. But there are different skills needed for other areas that encompass altitude issues, water issues, more serious bear issues, more vertical, require crampons and ice ax, etc.

[ChinMusic]

Dont know that i agree with that. There are certainly some more difficult parts of the AT, like the Whites. And you can certainly make any of it as hard as you want by hiking in winter conditions. But there are different skills needed for other areas that encompass altitude issues, water issues, more serious bear issues, more vertical, require crampons and ice ax, etc.

You can do ANY trail off season. I have only done the AT from Springer to Damascus and I can tell you with certainty that the AT is harder than the Grand Canyon (corridor) or the JMT. Been there, done that.

Don't get me wrong I want to go back to the GC and JMT tomorrow. Well maybe not the GC right now.............melting at the thought.

[Mags]

For a book published nearly 15 yrs ago, it is amazing how often it comes up....

[rocketsocks]

heheheh..................

[Driver8]

I really don't see anything wrong with somebody bow-up and even a little cocky before a start,I think it's even helpful,people,athletes do it all the time,even done it in my trade,it's kinda like hyperventilating and holding that last breath before you go do a task that stinks like hell,but if ya don't then families aren't gonna be able to flush there toilets tonight,and no water to drink or bath.yep that what turd herding is all about folks,protecting the health and welfare of the nation,at least that what my first journeyman mechanic told me...be fore he sent me into the trenches.@#$%*!#

Not meaning to be unkind or a grammar freak, but does the space bar work on your computer/smartphone, rocketsocks? You're a fun read when I can read ya, but sometimes the endeavor of working through a post of yours is like bushwhacking through dense spruce. Give it some oxygen, Amigo!

[rocketsocks]

Not meaning to be unkind or a grammar freak, but does the space bar work on your computer/smartphone, rocketsocks? You're a fun read when I can read ya, but sometimes the endeavor of working through a post of yours is like bushwhacking through dense spruce. Give it some oxygen, Amigo!

Sorry brother, not the first time i've heard this,will try harder

[Andrewsobo]

Great book, Bryson is an excellent writer.

[MJW155]

Why read a book written by someone who never finished the trail? That's why, in many peoples mind, Bryson's name is mud. Sorta akin to Avalanche and Gorilla Jim- Hiked Georgia to Vermont then wrote a book? You gotta be kidding.

Now you add the "purist" thing in the discussion and you see how things can get a little testy. Then you wanna talk slackpacking? Might as well rent a support RV and pay someone to deliver Chardonnay to you every night in the shelter. Call that a thru-hike.

ugh.......

Sorry, I thru-hiked the AT without blue, pink, or yellow blazing and I sorta get worked up by people who "lip-sync their thru-hike"© .

It amuses me that people hate the book because it doesn't live up to "their expectations". Bryson wasn't writing the book to meet "your expectations". He was writing the book for folks that love to read about travelling in places they will never travel. Bryson never once pretended to hike the entire trail. He even says in the first few pages that he hiked for 6 weeks, returned home to do work and then hiked additional parts of the trail after he met his committments.

[MJW155]

Ya, I dont get the opinion of some, I dont have a chip on my shoulder. Dude is simply a writer, a well known writer, who decided to go try to hike the AT. His story is similar to probably 90% of the newbs starting from Springer, they have no idea what they are doing or getting themselves into. He did what they do...he quit, found out that he wasnt really that interested in doing the whole trail after all. The romanticized notion he initially had was replaced by the reality of rocks, roots, and trees , all day, every day.

I think there are a lot of people out there that can relate. Probably most. Seriously, thru-hikers are not the intended audience, and it seems that they are the ones that dislike him the most. Not sure why though.

I hiked from Springer to Clingmans Dome earlier this year. Every hiker I met that brough the book up hates Bryson. It's like they feel betrayed. I think their expectations before reading the book was that he hiked the entire thing. Once they found out he didn't finish, they turned on Bryson.

If I were a thru-hiker, I'd take pride in the fact that the trail is so hard that even a guy that was paid to hike the trail couldn't finish it. And not only could he not finish it, he didn't even attept to finish it.

But for some reason, the reaction tends to be the opposite...he's a bum for not finishing the trail.

[WIAPilot]

Not meaning to be unkind or a grammar freak, but does the space bar work on your computer/smartphone, rocketsocks? You're a fun read when I can read ya, but sometimes the endeavor of working through a post of yours is like bushwhacking through dense spruce. Give it some oxygen, Amigo!

Oh come on, Driver! If you can comprehend "legalese," you are certainly capable of reading Rocket's posts! It's the content, man.