Quick Thoughts On ‘A Walk In The Woods’

Two old, out of shape dudes attempt to walk 2,100+ miles and fail miserably

Upon the recommendation of my dad, I gave Bill Bryson’s A Walk In The Woods (1998) a read over the last few weeks.

It is the hilarious tale of two middle-aged friends from school, Bill Bryson and Stephen Katz, on very different paths in life reuniting to hike the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail. Bryson also sprinkles in an all-too honest look at both the history of the trail and the environmental impact over the years.

I thought they might have a shot at completing the trail, if only because he wrote an entire book about it. But after we meet Stephen Katz and he takes his first steps off the airplane, you know they have no chance.

It is amazing they made it as far as they did.

Description from Amazon:

The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).

5 Quick Thoughts on A Walk In The Woods

1. I loved the dynamic between Bryson and Katz. This odd couple could not be more different. Bryson, respected author. Katz, well, not exactly respected in anything. Katz took a few wrong turns in life but their relationship was the backbone of the book. Several legit, laugh out loud moments. Their interactions with each other and chance encounters with hikers, townspeople, wildlife and diner waitresses make the book.
2. I lost 40% interest once they rented a car and skipped large chunks of the trail. I get it. I can’t fathom hiking 2,100 miles for months on end. But I also didn’t write a book about it. I completely understand the logic of not making yourself miserable if you aren’t having fun. I understand completely that 2,100 miles can’t all be pretty. Might as well skip ahead to better weather and prettier landscape. Plus hiking 870 miles is no small feat. But it isn’t even half way. And he wrote a book about it? And they made a movie? I was pretty bummed at this turn of events.
3. That being said, Katz had a great point at the end of the book when they gave up, again, in Maine. They were in the middle of the 100-mile wilderness. The last stretch before the end of the trail. After stopping the first time around, they met a few months later and planned to hike all of Maine to “finish the hike” [despite skipping the middle 1,500 or so miles]. But after getting lost and a brush with death, they decided they weren’t mountain men, after-all and headed home. After some discussion about being disappointed by not finishing, Bryson recalled Katz saying, “‘Anyway, we did it. Hiked Maine, I mean.’ I looked at him. ‘Stephen, we didn’t even see Mount Katahdin.’ He dismissed this as a petty quibble. ‘Another mountain. How many of those do you need to see?’” Good point.
4. I feel guilty about this part, but I didn’t love all the depressing history about how our society and government destroyed nature, etc. Again, I feel guilty about writing this. And it isn’t as if I don’t care. Buuut, when you think you’re getting a fun adventure read, you don’t exactly want to feel like the world is going to hell in a hand-basket. Even if it is.
5. I loved Bryson’s conflicted feelings about leaving the trail and ending the trip. A lot happened out on the trail and his closing thoughts were quite poignant. “I had come to realize that I didn’t have any feelings toward the AT that weren’t confused or contradictory. I was weary of the trail but still strangely in its thrall; found the endless slog tedious but irresistible; grew tired of the boundless woods but admired their boundlessness; enjoyed the escape from civilization and ached for its comforts. I wanted to quit and do this forever, sleep in a bed and in a tent, see what was over the next hill and never see a hill again. All of this all at once, every moment on the trail or off.”

I enjoyed the book. It was a fun read and makes me never want to hike the Appalachian Trail.

If you prefer the 1:44 version of this story, the movie is available on Amazon Prime starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte.