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A review by papidoc
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the author's experiences - unvarnished and detailed - hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT). I found myself wondering about the possibility of doing it myself one day, but work, family, and church duties preclude that, so I will need to content myself with others' experiences. Miller's descriptions of the trail, of the blisters, sprains, and other incidental injuries that afflicted him (and others) his notes about other hikers, and his thoughts and feelings as he hiked all combine to bring to life the AT experience.
It seems that, in the decade since he wrote AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, Miller has become something of an expert on preparing for and hiking the trail. Yet, as his experiences show, it isn't necessarily equipment, but attitude, that makes the difference. He continues to use essentially similar equipment as what he used then.
Favorite quotes:
1. "I am glad that I write. Experience is enriched by reliving it, contemplating it, and trying to describe it to another person."
2. "Thoughts are the most effective weapon in the human arsenal. On the upside, it is powerful to realize that goals are reached primarily by establishing the proper state of mind. But if allowed the perspective that ogoad deacons are propped upon nothing but a notion, we falter."
3. "Anything that we consider to be an accomplishment takes effort to achieve. If it were easy, it would not be nearly as gratifying. What is hardship at the moment will add to our sense of achievement in the end."
4. "I am complacent about the struggles of the day. I am just making miles through the long, wet green tunnel. I knew there would be monotonous stretches. Hike on -- that's the solution to which I keep coming back." Not a bad thing to remember for those days when work...and living...seem to be drudgery...
5. "Difficulty on the trail, like this long and rainy day, is usually reflected upon fondly. There is the soothing, rhythmic beat of rainfall, the feeling that the woods are being washed and rejuvenated, the odors of the woods awakened by moisture. There is appreciation for the most simple of things, such as a flat and dry piece of ground and something warm to eat. There is satisfaction in having endured hardship, pride in being able to do for myself in the wilderness. There is strength in knowing
I can do it again tomorrow."
6. "I have come to recognize that most of what is memorable and pleasing about my time on the trail is ordinary moments...My fond recollections of my hike are full of unremarkable moments..."
7. "Months of scrutinizing everything that I carry have conditioned me to view possessions as burdens." Reminds me of Thoreau in Walden: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberatel, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life..."
8. "We can better relate to the budding aspirations of our children if we follow dreams of our own."
It's time to start walking and hiking again...as soon as the temps in TX drop below 100!
It seems that, in the decade since he wrote AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, Miller has become something of an expert on preparing for and hiking the trail. Yet, as his experiences show, it isn't necessarily equipment, but attitude, that makes the difference. He continues to use essentially similar equipment as what he used then.
Favorite quotes:
1. "I am glad that I write. Experience is enriched by reliving it, contemplating it, and trying to describe it to another person."
2. "Thoughts are the most effective weapon in the human arsenal. On the upside, it is powerful to realize that goals are reached primarily by establishing the proper state of mind. But if allowed the perspective that ogoad deacons are propped upon nothing but a notion, we falter."
3. "Anything that we consider to be an accomplishment takes effort to achieve. If it were easy, it would not be nearly as gratifying. What is hardship at the moment will add to our sense of achievement in the end."
4. "I am complacent about the struggles of the day. I am just making miles through the long, wet green tunnel. I knew there would be monotonous stretches. Hike on -- that's the solution to which I keep coming back." Not a bad thing to remember for those days when work...and living...seem to be drudgery...
5. "Difficulty on the trail, like this long and rainy day, is usually reflected upon fondly. There is the soothing, rhythmic beat of rainfall, the feeling that the woods are being washed and rejuvenated, the odors of the woods awakened by moisture. There is appreciation for the most simple of things, such as a flat and dry piece of ground and something warm to eat. There is satisfaction in having endured hardship, pride in being able to do for myself in the wilderness. There is strength in knowing
I can do it again tomorrow."
6. "I have come to recognize that most of what is memorable and pleasing about my time on the trail is ordinary moments...My fond recollections of my hike are full of unremarkable moments..."
7. "Months of scrutinizing everything that I carry have conditioned me to view possessions as burdens." Reminds me of Thoreau in Walden: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberatel, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life..."
8. "We can better relate to the budding aspirations of our children if we follow dreams of our own."
It's time to start walking and hiking again...as soon as the temps in TX drop below 100!