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Sheltered: An Appalachian Trail Story
Sheltered is a thrilling true life account of the Appalachian Trail. The two thousand mile trail spans from Springer, Georgia through fourteen states and ends on the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. A couple thousand people go out each year in hopes of completing the entire trail in one go, but few do. This story is filled with hiker lingo and weaves with the ins and outs of hiker culture. The stinky, bearded hikers, who hunger for burgers and thirst for beer, are the everyday comrades on the trail. In towns, hikers flock to the grocery stores where they are greeted with shocked townsfolk, who watch these mountain men with caution. At restaurants the waiters stare and their jaws drop to the floor as hikers gulp down burgers with a side of Mountain Dew. At first many of the hikers have no idea what they have stepped out to achieve. The total elevation gain on the Appalachian Trail is equal to hiking Mount Everest sixteen times. Starting out in the spring means waking up to snow. By the time hikers get to Virginia, winter is gone for good, and hikers have their trail legs. By Pennsylvania, hikers are zapped of energy from the heat and low water. They are attacked by mosquitoes in New Jersey. They get lost in the cliffs of New York. Vermont is beautiful, but is no rival against the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where hikers get to walk above treeline and experience heaven on clear days. At the border of Maine, it is so close and yet so far. Maine, wildest of all, is also the most brutal, and beautiful of all. Some hike it in sections and others in Thru-hikes. It's been said, "For a section hiker it’s a lifetime of hikes. For a thru-hiker it's a hike of a lifetime."
- GenresTravel
296 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 2012
117 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 6, 2018
Stick to hiking
This reads like the unedited journal of a poorly educated flake. I hate to be so harsh because I truly admire the accomplishment, but if you’re going to publish at least edit for grammar (“croo”, “lied down”????)
I kept waiting for the moment this girl realized she needed to stop chasing people who had no interest in befriending her. She came close when she finally ditched peach but then desperately followed every other person on the trail for the remaining 1500 miles. Usually one reads these kinds of books for trail info or for the personal journey one takes. It honestly didn’t feel like this girl even SAW the trail, all she did was whine, and it didn’t seem like she had changed very much by the end. I’d hate to think this selfish attitude and clingy ness is typical of many hikers.
Second star simply because she finished.
This reads like the unedited journal of a poorly educated flake. I hate to be so harsh because I truly admire the accomplishment, but if you’re going to publish at least edit for grammar (“croo”, “lied down”????)
I kept waiting for the moment this girl realized she needed to stop chasing people who had no interest in befriending her. She came close when she finally ditched peach but then desperately followed every other person on the trail for the remaining 1500 miles. Usually one reads these kinds of books for trail info or for the personal journey one takes. It honestly didn’t feel like this girl even SAW the trail, all she did was whine, and it didn’t seem like she had changed very much by the end. I’d hate to think this selfish attitude and clingy ness is typical of many hikers.
Second star simply because she finished.
November 25, 2017
A good memoir of a NOBO thruhike on the AT. I have read many and enjoyed this unique young perspective. The book could use a good edit for grammar but still worthwhile.
July 18, 2019
Pretty good as far as trail stories are concerned. Amish was very selfish and judgemental. Also very vindictive. (I'm thinking of the time she got to the shelter right before it rained and she was glad the other hikers were getting soaked. For claiming to be Christian, she really gives Christians a bad name.)
Anyone who is thinking of self publishing should read this book so you would know why having a good proofreader is so important. The grammatical errors and misspellings really drove me nuts.
Anyone who is thinking of self publishing should read this book so you would know why having a good proofreader is so important. The grammatical errors and misspellings really drove me nuts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2021
juvenile
juvenile in writing and view points. do not listen to any advice the author gives, such as not using water filtration at all while hiking. her lack of knowledge on hiking is apparent from the beginning when she claims to have done all the research but didn’t know what bear bagging was. the author is grossly judgmental of others throughout the book, claiming someone hiking the LT is not a “thru hiker,” because they aren’t hiking the AT. grow up. so many better memoirs about the AT. just avoid this book at all costs.
juvenile in writing and view points. do not listen to any advice the author gives, such as not using water filtration at all while hiking. her lack of knowledge on hiking is apparent from the beginning when she claims to have done all the research but didn’t know what bear bagging was. the author is grossly judgmental of others throughout the book, claiming someone hiking the LT is not a “thru hiker,” because they aren’t hiking the AT. grow up. so many better memoirs about the AT. just avoid this book at all costs.
January 11, 2018
In the beginning I could tell this was a young adult writing the book. Just by the way things were worded at times. I know I shouldn’t compare other AT authors but this one just didn’t go into as much detail as the other books I’ve read. Which makes for quick, choppy reading and several topics that I felt were left unanswered. Once I got to the halfway point in the book I could tell she was maturing as I felt the writing was changing a bit, for the better. Still, 3 stars from me.
January 27, 2018
A good read
I enjoyed reading about Emily's evolution through the book. It is almost impossible to write anything original about the AT AT this point due to the number of books already out there, but writing about the experience can still be pretty interesting. I didn't agree with all of her choices, but i don't think you're supposed to if you embrace hike your own hike principles. Good story telling regardless!
I enjoyed reading about Emily's evolution through the book. It is almost impossible to write anything original about the AT AT this point due to the number of books already out there, but writing about the experience can still be pretty interesting. I didn't agree with all of her choices, but i don't think you're supposed to if you embrace hike your own hike principles. Good story telling regardless!
August 17, 2018
An interesting story
I enjoyed Emily's story. I gave it three stars only because she is in dire need of an editor. The use of commas in all the wrong places was maddening! These things can easily be corrected. Otherwise, I found this to be an interesting read. I admire her gumption. She was young and naive, which adds humor to her story. Sheltered is a great choice for the title. She met some real characters along the way, stayed true to herself, and persisted until the end.
I enjoyed Emily's story. I gave it three stars only because she is in dire need of an editor. The use of commas in all the wrong places was maddening! These things can easily be corrected. Otherwise, I found this to be an interesting read. I admire her gumption. She was young and naive, which adds humor to her story. Sheltered is a great choice for the title. She met some real characters along the way, stayed true to herself, and persisted until the end.
April 19, 2019
It was a good tale of a thru hike on the AT. It is a different than normal tale, in my opinion, because of the amounts of homes she stayed in along the way. The grammar was bad, but that's not her fault, but the editor. I still can't believe that she allowed herself to be treated like that by "friends." You can tell she was very immature at the time of the hike and writing the book. But it was a formative experience for her humanity. Glad to have this book finished and on to the next one.
May 9, 2021
Good story!
Congratulations Emily. You did it. Did you ever hike the 25-30 miles of trail you missed? I think you are a little to trusting of some of the people you met, or a very good judge of character because everything seemed to work out for you. When you were out of food, someone provided. When you needed a helping hand, help was there. A ride needed, here comes a car slowing down. You have a very good guardian angel.
Congratulations Emily. You did it. Did you ever hike the 25-30 miles of trail you missed? I think you are a little to trusting of some of the people you met, or a very good judge of character because everything seemed to work out for you. When you were out of food, someone provided. When you needed a helping hand, help was there. A ride needed, here comes a car slowing down. You have a very good guardian angel.
May 30, 2018
Good read
Read quite a few of these sort of books and this is one of the best. A very honest account of the hike, highlighting that all is not rosy during the journey. Unfortunately not all hikers are nice, quite a few AH,s on the route. Amish gives a good account of how she dealt with the negativity of some hikers. Highly recommended this book.
Read quite a few of these sort of books and this is one of the best. A very honest account of the hike, highlighting that all is not rosy during the journey. Unfortunately not all hikers are nice, quite a few AH,s on the route. Amish gives a good account of how she dealt with the negativity of some hikers. Highly recommended this book.
July 29, 2018
Good to read before embarking on an AT thru hike
I didn’t understand why the authors Mom was so adamant that she have a partner starting out. As the hike progressed, I realized the author was I unprepared and lacked knowledge to do the hike alone. This book could be described as a what not to do when hiking the AT. I learned alot from the Amish’s mistakes and naïveté.
I didn’t understand why the authors Mom was so adamant that she have a partner starting out. As the hike progressed, I realized the author was I unprepared and lacked knowledge to do the hike alone. This book could be described as a what not to do when hiking the AT. I learned alot from the Amish’s mistakes and naïveté.
July 27, 2017
i put off reading this one for a while due to the reviews, but I was thoroughly surprised at how good it was. It was a really fun read and very entertaining. It is written in more of a journaling format than other Appalachian trail books. It is one of the better AT books out there.
January 29, 2019
I didn’t notice before reading that this was self published, and was basically an unedited journal by the author. Very little insight on how the trail impacted her. Some good tips about through hiking. There are far better, more polished and insightful accounts of through hiking out there though.
February 19, 2019
Happy thru hiker
Probably one of the more upbeat hikers, sings a lot, writes Friday doggerel. Lots of typos and misspellings, lots of complaints about other people, very needy sounding. She is also one of the more poorly prepared hikers.
Probably one of the more upbeat hikers, sings a lot, writes Friday doggerel. Lots of typos and misspellings, lots of complaints about other people, very needy sounding. She is also one of the more poorly prepared hikers.
August 15, 2023
Was hopeful but did she actually hike or just hitch a ride north? Horrible representation for people who actually hike the trail, put the time and effort in, and don’t hitch a ride to the finish line.
August 19, 2017
This is the first AT book i have read from a female hiker and I must say that I truly enjoyed it. I also learned many useful tips about hiking the ttail.
August 12, 2018
Nice read for those exploring AT
I appreciated reading a young woman's experience on the AT and her learning about herself through her thru hike adventure.
I appreciated reading a young woman's experience on the AT and her learning about herself through her thru hike adventure.
November 13, 2018
Enjoyable
Good reading especially if you are familiar with the Appalachian trail!
She talks about the every day hiking and meeting up with other hikers.
Good reading especially if you are familiar with the Appalachian trail!
She talks about the every day hiking and meeting up with other hikers.
December 14, 2018
Needs an edit!
Interesting story but the book is full of spelling and grammatical errors. Refers to some other events on the trip with no detail. Would like to see more pics.
Interesting story but the book is full of spelling and grammatical errors. Refers to some other events on the trip with no detail. Would like to see more pics.
February 25, 2019
Nice detail.
It's easy to picture the hike while reading... Thoroughly enjoyed this book and will give good reviews to anyone who's interested.
It's easy to picture the hike while reading... Thoroughly enjoyed this book and will give good reviews to anyone who's interested.
December 9, 2019
Really enjoyed this AT book. I liked that it didnt include any romantic relationships and just focused on her journey on finding herself.
February 19, 2017
Feisty on the AT
Well written but a lot of words used incorrectly. Feisty was very well adjusted and even during the hard times was able to continue with a happy attitude! I enjoyed this account of hiking the Appalachian Trail!
Well written but a lot of words used incorrectly. Feisty was very well adjusted and even during the hard times was able to continue with a happy attitude! I enjoyed this account of hiking the Appalachian Trail!
July 15, 2013
I enjoyed reading this almost daily hiking log. My first reading about the AT trail adventures. Not usually a nonfiction reader, but really enjoyed this account.
April 18, 2014
I'll read anything on the Appalachian Trail. This one is OK, probably more suitable for a Young Adult book. Some aggravating spelling and grammar mistakes.
September 6, 2015
Good reading
It was good reading,at times it was hard to put down. You could tell especially in the beginning it was a younger person writing this account.
It was good reading,at times it was hard to put down. You could tell especially in the beginning it was a younger person writing this account.
January 5, 2016
A great description of daily life on the trail!
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January 28, 2018One of my greatest reading pleasures is getting vicarious thrills by reading trail memoirs. Harper's account of her trek from Georgia to Maine is engaging, not only because Harper definitely "hikes her own hike," taking numerous town visits and bonding with locals along the way, but also because she is one of the most naive young person I've ever encountered. Her lack of knowledge on worldly topics is sort of at odds with some of her drinking choices, but it's part of what made her determination to make the long hike interesting.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews