A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail is a 1998 book by Bill Bryson, describing his attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz. The book is written in a humorous style, interspersed with more serious discussions of matters relating to the trail’s history, and the surrounding sociology, ecology, trees, plants, animals and people.
With a picture of a bear on the cover and detailed information about bears, bears on the trail, and bear attacks, I was almost disappointed that Bryson never actually encountered a bear. He was 6 weeks into his trip before he had a possible bear sighting. Alas, it was nighttime and there was no confirmation that what was making noise outside his tent was indeed a bear.
After some time on the trail, Bryson and Katz walked into Walasi-Yi Inn in Georgia.
I was beginning to appreciate that the central feature of life on the AT is deprivation, that the whole point of the experience is to remove yourself so thoroughly from the conveniences of everyday life that the most ordinary things… fill you with wonder and gratitude.”
I get this.
When Katz left the trip, Bryson became a day hiker, starting hikes daily from his home by himself. This seemed like a very casual approach to hiking the AT. The trail constantly crossed highways which were hotel and restaurant adjacent. He always had money to eat or stay wherever he wanted.
Bryson had an experience with hypothermia which I could relate to (me having experienced it once on the back of a motorcycle in the rain traveling from Solvang to Riverside at age 16). Bryson describes the confusion that comes with hypothermia
Presumably, a confused person would be too addled to recognize that he was confused. Ergo, if you know that you are not confused then you are not confused. Unless persuading yourself that you are not confused is merely a cruel, early symptom of confusion. That’s the trouble with losing your mind; by the time it’s gone, it’s too late to get it back.”
Since I had recently read Wild by Cheryl Strayed, it was hard not to compare the two stories. Bryson’s Appalachian Trail hike as truly a walk in the woods in comparison to Strayed’s Pacific Crest Trail ordeal. Good to compare and contrast: east vs west coast, male vs female, money vs poor. Both good adventures.
