Walk, Hike, Saunter: Seasoned Women Share Tales and Trails

by Susan Alcorn

In Walk, Hike, Saunter , long-distance hiker Susan Alcorn introduces you to 32 experienced outdoors women who consider hiking to be an essential part of their lives. Their stories are told with honesty, insight and humor. They share their wisdom and proven tips to inspire women and men of all ages.

Some, but not all, were introduced to the outdoors as children. A few hated those early camping trips, others reveled in them. Several found their passion for adventurous travel later in life and went on to hike thousands of wilderness miles.

The common theme of Walk, Hike, Saunter is that there are many paths to incorporating hiking into your life. Whether hiking is one of many things that you enjoy doing, or whether you find hiking such an passion that you don't mind living out of your car in order to pursue it--you can reap the rewards of exploring the world on foot.

The women, all 45 and older and in the prime of their lives, are all superstars--shining examples of the richness that hiking can bring to our lives. There's no doubt about it--walking and hiking are excellent ways to improve or maintain physical and mental health; in general they increase longevity. They are great ways to enjoy the camaraderie of the trail, or to go solo and foster greater independence. We are lucky to live in these times with an unprecedented number of women on our trails. We are living in an age where we have golden opportunities to explore trails throughout the world.

Simply begin with walking because as we immerse ourselves in nature, enjoy new vistas, and explore interesting cultures our lives will be enriched.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

327 pages, Paperback

Published October 25, 2020

About the author

I'm a hiker, backpacker, traveler, author, and publisher. After I started backpacking at age 48, I decided to find out about other women "of a certain age" who backpacked. That led to "We're in the Mountains Not over the Hill: Tales and Tips from Seasoned Women Backpackers," which supports women exploring the rewards and challenges of the wilderness.

After hiking across Spain on the Camino de Santiago (2001), I decided to learn more about the ancient trail and then wrote "Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago."

The long-distance hikes have continued--in Patagonia, in the U.S., and on additional pilgrimage routes in France, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland. I like seeing a country on foot--the slow pace of travel allows me to more fully immerse myself in the culture and to gather information for my books. It's also a much less expensive way to travel!

My husband and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area where we can enjoy the abundant hiking trails, great music, amazing restaurants, and good weather--as well as our friends and family.

I like going on book tours because I get to go to interesting places and share my passion for travel and long-distance hiking. I love doing presentations -- especially when there's time to meet people who share my interests!

Reviews

[Jane Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so grateful to Susan Alcorn for writing Walk, Hike, Saunter: Seasoned Women Hikers Share Tales and Trail, not only for including my story but also for what I have learned so much from reading it.

The women who tell their stories are adventurous and capable and prove that age does not prevent one from going on adventures or developing the skill set needed to enjoy such outings.

The women in these books prove that, as we age, women can still enjoy the art of perambulation. Some of the stories are about women who started hiking while younger and have now made changes to accommodate aging. Others started later in life. All encourage readers to get out into nature, and walk, hike, or saunter.

The book includes links to books and information on hiking. If you enjoy reading about adventurous women or are thinking about starting a new sport, this compilation of stories by seasoned women hikers is sure to please.

[Jo Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister, Laurie Ferris, is one of the women featured in this book, so of course I rate it 5 stars!

[Barney Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Walk, Hike, Saunter, author Susan Alcorn has gathered a month's worth of tales from around a campfire into a single book. Alcorn's construct was to bring together 32 women over age 45 and turn them loose, giving them free rein. These women have thousands of backpacking miles, not collectively, but each one. It felt as if one by one, these 32 were leaning into the light at the edge of a campfire regaling you with their hiking life. I welcomed the opportunity to sit at Alcorn's campfire and listen in page by page.

[Jodim Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you don’t have a hiking bucket list yet, you will when you finish Walk, Hike, Saunter. So many hiking memoirs focus only on wilderness trail thru hikes, but the women in this collection of interviews have many different hiking styles and preferences. Some only day hike, some prefer historical or cultural trails such as the Camino de Santiago, some crave the wild be it mountain, desert or forest.

[Dami Roelse]

Susan Alcorn has created a wonderful compilation of older women's hiking lives. Done in alphabetical order it's easy to find a particular person the reader might be looking for. Each chapter is based on interviews with the hiker (I'm one of these hikers!). If you are interested in learning more about the lives and places long-distance hiker-women have traveled, this is the book for you!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of the stories of older women hikers. Sometimes inspiring and sometimes a bit too repetitive.