Memoirs of Southbound Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikes
Photo by Midjourney copyright N. B. Hankes
November 17th, 2023 — Southbound thru-hikers are the black sheep of the thru-hiker community because they're rare and can be quite strange. And that's saying a lot. Thru-hikers are already a bizarre breed of human.
There are not many memoirs from southbound thru-hikers, so the list is short. But these memoirs from southbound thru-hikers will help you begin to understand what it takes to hike the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia.
Southbound Thru-Hiker Memoirs
Waking Up On the Appalachian Trail: A Story of War, Brotherhood, and the Pursuit of Truth by N. B. Hankes
Had his mission overseas been honorable?
Nate Hankes returned home from his tour in Iraq unable to answer even this most basic question.
Determined to find clarity and forge a new identity outside of the U.S. Army, Nate, alongside his brother Ben, a recent college grad delaying his entry into the Great Recession job market, set out to hike the entire length of the 2,180 mile Appalachian Trail—southbound from Maine to Georgia.
Unpredictable weather, brutal terrain, straining health, and a fractured mind stretched beyond comfort by a wise but imperfect hiking companion, turn this walk in the woods into an adventure of body, mind, and spirit. And in a world gone mad, this coming-of-age story reminds us that true clarity and peace can only be found within.
Here’s What Readers Had to Say
“If you want to know what it takes to hike the Appalachian Trail southbound or have an interest in the veteran experience, then you must add this book to your list.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This book was witty, insightful, adventurous, and informative...everything I want in a work of nonfiction!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“If you read one book this year this should be the one. Very well written.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Barefoot Sisters Southbound (Adventures on the Appalachian Trail) by Lucy and Susan Letcher
Here is another memoir about siblings hiking southbound on the Appalachian Trail. And these sisters walked barefoot.
At the ages of twenty-five and twenty-one, Lucy and Susan Letcher set out to accomplish what thousands of people attempt each year: thru-hike the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The difference between them and the others? They decided to hike the trail barefoot. Quickly earning themselves the moniker of the Barefoot Sisters, the two begin their journey at Mount Katahdin and spend eight months making their way to Springer Mountain in Georgia. As they hike, they write about their adventures through the 100-mile Wilderness, the rocky terrain of Pennsylvania, and snowfall in the Great Smoky Mountains--a story filled with humor and determination. It's as close as one can get to hiking the Appalachian Trail without strapping on a pack.
Here’s What Readers Had to Say
“Once I started reading, I was hooked and did not want to stop!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“…a page-turner that kept me a few times awake until two o'clock in the morning, for heaven sake.”
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A doom prophet wanders through the woods announcing the end of the world. A 300-pound hiker drops half his body weight because all he can afford is oatmeal. A dysentery-infected Mormon tries to steal a dog from a private detective. A stoic woodsman smacks a bear across the snout with a flaming brand. Two hikers wander into a hyper religious commune in upstate New York and find out where all the soap in the world is made.
A Road More or Less Traveled is the strange but true tale of two men who set out to hike the Appalachian Trail, America's most heralded footpath, extending over two thousand miles from Maine to Georgia. Along the way, they find uncouth beauty, collide head-on with America's churning technocracy, and battle through a faith in the ruins.
Road is a story filled with adventure, absurdity, laugh-out-loud humor and gnarly soul searching. You should read it.
Here’s What Readers Had to Say
“It is one of those books you never want to end.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Otis and Roberts know how to tell a story, and they took me right out there with them on their adventure.“
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And that’s it! Like I said, it is a short list.
If you know of more, please use my contact form to let me know.