View Full Version : Need Help on the next AT Book
Josh Calhoun
06-20-2012, 13:38
anybody have any ideas for me on a good AT book to read? i have read Awols book and loved it. read a walk in the woods and couldnt wait for it to be over. any ideas?
rocketsocks
06-20-2012, 13:50
anybody have any ideas for me on a good AT book to read? i have read Awols book and loved it. read a walk in the woods and couldnt wait for it to be over. any ideas?Yep,go read "Awalk in the woods" again,but also try,"As far as the eye can see"~David Brill,older book,good stuff there.
Ladytrekker
06-20-2012, 13:51
My favorite so far and I have read many of them.
http://www.amazon.com/Season-Trail-American-Official-Appalachian/dp/0897323823 (http://www.amazon.com/Season-Trail-American-Official-Appalachian/dp/0897323823)
Moose2001
06-20-2012, 14:13
Walking on the Happy Side of Misery
Jeff Alt's , I think it's title is "A Walk for Sunshine"
Not the AT, but close (PCT) is Cheryl Strayed's "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail". I'm reading it now and it is very good both in style and content. Different trail but similar issues - footwear, food, water, weather... She's got a great writing voice and really resonates with me as a hiker.
Also on the PCT is "The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-And Almost Found Myself-On the Pacific Crest Trail" by Dan White. That was a good one too. Some very funny stories of his hike.
I just picked up "46 Days: Keeping Up With Jennifer Pharr Davis on the Appalachian Trail" but haven't read it yet.
ATMountainTime
06-20-2012, 15:16
big fan of Winton Porters book Just Passing thru, its more of the characters of the AT than hiking it, but it's a funny book and got me thinking, then wanting, then commiting to attempting a thru hike in the near future. 300 zero's was pretty decent too. While short I also like Appalachian Trials.
Im with you on a walk in the woods, i got half way thru it and set it down when amazon brings me my next one :)
Another good one is Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail by Luke Skywalker.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Energizer Bunny
06-20-2012, 18:16
Becoming Odyessa by Jennifer Pharr Davis is one of my favorites. I second Wild - that was a great book
I just finished "Southbound on the Appalachian Trail" by Ken Sarzynski. He goes back and forth between his thru-hike experiences and his opinions/recommendations. He never gets overbearing about his opinions though. I enjoyed the book, but I tend to enjoy most books or at least look for something to appreciate about them.
a walk for sunshine. good book good cause.
Sarcasm the elf
06-20-2012, 22:44
"As Far as the Eye Can See" by David Brill - My personal favorite so far.
"Just passin' Thru" by Winton Porter
"Becoming Odyssa" By Jennifer Pharr Davis - I am about 3/4 of the way finished and it's a great book
From the PCT
"Zero Days" by Barbara Egbert
If you have any interest in a video documentary, check out Wizards of the PCT (http://www.wizardsofthepct.com/) by Shane O'Donnell aka Jester.
TrekkerJeff
06-22-2012, 20:38
We enjoyed "Hiking Through" by Paul Stutzman.
Coffee Rules!
06-23-2012, 08:44
The Barefoot Sisters Southbound (Adventures on the Appalchian Trail) as well as The Barefoot Sisters Walking Home. Those are what inspired me to try and make my own thru. Excellent stories written by two intelligent and insightful young women.
Double Wide
06-23-2012, 13:34
When you run out of books, as I have (I've already read everything listed so far), head over to trailjournals.com and search for journals that have at least a hundred to maybe hundred twenty entries. Most of the longer ones are journals from folks who have completed a thru-hike, and although the writing styles vary enormously, there are some great gems to be found if you keep digging.
I have seen anyone mention "On the Beaten Path". I thought it was a good read.
rmitchell
06-23-2012, 15:00
The Barefoot Sisters Southbound (Adventures on the Appalchian Trail) as well as The Barefoot Sisters Walking Home. Those are what inspired me to try and make my own thru. Excellent stories written by two intelligent and insightful young women.+ 1 on Barefoot Sisters. I met them and their mom at the Beauty Spot north of Erwing on their walk home. They were indeed barefoot.
I just noticed your location.........stay safe!
Coffee Rules!
06-23-2012, 15:24
I just noticed your location.........stay safe!
Thanks, but it's not that bad. The locals are more worried about hating each other and keeping the Uncle Sugar $$ flowing.
HighLiner
06-23-2012, 21:10
"On the Happy Side of Misery" was really good.
SassyWindsor
06-23-2012, 21:53
Go cheap, read journals and watch you-tube vids. Lots of fun here.
Coffee Rules!
06-28-2012, 13:22
Okay, someone PLEASE tell me "AWOL On the Appalachian Trail" gets better. I don't know what page I'm on (thank you Kindle :p) but he just left Fontana Dam. So far it reminds me of Cheech & Chong's Sister Mary Elephant skit when the student reads his summer vacation essay.
hikerboy57
06-28-2012, 13:29
you're better off staying right here and reading our daily tirades/help lines/discussions/journals.
nowhere in awols book does it say how long cheese lasts on the trail.
sometimes i think the best books could come from some of the threads here on WB.
Coffee Rules!
06-28-2012, 13:33
So, how long DOES cheese last on the trail? Is this similar to the woodchuck chucking wood question?
hikerboy57
06-28-2012, 13:42
So, how long DOES cheese last on the trail? Is this similar to the woodchuck chucking wood question?
stick around here long enough and well all find out together.
Coffee Rules!
06-28-2012, 13:48
stick around here long enough and well all find out together.
You're such a tease.
Feral Nature
06-28-2012, 14:02
I also enjoyed the barefoot Sisters books. I gave my nephew the AWOL book for his birthday and I want to read it when he finishes.
rocketsocks
06-28-2012, 14:17
So, how long DOES cheese last on the trail? Is this similar to the woodchuck chucking wood question?African or European?:D
rocketsocks
06-28-2012, 14:23
Okay, someone PLEASE tell me "AWOL On the Appalachian Trail" gets better. I don't know what page I'm on (thank you Kindle :p) but he just left Fontana Dam. So far it reminds me of Cheech & Chong's Sister Mary Elephant skit when the student reads his summer vacation essay.I liked the book,but don't remember it enough to answer your question,but if you have taken the evelin wood sped reding coarse,and in-pravd ur reding 1hunred prosent,then it's a good red.YMMV
trippclark
06-28-2012, 15:17
anybody have any ideas for me on a good AT book to read? i have read Awols book and loved it. read a walk in the woods and couldnt wait for it to be over. any ideas?
I have read nearly all of the books listed so far, and enjoyed the vast majority of them, some more than others. Among my favorites already mentioned are "Awol on the Appalachian Trail" and "Walking on the Happy Side of Misery." One that I have not seen mentioned is "Through Hiker's Eyes" by Larry "Baro" Alexander. I think that this one is below the radar for many folks because it is not as widely available. I am pretty sure that the only source for it is from the website http://www.trailpeddler.com/. It is a 2 volume book, and each book is thick, but it is a great read. "Baro" really draws in the reader, and it is filled with laugh out loud accounts. I highly recommend it.
rocketsocks
06-28-2012, 15:34
I have read nearly all of the books listed so far, and enjoyed the vast majority of them, some more than others. Among my favorites already mentioned are "Awol on the Appalachian Trail" and "Walking on the Happy Side of Misery." One that I have not seen mentioned is "Through Hiker's Eyes" by Larry "Baro" Alexander. I think that this one is below the radar for many folks because it is not as widely available. I am pretty sure that the only source for it is from the website http://www.trailpeddler.com/. It is a 2 volume book, and each book is thick, but it is a great read. "Baro" really draws in the reader, and it is filled with laugh out loud accounts. I highly recommend it.Hey that looks good...wishlist,thanks
I have read many of these books and I liked "White Blaze Fever" by Bill Shuette. Seems like a nice fellow that had a nice hike.
Once when I was looking for an AT thru-hike book, where I was at didn't have any that I hadn't read, and so I bought the mountain climbing book "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer.
I'm not a mountain climber, and it is a tangent from the question, however, I still wanted to reccommend it because it was a such a good read for me.
Yes, that was a good read.
I just finished "Hiking Through" by Paul Stutzman last night. It's about a guy who lost his wife to breast cancer and a year after her death, he retired from his job as a restaurant manager and began his thru hike. He only had 2 or 3 months to prepare. The author writes in detail about his hiking experience which will help any hiker who reads it. He also writes about his struggle with his wife's death and his questions as to why God took her so soon. He completed the thru hike and came out a different man- a healed man. Although the book is written by a Christian, the author is honest, funny and not preachy. I wasn't looking forward to finishing the book because it was just that good.