My intent to hike the Appalachian Trail stems from my general enjoyment of hiking and a desire for an adventure. There were, however, many co-conspirators I'd like to acknowledge.
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller comes to mind first. David Miller decided to leave his job mid-career and thru-hike the trail. While doing so he wrote biweekly newspaper articles for a local paper and, I imagine, took copious notes. He decided to expand on these resources and other thoughts and wrote a book. The articles and notes he wrote while hiking the trail are obvious source material, as the book recounts each day of the AT in detail most people likely don't think about. He remembers concrete thoughts and impressions about daily life on the trail which makes this book almost impossible to put down. His account offers enough personal insight to show the mental and personal rewards of completing the AT without being unduly spiritual or cliched.
After his hike AWOL began to write a trail guide and updates it every year. It seems to be the most popular guide out there and I be using the 2012 version. His website here.
Appalachain Trail Hike 2010
The name is as unimpressive as our own but it conveys the point. Right when the AT bug hit us hard in the spring of our Junior year, these folks had just started the trail.
Buck Track Appalachian Trail
Think about the most robust, rugged, and outdoorsy man you know (hint: Ron Swanson). Now throw out the lumberjack in flannel and think of a wiry 50 something in a t-shirt. That's Buck Nelson, a man who loved the outdoors so much he got paid to jump out of planes into flaming portions of it. Buck has achieved the triple crown of long distance hiking as he has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail (think AT on the west coast), and the Continental Divide Trail (or as the rest of the world calls it, the Rocky Mountains). This website was another fun read as it is just a long page of pictures and short paragraphs describing his days on the trail. His gear list was essential when I sat down and actually started planning my hike. In case Buck wasn't impressive enough, he hiked the trail so fast he used the extra time he had allotted for his hike to canoe down the Mississippi River.
The Good Badger Appalachian Trail
Zach Davis has that rare gift of being a tremendously funny writer. He thru-hiked in 2011, a considerable feat for a guy who picked up West Nile Virus on the trail. If any of the blogs mentioned here deserve a read through, this is the one. It is a rare moment when anyone laughs aloud while reading, but each of Zach's posts is hilarious and penetrating. Most importantly, Zach emphasized that a successful thru-hike is a mental game. Somewhere between 75-90% of aspiring thru-hikers give up for any number of reasons. Most are not physical or related to off-trail emergencies.
Appalachian Trails by Zach Davis.
Zach was so interested in the psychological and emotional aspect of the Appalachian trail he wrote a book about it. I bought the book as soon as it came out and devoured it. He walks readers through the steps he took (or wishes he took) to prepare mentally for the trail. The story of getting West Nile while simultaneously applying for a job at Google (which he did not get) provide a backdrop for the main point: the trail has its ups and downs, and the ability to turn obstacles into opportunities is paramount to completing the trail. Zach has even made himself available to aspiring thru-hikers like me, and I've been in some contact with him.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.
This New York Times bestseller is easily the most popular of the sources I'm citing here. Bryson got stuck by the AT bug and hikes large portions of the trail with an old school friend. Bryson is funny in the usual sort of older guy way (read G.K. Chesterton). Bookish, but he'll pull a genuine laugh out of you. The book lacks the rigor of the others, but makes up for it in the portrayal of the trail. Most people, like Bryson, give in and enjoy only portions and wax slightly environmental and philosophic.
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