"Walk In the Woods"

[Tin Man]

And thanks for the welcome - most civilized and appreciated.

most here are welcoming and civilized. the hiker 'community' or whatever is usually a friendly bunch, spirited debates and all.

[Tin Man]

most here are welcoming and civilized. the hiker 'community' or whatever is usually a friendly bunch, spirited debates and all.

even most of the cyber hikers.

[Toolshed]

And thanks for the welcome - most civilized and appreciated.

Welcome aboard Bellagio..... Some of us knew and liked Bryson's books even before he set foot on the AT. Others are bitter that he wrote about it (and made a fortune) without completing the AT and still others are displeased with the groundswell of people that started hiking the AT after his book seemed to open it up to to mainstream America.

[Surplusman]

I don't speak with any real knowledge of Bryson and Katz but I was on the trail in Maine when he hiked here and I checked the registration cards at Rainbow Springs in North Carolina where he stayed. No registration card for Katz. I also talked with people Bryson refered to in the book, Quite frankly I don't think Katz ever existed. No one remenmbers Katz and there is no record of him. I don't know it but I think Katz was Brysons imaginary alter ego. I think every stupid thing Bryson did like throwing away food he simply blamed on his imaginary friend Katz, I'll bet Bryson got lost in the 100 mile wilderness and quickly blamed Katz. Many people remember an inexperienced guy with a slight British acent but I have yet to meet anyone who remembers a klutz named Katz. Did anyone on Whiteblaze actually ever see Katz? I think I have read the book three times and loved it. Bryson was in many ways a jerk in the eyes of us serious hikers but he is a very talanted and extremely funny jerk.

Katz's real name is Matt Angerer.

[Cowgirl Heart]

Exactly! Just finished reading the first 90 pages today.

[weary]

Welcome aboard Bellagio..... Some of us knew and liked Bryson's books even before he set foot on the AT. Others are bitter that he wrote about it (and made a fortune) without completing the AT and still others are displeased with the groundswell of people that started hiking the AT after his book seemed to open it up to to mainstream America.

And a few of us recognized that Bryson is a skilled writer, who wrote a very popular and comical book about a failed hike on a trail he basically disliked. Our problem with the book is that it is mostly a fictional account about a trail the author disliked so much that he was never really able to experience the trail or the diverse hiking community that uses the trail.

I've spent decades hiking and working on the Appalachian Trail. The trail Bryson describes is not a trail I ever saw or experienced.

Weary

[Brushy Sage]

I agree with you, Weary. Another problem I have with the book is that it has fueled a false understanding of the AT, one that is widespread. It's rare when I mention the AT in public, that no one asks me if I have read A Walk in the Woods -- because they liked it so much.

[Lone Wolf]

And a few of us recognized that Bryson is a skilled writer, who wrote a very popular and comical book about a failed hike on a trail he basically disliked. Our problem with the book is that it is mostly a fictional account about a trail the author disliked so much that he was never really able to experience the trail or the diverse hiking community that uses the trail.

I've spent decades hiking and working on the Appalachian Trail. The trail Bryson describes is not a trail I ever saw or experienced.

Weary

a "failed" hike? it was his hike and what he wrote about was factual. you, weary, hiked the trail once, long before bryson. you have no say

[Panzer1]

I didn't think his hike was a "failed hike".

Panzer

[Tinker]

I didn't think his hike was a "failed hike".

Panzer

Agreed.
Most of us mouth the words "Hike your own hike" but don't really mean it. I think that Bryson intended to write a book about hiking the AT, attempted a thruhike, and decided it wasn't for him.
His book was a hoot. My sig. line comes from it - THAT part of the book was believable to me. I really believed Bryson enjoyed hiking. The camping and all of the (to him, apparantly) inferior people, plus the monotony (to a city bred man with a stomach that "resembled a ball-bag") of the long hike just wasn't for him.
And Jack, he probably is a "Candy Ass" .
You were his neighbor, so to speak.

[Sierra Echo]

I have been thinking about getting this book.
Is it worth the money?

[earlyriser26]

I loved the book. The start when the one hiker was throwing heavy "sh**" was very funny. We have all been there.

[Tin Man]

I have been thinking about getting this book.
Is it worth the money?

yes. very entertainin. if spending money is an issue, check it out at the library of find a used copy at amazon or elsewhere.

[allwen]

I have been reading all the anti-Bryson posts, and I am so disappointed that 'true thru hikers' are so condescending without thinking of all the aspects of this book.
Many years ago, about ten actually, I read this book around the same time as doing my first end to end on the Bibbulmun Track in Australia. It inspired me to research the AT and finally next year I get to make my own attempt.
I never for one moment thought Bryson was writing a history book, but it was a jolly good read, and certainly got my curiosity going. C'mon all you hikers, each to his own, live and let live!!!! Or are you all jealous that he made money from telling HIS story!

[BigFoot2002]

His descriptions of buying gear and of his first day on the trail I found especially funny. I went on to read a lot more of his books and enjoyed his humor in those too. Did you read his book on his Australian trip Allwen?

[jersey joe]

I didn't think his hike was a "failed hike".

Panzer

I don't think it was a failed hike either. But it was a failed thru hike. I was a bit disappointed when I got to the part where he skipped ahead on the trail, and even moreso when he day hiked with a car up north. Loved the book though.

[Sierra Echo]

yes. very entertainin. if spending money is an issue, check it out at the library of find a used copy at amazon or elsewhere.

Spending money isn't an issue. I would just hate to drop $15 on a book that sucks!

[Blue Jay]

C'mon all you hikers, each to his own, live and let live!!!! Or are you all jealous that he made money from telling HIS story!

My problem with Mr. Bryson is the fact that he made millions and never gave dime one to any organization that supports the Trail. In fact I've seen interviews where he gets very angry when asked about this subject. As Lone Wolf has pointed out, he is in no way required to do so, however I believe this says much about Mr. Bryson. I liked the book very much and I believe by bringing people from around the world to the Trail it has been a major benefit. IMO Mr Bryson himself is a slime ball.

[Rain Man]

The book is well worth the money. And can be got extremely cheap at sites such as www.alibris.com.

From the OP--

Anyway the way he describes this particular part of the trail as a two feet wide path, with a vertical cliff going up on one side and a drop off on the other. ... For anyone that read the book this happens right about the time they ran into the snow storm.

I section hiked through there in '04 or so. I had to take a major temporary uphill detour flagged through the woods south of Licklog Gap. I was told or read later that a big chunk of hillside had slid down the mountain, wiping out a place where the Konnarock crew had drilled into the rock to attach logs with rebar for a footpath along the "cliff face."

I never saw it, but imagined that could be where Bryson was describing just such a location. It seemed to be the right locale.

RainMan

.

[Lone Wolf]

My problem with Mr. Bryson is the fact that he made millions and never gave dime one to any organization that supports the Trail. IMO Mr Bryson himself is a slime ball.

how do you know that he never gave a dime to the ATC or other organizations? the fact is you don't know