Choose Your Pace: A Hiking Adventure on the Appalachian Trail

Home in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. A gloriously out-of-shape friend named Stephen Katz is along for the walk. Katz's overwhelming desire is to find cozy restaurants, but he and Bryson eventually settle into their stride and enjoy their adventure. On the trail, they meet a bizarre assortment of hilarious characters, making for a laugh-out-loud hike. But the book is more than that. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, with its astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes. Bryson not only tells its fascinating history, but he also makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A WALK IN THE WOODS is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature.

If you have even remotely considered hiking the length of the nearly 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail, then you’ve “heard the challenge.” The question now is…will you answer it? If you have been on the fence about doing a thru-hike, the job of this book is to gently nudge, possibly even shove you off that fence, into the direction of the Appalachian Trail. But, if your mind is already made up to embark on this once in a lifetime adventure, then prepare to have your confidence elevated to new heights. Knowledge is power and information is currency; I intend to make you powerfully rich, in regards to the Appalachian Trail, as you read through the contents of this book. The subjects of this work include, but are far from limited to… -Preparing your life for a thru-hike -Financial preparation -Mental preparation (what you bring within yourself is far more important than what you put in your pack). -Physical preparation (I’ve been a strength and conditioning specialist for nearly a decade). -Hiking with a dog (I’ve done the whole trail with one) -Insights and information into nearly every aspect of thru-hiking, as well as life on trail and much, much more. -Extensive information regarding gear and itemized lists of what this journey requires. -Insights into each state, as well as noteworthy regions and the obstacles/highlights they present. This book is not designed nor intended to be a “how to” or a “guidebook.” It is simply designed to present you with information while simultaneously inspiring the confidence to use that information in making decisions that are perfect for you. Want the full story of the author's AT hike? Check out amazon.com best seller; "Lost on the Appalachian Trail."

Emma Gatewood was the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone, as well as the first person—man or woman—to walk it twice and three times and she did it all after the age of 65. This is the first and only biography of Grandma Gatewood, as the reporters called her, who became a hiking celebrity in the 1950s and '60s. She appeared on TV with Groucho Marx and Art Linkletter, and on the pages of Sports Illustrated. The public attention she brought to the little-known footpath was unprecedented. Her vocal criticism of the lousy, difficult stretches led to bolstered maintenance, and very likely saved the trail from extinction. Author Ben Montgomery was given unprecedented access to Gatewood's own diaries, trail journals, and correspondence. He also unearthed historic newspaper and magazine articles and interviewed surviving family members and hikers Gatewood met along the trail. The inspiring story of Emma Gatewood illustrates the full power of human spirit and determination.