This book had been knocking around the house for a while. It's a memoir of Bill Bryson's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. He sets out with a set of expensive gear and an eccentric friend and begins hiking in Georgia with hopes of making it up to Maine. While he does not finish the Trail (at least not as a 'through hiker') the book is interesting and funny.
I had hiked a few miles of the Long Trail in Vermont which is part of the AP, but I had no idea before reading this how intense a process it is for people to hike the entire thing.
The funny part of the book relates to his adventures with his friend. His friend is an admittedly overweight recovering alcoholic. Together, they subsist on ramen noodles and Snickers, meeting unusual traveling companions along the way and both encouraging and annoying each other.
Interspersed with their adventures is a lot of other information about the Appalachain Trail: the genesis of it, its famous hikers, encounters with bears and murderers, its current status, and plenty of pleasant folklore. Bryson did have some scathing criticism of the National Forest Service, who maintain much of the Trail - he talks about logging and conservation in several places. I enjoyed reading these information sections as much as I did his individual adventures. Bryson did a good job of balancing the personal with the broader perspective.
I enjoyed this and think this would be a good read for anyone who likes the outdoors.
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