View Full Version : iHike by Lawton "Disco" Grinter
My buddy Disco is coming out with a new book very soon about his 10000 miles of hiking.
If you don't know Disco (he is the director/producer of The Walkumentary (http://www.thewalkumentary.com/)) he is an excellent story teller with a humorous side.
“I never set out to hike 10,000 miles. It just sort of happened over the course of a decade.” And so goes Lawton Grinter’s compelling collection of short stories that have been over ten years and 10,000 trail miles in the making. I Hike brings the reader trailside with blissful moments on the highest mountain ridges to the mental lows of mosquito hell and into some peculiar situations that even seasoned hikers may find unbelievable.
Check it out: http://ihikethebook.com/
thanks Mags, I will have to check it out
And my review.. :)
Lawton "Disco" Grinter, best known in thru-hiking circles for producing The Walkumentary (http://www.thewalkumentary.com/), has written about his ten-thousand miles of hiking. Rather than a traditional thru-hike narrative about a journey, it is a collection of short vignettes from his many years and miles spent on the long trails.
Many books about the thru-hiking experience follow a similar arc: The author gives a brief synopsis of the trail. Tells why they want to go on a long hike. Details the preparation entailed. The journey starts. Crisis are overcome. An odd cast of characters are met along the way. The author triumphantly reaches Katahdin or Manning Park five or six months later.
Within this formula, many fine books have been written (but along with some not-so-fine ones) but it is now a familiar formula used by many, many, many, MANY books (http://www.booksforhikers.com/).
I Hike is unique for books about the thru-hiking experience. Rather than a narrative of a single hike, I Hike is more reminiscent of an Eiger Dreams (http://www.amazon.com/Eiger-Dreams-Ventures-Among-Mountains/dp/0385488181) for the backpacking set. A collection of colorful stories from many miles of backpacking.
And Disco does tell a colorful tale. Be it a welcome haven from the cold weather somewhere in Washington state or what one enterprising German named Speedo does in the middle of Wyoming's Great Divide Basin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Divide_Basin), these are all stories that will bring a smile, a laugh or introspection after each read.
The book also appeals to those who are not long distance backpackers. My fiancee' loves the outdoors but has no desire to spend five months eating Ramen noodles. Our copy has mysteriously found a new home on her nightstand. It is a book she loves to pick up and read in between her studies, working and cleaning up the mess I make in our kitchen. http://www.pmags.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif As Adrianna said, "The stories are funny and wonderfully told".
I HIKE by Lawton "Disco" Grinter is a collection of tales that anyone who has an interest in backpacking or long journeys will enjoy. Tales from the funny, to the heartfelt to the joyous, it is campfire story telling at is best. Grab a cold drink from the cooler, pull up a log and listen to Disco tell tales of his walking through the backcountry of America.
Want to purchase a copy? Check out Disco's website: http://ihikethebook.com/
BUMP
His book is now avail in Kindle format! Get a virtual stocking stuffer. ;) Great read IMO. As mentioned, my wife is NOT a long distance hiker and she loved the book.
MuddyWaters
12-15-2012, 14:53
Always looking for something new to read while travelling on business, I downloaded the kindle version.
But I read about 1/3 of it immediately instead of saving it for later.
Its pretty good, engaging and entertaining.
I was recently reading Disco's personally autographed copy he gifted to the Leadville Hostel. I was so engrossed by it I didn't want to put it down. I always wondered how his wife, who he hiked/hikes with, Princess of Darkness(POD), got that trailname. I thought that story in the book was rather funny. Disco's book is in limted publication so it may have to be ordered rather than be found on a shelf in a store. That's what I had to do through Barnes and Noble.
lukabrazi
01-06-2013, 19:50
"What..... you do not trust zee American soap?"
It's available on Kindle too, for those that like the eBooks (like me). I'm about half way through it; very enjoyable vicarious read so far.
I think it is one of the best books about hiking I have read. I get most of the books that are out there- I just cannot help myself. They all sound alike after awhile but this one is different and very good.