Independent Reading Entry 16

Bryson, Bill
A Walk in the Woods

Since I began this book I've been thinking of attempting at least part of the Appalachian Trail at some point in my life. With the climate change occurring and other ecological problems eating away at a lot of the trees and natural beauty of the American wild, as Bryson described, it seems that the sooner the better. The statistics of people who actually complete the trail are astounding and, to me, pretty realistic. Had I not read this book and gone out to the AT i know I would have had a completely different perspective. This book has given me probably the most realistic view of the trail from personal experience of a completely realistic person. I know i am more in shape than Bryson is at his age and doing this but it is less about that than pure mental endurance. The many factors that occur on the trail are more than just being tired.

The level of appreciation that Bryson seems to have attained from his experience is very humbling and great. I have had experiences that have made me more appreciative of the life i live but on the trail the level of appreciation at even the smallest things, like a hamburger after a week of eating only noodles, is far greater than i have had to experience. His description's of the small things that you get after the extreme deprivation of being on the trail make me want to go for months on the trail because of the value of the luxuries in life afterward.