Long Distance Hiking on the Appalachian Trail: For the Older Adventurer

by David Ryan

If you have ever thought about a personal adventure but do not know where to start, "Long Distance Hiking on the Appalachian Trail for the Older Adventurer" was written for you. The book is a result of what the author (David Ryan) learned when he stepped out to embark on a personal adventure of hiking the entire 2160-mile Appalachian Trail. The book is not a detailed guide to backpacking nor a detailed description of the trail, but rather an introduction to long distance hiking. The book discusses what is necessary to successfully complete a long distance hike and what to expect. The book shows that an ordinary person with enough preparation, persistence and stamina is capable of having an adventure of a lifetime. Bob Julyan, author of "New Mexico’s Continental Divide Trail", has this to say about the "Both practical and inspirational, this highly readable book is more than an introduction to the Appalachian Trail but also is an invitation to "ordinary" hikers to step into the realm of the extraordinary. As David Ryan reminds us, It's closer than we think." Edward J. Walsh had this to say about the book in the July/August 2002 issue of "Trail Walker": "Despite the title, this book is not just for older AT hikers. In fact, I found very little advice that applies solely to older hikers. Instead, the book is a well-written introduction to long-distance hiking for someone who is contemplating a long hike but has little or no experience."

88 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Meredith]

I found this book to be a concise resource for preparing for the Appalachian Trail. I would like to own this little book as I begin to prepare to hike the Appalachian Trail as an older woman.

[John Lomnicki,]

I was on the AT website planning my hike and this book title made sense, because I am an old guy. There is a bit of insight and confirmation contained here that some people will never get, but it is laid out plain as day. There is a generational difference in values when one takes on a task like this and it makes sense when you are on the hike to respect the value systems of others. The author is gentle, but yet very direct with this message. He does go into the nuts and bolts too, but the message that I received was loud and clear.

[Lucas]

Very quick read that highlights many of the considerations to be made before and during the hike. Broken into 4 chapters:
1) Deciding to hike
2) Before the hike
3) On the hike
4) The hike itself