AT Thru Hike Book

“One thing I learned about myself on my thru hike of the SHT is how dependant I am on something to read. In consideration of that reality I'd like your suggestions on a good book to accompany me on the AT. I'm thinking something like a botany book dealing with plant life specific to the areas I'll be travelling through. It doesn't have to be overly scientific, but should help me identify plants that I'm likely to stumble across...nothing worse than trying to smoke something that's not good for you. Don't restrict yourself to botany, any book that can be re-read along the way will be fine. Thanks.”

“HOI might be able to suggest a good botany book. Another suggestion might be to bounce a few literary magazines (of a type you enjoy) in your bounce box, if you're going to have one.”

“Good idea. So far the only thing I thought to put in my bounce box is some flubber.”

“If you're into Science Fiction, I have a blue gajillion back editions of Analog and Asimov's.”

“I never have been into Sci-Fi, but if the AT is about change and growth maybe it's about time to release the Inner Nerd. Good idea.”

“Science Fiction is a little different from when you were a kid. There's sex in it now.”

“I recommend War and Peace.”

“The Bible.”

“bbw - Cliff notes?”

“No, get the hard bound version. It only weighs about 8 pounds.”

“One of those pocket size New Testament bibles is a good choice. It is only a few ounces.”

“I read War and Peace in high school. English teacher bet me I couldn't do it.”

“If I read either War & Peace or the Bible I don't know which would occur first, the lightning strike or blowing my own head off.”

“for the first quarter of your journery, from springer to damascus, i highly suggest "cold mountain". youll be walking in the very hills where the story takes place, and if you think youre suffering on an epic journey when you run out of jerky a day early, wait til you read what young inman had to endure.”

“Two men were passing out pocket-size New Testaments above the Fontana Dam at GSMNP last year. They were there at least twice, each time for a week. They had an RV and were passing out freshly cooked meals free to hikers each day. They had breakfast and dinner. I'm not sure if they served lunch or not.

I've enjoyed three books on the trail this year:

• Dynamic Aikido
  
• Small-circle Jujitsu
  
• Combate Jujitsu

last edited: 12/20/04 5:41:14 PM”

“Hey Crash Bang...not a bad idea !”

“On my first thruhike I thought "Oh, this is a good time to read some of the classics I never read in school." Didn't happen. I found the people around me more interesting than the books and usually preferred to talk to them. In the beginning I would be so tired at the end of the day that after writing my journal, I usually went right to bed. After a while when the days were quite long and I had more energy (and more nights alone) so I would read, but I found I didn't want to concentrate on anything heavy. I wanted something that was a complete break from the trail - so sci fi was good, and suspense novels and westerns. I read "The Way West" and "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains" which both were somewhat reflective of the life I was living on the trail, but I also read the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (again) and Grisham and Heinlein - plus whatever I managed to pick up in shelters and hostels along the way. A book would usually last me a week or so. There weren't a lot of books available in towns near the trail except in a few places - so it can be good to go to a used bookstore and pick up some light reading if you're a reader ahead of time, with the understanding that your book will probably be left in a hostel somewhere for another hiker. Some hikers never picked up a book; I knew some that would read a book a day, stopping for long breaks during the day and reading all evening and into the night. One guy who started in February talked about the long nights and said he had never read as much as he did the first two months on the trail. What else can you do when it gets dark at 5:30?”

“Ginny - my point exactly (about what do you do after 5:30). Sounds like the problem will solve itself with the Hostels. Thanks for your help.”

“for a wildflower guide I would recommend Newcomb's Wildflower Guide but I don't think I would pack it with me if I were to do the trail - stick it in your bounce box and while on the trail sketch the flowers that you are interested in identifying - you may want to do some of this ahead of time so that you can captured the features that Newcomb uses to identify the plants (leaf shape, branching pattern, flower shape, hair distribution, for composites take a close look at the involucre bracts and capture that also.”