Bill Walker (2)

Loved It!
First of all, this book was not what I expected. I thought it might be a struggle to get through (I don't know why), but I got right into it and it was a great read from page 1! It is part adventure, part history, part memoir. It made me wish that I could take the time off to go and experience the Camino - maybe someday. I thought Bill Walker's descriptions of all the pilgrims he met were very interesting - there are all kinds of people out there making this journey! Gavin, his show more teenage nephew and fellow pilgrim, was extremely cool and I thought it was lucky that they could make this journey together. Now I have to go read his other books! show less

An honest account of an Appalachian Trail thru-hike by novice hiker Bill Walker. I found his account of his adventure to be a good mix of information, humor, and self-reflection.

After having read Skywalker: Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail and Skywalker: Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail, I had pretty high expectations from this book. Although Getting High didn't quite live up to those expectations, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author's experiences on The Circuit - and would recommend it as follow up reading to both Skywalker books.

In 2005 gregarious, elongated (6 foot 11 inches) Bill Walker attempts to thru-hike the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, backpacking all necessary gear for a 6-month journey. His encounters along the way with a host of idiosyncratic individuals, including a black bear, make an energizing, entertaining modern odyssey.