Appalachian Trail | Books and my backpack

A changed man.
That was David Miller after walking 2,172 miles on the Appalachian Trail.

For the rest of his life, he vowed to do the hard things. “I will have fewer ‘shoulda have dones’ even if it means some ‘wish I hadn’ts’ “ he wrote in AWOL on the Appalachian Trail.

He was 41 when he quit his job as a software engineer, left a wife and three young daughters at home (with his wife’s support), and walked for 146 days from Georgia to Maine. Going by AWOL, his trail name, Miller pushes himself too hard at the beginning, leading to painful blisters and exhaustion. Later, he becomes stronger and more able to walk longer days.

On arguably America’s most difficult thru-hike, he learns to be less isolated as he forms friendships with other trekkers, trail angels, and people who host him. He experiences the freedom that comes with being vulnerable.

The narration flows smoothly. He does not gloss over his physical and mental struggles and paints vivid pictures of the trail and his fellow walkers. This is an excellent book for anyone considering tackling the AT. Miller is also known for writing a trusted guide book about the trail.

New Hampshire’s White Mountains draw complaints from many Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, but attract legions of walkers seeking to enjoy the sights and challenges of day hikes. Known for its rugged, steep terrain, the area has been our home for six days as we climbed and descended five trails, leaving many more for next time.

The highest peak in the Northeast, Mount Washington offers more than 4,500 feet of ascent from its base and three ways to get to its 6,288-foot peak: on foot, on the cog railway, and by car. The climb was intimidating and the price tag of the train was too high, so Sue and I opted to drive our truck for $53—a fourth the cost of the train. It was a perfect day for 100-mile views after we squeezed by descending vehicles on the harrowingly narrow, cliffside road.

Later, at Mount Washington’s eastern foot, we popped into the Pinkham Notch Visitor’s Center, the starting point for the Tuckerman Ravine trail to the top of Mount Washington. From a network of paths, we took the Liebskind’s Loop, which overlaps part of the Appalachian Trail and lifted us high enough for a spectacular view from Brad’s Bluff, still well below Mount Washington’s peak. Mount Washington also holds the record for the highest wind speed ever recorded: 231 miles per hour, in 1934.

Northern New Hampshire and the Whites offer a host of trails, including paths to many of the peaks in the area. The difficult terrain kept us from trying the longer and more challenging routes. We chatted with an AT thru hiker who had diverted from the AT to the Mount Washington peak.

“How are the Whites treating you?” I asked him.

He rolled his eyes. ”When I look behind me, I can’t believe what I climbed. This (Mount Washington) was actually easier than most of the others.”