Tag Archives: THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story

I NEED TO TAKE THEM MORE SERIOUSLY!

Anecdotal evidence — mostly what I hear from fellow hikers and read in the newspaper — has me thinking there are more bears out there this year, not to mention more venomous snakes. I have heard reports from several hikers detailing bear and snake sightings. I always breeze past black bears, thinking of them as little more than big dogs. (Grizzlies have always been a different matter altogether). I need to remember that a black bear has the speed, power, teeth, jaw strength and paws to make a real mess of a human being. Reports of black bear attacks are rare, and when they do occur they are normally provoked by idiotic human behavior. Still we owe it to them and ourselves to give them a wide berth and respect their well-earned place in nature. Stay vertical, watch for snakes and keep walkin’!

Thanks for the Kind Words from “Books For Hikers”

“Books For Hikers” is the go-to spot on the internet for information about books and other media dealing with trails and hiking. THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story has just been showcased as their featured book. Go to http://www.booksforhikers.com and read about it. You can also go to http://www.pojonews.co/1gpopKX to see a cleverly written review of THRU by Poughkeepsie Journal columnist Ralph Ferrusi. Ralph was skeptical that a novel about the AT had anything new to say, but his wife loved it and badgered him until he read it. He said that it “might just kick off a ‘THRU’ generation” and that it was a “heckuva 2,000-mile read.” If I can make it in Poughkeepsie, I can make it anywhere.

Temptation in the Wilderness

I was asked to speak to a group of seminarians at Columbia Theological Seminary the other day, the kind of young people who take their religion and their scripture seriously. I let them know that I am no scholar but that I do have a major thought gleaned from more than 50 years of wilderness adventure: Creation is close to the top of God’s greatest gifts. In THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story, Doug, a thoughtful young man of faith, ponders the similarity between a thru-hike and the temptation of Christ. He writes in a shelter register: “This trip is tantamount to Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness, although he surely had a much rougher time of it. Aside from having all the equipment, food and clothing we need, we also have companions to nurture our spirits. Plus, we don’t have Satan tempting us with all manner of easy ways to go wrong. Or maybe we do. There is temptation out here to resist doing small tasks to support others in need, to make unkind remarks no matter how small or subtle, to allow fatigue to get in the way when you have a chance to give useful trail intelligence to an inquiring SOBO, and to just generally go clueless when you have a chance to improve a fellow traveler’s trek. Heat, dehydration, hunger and general trail fatigue obstruct my natural inclination to serve strangers. I pledge to do better.”

Blue Devil’s Redemption on Cheoah

May 5, 2014UncategorizedAppalachian Trail, Blue Devil, Cheoah Bald, THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Storyrichardkjudy

Still thinking of Cheoah Bald. Last week’s hike tickled memories of my first time in 1973. The trail in those days was rocky and eroded — shooting straight and steep up mountainsides, requiring climbers to grab trees to pull themselves up. Now Cheoah trails are graded forest service paths which slab around ridges and switchback to eliminate steep grades. We hikers should thank trail planners, builders and maintainers for such amazing feats. Maybe they should thank hikers for making it all necessary. When my character, Blue Devil, climbed Cheoah in THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story, he wrote in his journal: “I reached Cheoah peak and breathed deep, deeper than my lungs had ever held, pulling all the pure alpine air into my chest to nourish my heart and my brain and my soul, expunging my bad behavior and exhaling out all the dumb things I’ve ever done in one glorious moment of young black male fervor.”

Looking East through the Keyhole at Hike Inn’s Starbase

Looking East through the Keyhole at Hike Inn's Starbase

At Len Foote Hike Inn, you can see Starbase which tracks the sun’s seasonal progress across the heavens. This photo by Jim Hall, an officer in the Pine Mountain Trail Association, is a view due east through the keyhole which zeroes in on the rising sun at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. For some great hiking, Google Pine Mountain Trail Association to learn about some great hikes in west central Georgia. If you’re in an armchair hiking mood, now’s the time to buy your copy of THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story on sale at Amazon or at the Len Foote Hike Inn, among other places. (Photo by Jim Hall, all rights reserved).

The Old Dunhams Get Resurrected

Joe Harold, the manager of the Appalachian Trail Museum, sent me this photo taken near the entry of the museum showing a “spinner” book display with my books in it. What amused me is that on top of the display are the four-decade-old Dunham boots I wore on my 1973 thru-hike. As I told my family, this is enough to delight an old codger. If you live in the area, visit the museum and buy a book!
I spent yesterday manning a table at the Thru-hiker Kickoff weekend at the Lodge at Amicalola Falls State Park. The AT Approach Trail trailhead is there, and for many aspiring thru-hikers, it is their first memory of the AT. My table was at an expo crowded with AT lovers of all ages, including the famous Gene Espy who I first met many years ago. He and I traded signed copies of our books. I also spent time talking to the guy who wrote AWOL on the Appalachian Trail and the big tall guy who wrote the book, Skywalker. Kindred spirits galore. I sold and signed a number of copies of THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story and generally had fun promoting the heck out of the Len Foote Hike Inn. Great fun! As my character, Brave Phillie, said: “I love this Springer Mountain. It’s the startin’ line for dreams.” Indeed it is. There are many who dream and do nothing more, but each year, a large group of hopefuls decide to hit the Approach Trail and actually pursue the dream. Now is the time to say Godspeed to them. Stay vertical, you all, and keep walkin’!

Kids in the Woods — Where they belong!

Kids in the Woods -- Where they belong!

These Boy Scouts from a troop near Atlanta were brought to the Len Foote Hike Inn a while back by the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club. Before the hike began, they all leaned against the rail atop Amicalola Falls, highest falls east of the Mississippi, and took in scenery that inner-city middle schoolers rarely see, if ever. Working with GATC, the Hike Inn is developing a program called The Outside School. The plan is to introduce wilderness hiking to kids who would not normally have the opportunity to have an eye-opening recreational experience. You have not hiked until you have been out with a group like this. Laughter is the main activity for sure. If you have not been to the Hike Inn, check us out at http://www.hike-inn.com. One thing that makes the outdoors better is to add kids. We plan to do a lot of that in the coming years.

Looks like a Pixie and Sings Like an Angel

You really need to visit the Len Foote Hike Inn when Jackie Elsner provides after-dinner entertainment. Jackie is a librarian by day, but when she visits the Hike Inn she is a mesmerizing story teller and a cappella balladeer. I love hearing her stories passed down through generations of Appalachian clans, but even more wonderful are her songs. Her latest project is an album of ballads she performed for the Byron Herbert Reece Center. Reece, a North Georgia farmer and poet, was an icon of the mountain lore in our region. Jackie has set his verse to haunting melodies of old ballads that date back centuries. After her clear, sweet voice echoes through the Hike Inn dining hall, she often stands quietly with glistening eyes while her audience sits transfixed for a few moments before bursting into a salvo of enthusiastic applause. She brings a sad, pure remembrance of things that matter to those of us who adore the pinnacles of our state’s wilderness. Learn about the Hike Inn at http://www.hike-inn.com. You can buy Jackie’s album from us next time you visit the Hike Inn or order from Amazon or I-tunes. Jackie, we love you!

The A.T. Museum, where trail lore lives

If you ever happen to be traveling near Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania, you owe it to yourself to take a break and visit the Appalachian Trail Museum. It is just off the A.T. and pretty darned close to the half-way point of the trail. The museum has displays, artifacts, and precious relics of the trail as it edges toward its first century of growth. When THRU comes out soon, all proceeds will benefit this little trail cathedral which preserves the memories of people such as Grandma Gatewood, Benton MacKaye, Ed Garvey, Earl Shaffer, Gene Espy and many others. I’m proud to be associated with this project, and I hope you will buy the book and take part as well. Stay vertical, keep walking and put the A.T. Museum in your plans.