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zachnachazel's review
4.0
I really appreciated that despite having read/watched many items on the AT, Miller provides descriptions of areas and parts of thru-hiking that none of them had touched on. It was interesting to hear his perspective, as well as very informative as a perspective future hiker.
arem419's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Very interesting read. I feel like it was informative and fun, but still let's you know the trials he endured.
edtkeith's review
4.0
A great read with good insights about the AT. One thing that surprised me was how much time on this trip is not spent in the wild, but rather in town, staying nights in all the various places that open their doors to thru-hikers. It gave me a different perspective on what it would be like to hike the AT.
maddie_reads_stuff's review
4.0
"Experience is enriched by reliving it, contemplating it, and trying to describe it to another person."
David tells of the 5 months he quit his job, took on the name Awol, and hiked the AT from Georgia to Maine.
Growing up, my dad would take my sisters and I on hikes to the Appalachian Mountain Club huts in the White Mountains. For a few days every summer, we'd hike (sometimes unwillingly), enjoy nature (or not, the summer it hailed), fill out our Junior Naturalist worksheets (no downsides here!), and spent quality time (or, on grumpier days, "quantity time") in the mountains. Each year was a different hut, a different hike, different weather, but one thing was constant: our encounters and fascination with thru-hikers. Rugged, hairy, able to hike more in an afternoon than our untrained legs could handle in a weekend, they were living legends.
From these experiences, we grew familiar with the AT and were excited to see the headquarters in Harpers Ferry or the trail magic when we drove through the Smokies. But none of us has attempted (or, I guess, will attempt) a thru-hike. Still, every once in a while, I'll think about the trail, and follow parts of strangers' journeys on trailjournals.com. It was in the middle of this phase that I found this book on my family's shared kindle, and decided to give it a try.
Like the journals of current thru-hikers, much of the story is Awol counting miles, naming peaks and campsites, thinking about food, meeting fellow hikers, and worrying about the unending aches inherent in a 2200-mile hike. Unlike the current journals, David has had time to insert minor foreshadowing and personal philosophies. And you can read through the whole trip without waiting for five months! It's a good compromise between the daily life on the trail and the overall impact of the trail and the hikers on each other. (Still, if you don't want to hear about popping blisters and losing toenails, this might not be your book.)
In response to the book, many people have told Awol that he inspired them to hike the AT. His reply? "Clearly these readers have not paid attention to what I have written." Whether hoping to hike the trail or not, AWOL on the AT makes for a very good vicarious voyage.
My favorite passage:
"But I have come to recognize that most of what is memorable and pleasing about my time on the trail is ordinary moments in the outdoors. Simply sitting unhurried in the shade of leaves is an irreplaceable moment. It is a joy in itself to amble through the woods for hours, even when views are limited to the dense trees surrounding me. It is fulfilling to be saturated with the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors. My fond recollections of my hike are full of unremarkable moments, like the smell of a dewey morning, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the blaze of a campfire, the soothing trickle of a stream, or rays of sun through a maze of trees."
Makes you want to take a hike, right?
David tells of the 5 months he quit his job, took on the name Awol, and hiked the AT from Georgia to Maine.
Growing up, my dad would take my sisters and I on hikes to the Appalachian Mountain Club huts in the White Mountains. For a few days every summer, we'd hike (sometimes unwillingly), enjoy nature (or not, the summer it hailed), fill out our Junior Naturalist worksheets (no downsides here!), and spent quality time (or, on grumpier days, "quantity time") in the mountains. Each year was a different hut, a different hike, different weather, but one thing was constant: our encounters and fascination with thru-hikers. Rugged, hairy, able to hike more in an afternoon than our untrained legs could handle in a weekend, they were living legends.
From these experiences, we grew familiar with the AT and were excited to see the headquarters in Harpers Ferry or the trail magic when we drove through the Smokies. But none of us has attempted (or, I guess, will attempt) a thru-hike. Still, every once in a while, I'll think about the trail, and follow parts of strangers' journeys on trailjournals.com. It was in the middle of this phase that I found this book on my family's shared kindle, and decided to give it a try.
Like the journals of current thru-hikers, much of the story is Awol counting miles, naming peaks and campsites, thinking about food, meeting fellow hikers, and worrying about the unending aches inherent in a 2200-mile hike. Unlike the current journals, David has had time to insert minor foreshadowing and personal philosophies. And you can read through the whole trip without waiting for five months! It's a good compromise between the daily life on the trail and the overall impact of the trail and the hikers on each other. (Still, if you don't want to hear about popping blisters and losing toenails, this might not be your book.)
In response to the book, many people have told Awol that he inspired them to hike the AT. His reply? "Clearly these readers have not paid attention to what I have written." Whether hoping to hike the trail or not, AWOL on the AT makes for a very good vicarious voyage.
My favorite passage:
"But I have come to recognize that most of what is memorable and pleasing about my time on the trail is ordinary moments in the outdoors. Simply sitting unhurried in the shade of leaves is an irreplaceable moment. It is a joy in itself to amble through the woods for hours, even when views are limited to the dense trees surrounding me. It is fulfilling to be saturated with the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors. My fond recollections of my hike are full of unremarkable moments, like the smell of a dewey morning, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the blaze of a campfire, the soothing trickle of a stream, or rays of sun through a maze of trees."
Makes you want to take a hike, right?
pammella's review
4.0
Not sure why I read books about crazy long hikes since I have no desire to take on something so daunting. Maybe it's because I understand and relate to the reasons why someone (especially someone over 40 with a family and a job) would want to take on such a big challenge. As Miller explains it in this book, "Our vision becomes so narrow that risk is trying a new brand of cereal, and adventure is watching a new sitcom."
I have read other accounts of the AT, and those authors focused on the beauty of the trail and the sense of community among hikers. AWOL describes beautiful places and the other hikers he meets, but he also paints quite a vivid picture of the frequent rain, boulder-strewn fields, and physical pain that were part of his thru hike.
I have read other accounts of the AT, and those authors focused on the beauty of the trail and the sense of community among hikers. AWOL describes beautiful places and the other hikers he meets, but he also paints quite a vivid picture of the frequent rain, boulder-strewn fields, and physical pain that were part of his thru hike.
osc's review
5.0
A friend recommended this book to me and I'm glad he did. Funny and inspiring, this is one of those books that makes you want to jump off the couch and start chasing dreams. The book takes journal entries and newspaper articles that the author wrote as he hiked the Appalachian Trail in its entirety and adds to them to create an engaging book. He covers the ups and downs of the trip itself and does a great job of sharing his story and that of the other hikers he meets on his journey. I highly recommend this one.
stephasaurous's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0