View Full Version : Favorite AT Books
ArtificialSunshine
04-03-2013, 08:12
Hi all! I love to read, and I've read two books that are people's accounts of long distance hikes, one on the PCT and another on the AT. I've been looking for other good narratives of the journey. Do any of you have any favorite books that are accounts of hiking the AT? Every time I read one I get more motivated!
SOBO_Pace
04-03-2013, 09:02
What PCT book did you read?
barf_jay
04-03-2013, 09:05
My two favorites:
A Walk in the Woods
A Walk for Sunshine
Kerosene
04-03-2013, 09:48
I've read a lot of AT books, and here are my favorites by far:
Southbound (http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Sisters-Southbound-Adventures-Appalachian/dp/0811735303/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y)and Walking Home (http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Sisters-Walking-Adventures-Appalachian/dp/081173529X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y), by the Barefoot Sisters
Walkin' on the Happy Side of Misery (http://www.amazon.com/Walkin-Happy-Side-Misery-Appalachian/dp/0811712842/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364996560&sr=1-1), by Model T
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595941096/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1), by AWOL
Becoming Odyssa (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825306493/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i04?ie=UTF8&psc=1), by Odyssa
atraildreamer
04-03-2013, 10:20
Hiking the Appalachian Trail by: Rodell Press.
It is now out of print, but available at many libraries. It contains account of many different thru hikers. It is a great read, but lo-o-o-ong! It comes in 2 volumes.
I know it's not a hike narrative, but I really like "Just Passin' Thru", by Winton Porter. He runs Mountain Crossings at Neel's gap.
Therunner1Guy
04-03-2013, 11:59
"Just passin' through" and Skywalker's book
My favorites:
Walk in the Woods
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
Becoming Odyssa
Just passin' through
"On the Beaten Path" by Robert Alden Rubin
"As Far As The Eye Can See" by David Brill
slbirdnerd
04-03-2013, 12:51
I LOVED all of these, am reading "See You Down The Trail" (Bert "Shadow" Nemcik") right now and "Becoming Odyssa" is on deck:
Three Hundred Zeroes, Dennis Blanchard
A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson
The Things You Find on the Appalachian Trail, Kevin Runolfson
Skywalker, Bill Walker
Wild, Cheryl Strayed
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, David Miller
ArtificialSunshine
04-03-2013, 14:56
Hey guys! I don't know why it didn't occur to me to include which books I had read :P I've read Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis. I'm so happy to see some good replies to my question. I'll be checking out all of your suggestions :)
Trebor66
04-03-2013, 15:04
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
just Passin Thru
Swordpen
04-03-2013, 23:34
Skywalkers book.
I just finished AWOLs book, but he doesnt really cover the social (to me - fun) part of the AT. Skywalker tho not a "party hearty" type of guy, was more sociable it seemed, & covered the different kinds of characters one meets on the trail.
what I'm looking for, is someone who had physical issues & issues on the trail from it, but was able to thru hike. That would be inspiring to me.
what I'm looking for, is someone who had physical issues & issues on the trail from it, but was able to thru hike. That would be inspiring to me.
Blind Courage
by Bill Irwin
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Courage-Bill-Irwin/dp/1567960928/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1365071192&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=bill+irwion
stumpknocker
04-04-2013, 07:26
Hi all! I love to read, and I've read two books that are people's accounts of long distance hikes, one on the PCT and another on the AT. I've been looking for other good narratives of the journey. Do any of you have any favorite books that are accounts of hiking the AT? Every time I read one I get more motivated!
"Mountain Girl" by Ken Byerly.
Fiction, but knows the Appalachian Trail well. Doesn't get to the trail part until later in the book, but the author has actually section hiked the whole trail.
Best book I've read in a while. Started out a little hard to read because of the Hemmingway influenced writing style of shorter and to the point sentences. Got used to that after about the third chapter and went on to really enjoy this book.
Kind of a love story about good friends starting early in life, growing up in NC, and not coming together for years.
Both Wade and Becky leave home at college age and end up going at life in totally different directions. The story moves over to Europe and the Mediterranean for a while, then back to the states.
Brings you through the civil rights era to the Bush era as seen by Wade the reporter.
Getting to the Appalachian Trail later in the book and in life as a couple section hiking the trail, but only one ends up hiking it to keep a promise.
Get the revised edition starting, I think, in 2012 if you are interested in the book I'm talking about.
I do know the author, but I know the authors of quite a few of the books about the Appalachian Trail.
I have also read some of the more traditional, journal/personal type of Appalachian Trail books mentioned by others in this thread and enjoyed most of them.
nastynate
04-04-2013, 07:38
AWOL, Stumbling Thru, both of Skywalkers books. I really enjoyed Stumbling Thru and I can't wait for the next volume.
RyanK817
04-04-2013, 09:27
The Road More or Less Traveled is awesome, a very under-appreciated AT memoir of a southbound thru.
Kerosene
04-04-2013, 10:16
I thought that Skywalker's PCT book was much better than his AT book, probably because it was his second book. His Camino book was written well, but it also made me realize that that trek isn't for me.
The Gambler
04-04-2013, 10:44
Walking With Spring by Earl Shaffer is my favorite...AWOL on the AT is good.....a different type of book but really interesting and funny is Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis
Swordpen
04-04-2013, 11:39
Thank you!
stumpknocker
04-04-2013, 11:56
I had to come back and give mention to "The Trail of My Life" by Gene Espy since no one else mentioned it yet.
This is an excellent book...if you know Gene it is even better. What a character!!
He was the second person to ever thru hike the AT. I think it was in 1951.
johnnybgood
04-04-2013, 12:15
Barefoot Sisters-- Southbound
Ladytrekker
04-04-2013, 15:51
http://www.amazon.com/Season-Appalachian-Trail-Lynn-Setzer/dp/0897322347
This is one of my favorites the author follows a group of hikers and then interviews them at 1 year and then 5 years. I thought it was one of the better AT books and I have read most of them and all of the ones mentioned above.
Spirit Bear
04-04-2013, 16:14
1. Best one so far: A walk in the woods-Bill Bryson
2. Best book by real hikers so far: Hiking Through-Apostle (Paul Stutzman)
Others I have read
3. Becoming Odyssa (Current record holder) She didnt break it in this book though, very good book, number 2 written by hikers.
4. Just Passin Thru (Winton Porter)
5. As far as the eye can see (David Brill)
Here is a post (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1337221) with my list.
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Hi all! I love to read, and I've read two books that are people's accounts of long distance hikes, one on the PCT and another on the AT. I've been looking for other good narratives of the journey. Do any of you have any favorite books that are accounts of hiking the AT? Every time I read one I get more motivated!
Leslie Mass, In Beauty May She Walk. I really like this book.
johnnybgood
04-04-2013, 16:58
Somehow forgot about Winton Porter's book. I enjoyed reading about all the characters he wrote about in his book.
trippclark
04-04-2013, 17:09
I have read and agree with most of the recommendations that have been popping up in this thread . . . lots of good reads . . .
Awol on the Appalachian Trail
Walkin on the Happy Side of Misery
Becoming Odyssa
Just Passin Thru
Southbound
are a few of my favorites
One that I have not seen on the list so far, and I found to be wonderfully entertaining and, at times, laugh out loud funny, is "Through Hiker's Eyes." It is a two volume account written by Larry "Baro" Alexander. Everyone I know who has read it, loved it, but it is more obscure than other titles because (I think) it is only available from
http://www.trailpeddler.com/Products/Through%20Hiker%27s%20Eyes/THE%20Revised%20Page.htm
Cookerhiker
04-04-2013, 21:13
Of course I'm partial to the book referenced in my signature line. The WB thread is here (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?58070-New-AT-book&highlight=).
...what I'm looking for, is someone who had physical issues & issues on the trail from it, but was able to thru hike. That would be inspiring to me.
Robert Rubin's On the Beaten Path - he had physical challenges (overweight, totally out of shape), emotional & psychological challenges (mid-life crisis sort of thing), and his book also covered the social aspects. He's a professional writer and his skill is quite evident.
Tree Nerd
04-04-2013, 21:26
Becoming Odessa is my hands down favorite AT book.
Tree Nerd
04-04-2013, 21:26
Becoming Odessa is my hands down favorite AT book.
Becoming Odyssa.....my bad