How the Wild Effect Turned Me Into a Hiker at 69: An Appalachian Trail Adventure, Paperback

Contributor(s):

• Author: Jane Congdon

Did you ever want to shake up your life a little? Jane Congdon did, but it wasn't the wildlife, fresh air, scenery, or the promise of a simple life that drew retired the editor into the woods. It was the Wild EffectRecord numbers of women were taking to the trails after reading Cheryl Strayed's best-selling memoir. Many, like "scared of everything that moves" Jane, had little or no prior hiking experience, yet she spent 17 weeks on the Appalachian Trail hiking with partners, alone, and with a glass good-luck charm named Ms. Rabbit, logging nearly 1,200 miles in 7 of the 14 AT states. This is her fascinating and humorous account of her journey--from bears, ticks, wild pigs, volatile weather, primitive conditions and the personalities she met along the way--of a long-distance hike, and how it changed her perceptions of both Mother Nature and human nature.