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Walk of Ages: A Generational Journey from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley
Following in her father’s footsteps, Withanee Andersen begins the expedition of a lifetime when she and her comrades embark on a trek from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley, tracing the rugged path her father, Jim Andersen, traversed forty-three years earlier.
With hopes of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, Jim led the first documented walk from the highest to lowest point in the contiguous United States in 1974. He lived, albeit just barely, to tell the tale to his daughter, sparking a desire in Withanee to retrace his steps in his honor. In 2017, she took on the incredible task of recreating Jim’s legacy trek of 131 miles with the help of divine intervention, ice-cold beer, and her parents, who were following along as the support party.
Walk of Ages humorously relates the parallel journey of an epic adventure told from two perspectives–a daughter’s difficult quest, and a father who supports her through it while recalling his own experiences from four decades earlier. Throughout this momentous odyssey, readers will realize how a once-in-a-generation adventure leads to life-changing transformation, and that the bond between father and daughter knows no bounds.
With hopes of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, Jim led the first documented walk from the highest to lowest point in the contiguous United States in 1974. He lived, albeit just barely, to tell the tale to his daughter, sparking a desire in Withanee to retrace his steps in his honor. In 2017, she took on the incredible task of recreating Jim’s legacy trek of 131 miles with the help of divine intervention, ice-cold beer, and her parents, who were following along as the support party.
Walk of Ages humorously relates the parallel journey of an epic adventure told from two perspectives–a daughter’s difficult quest, and a father who supports her through it while recalling his own experiences from four decades earlier. Throughout this momentous odyssey, readers will realize how a once-in-a-generation adventure leads to life-changing transformation, and that the bond between father and daughter knows no bounds.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 18, 2025
An astonishing memorial of the ultimate Daddy-Daughter dance! Across the Mojave!
Jim Andersen, Author Withanee Andersen's father, in his younger days made a trek with three buddies who named their happy band The Sandwalkers. It was an adventure that taught him a lot, and he mentioned it often during the raising of his children. When Withanee approached that same age, and needed a break from her job as a fire-fighter, she asked her beau and her brother to make the very same trip. That meant she needed a blueprint, and asked her Dad to write it up, exactly with all the juicy details. To cap it all, she asked her parents to come along as the support team.
For context on the journey parameters, from the top of Mt. Whitney in California - the highest point in the contiguous US and North America (elevation 14,505 ft (4421 m), to Badwater, Death Valley (282 ft (86 m) below sea level - the lowest point in North America and US (which is the trek defined) - is a change in elevation of 14,790 feet (ish). The entire trek and distance between points is 131 miles in length. Not asking much, was she? Here's what her father starts his observations with in the book's introduction:
I do think the title of this book, Walk of Ages, needs a bit of explanation. I just happened to make this walk from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley after turning thirty years old. It had been on my mind for a few years before I found three other people who were receptive to it, and they just happened to be near thirty years old also. My daughter, Withanee, was in her late twenties when she told me she also wanted to walk from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley when she turned thirty, and she asked if I’d write down how we went about it day by day. So I did, resulting in a short self-published book titled Sometimes a Great Notion . . . isn’t, so much. For some reason I found it necessary to put an introduction in that book also, and wound it up saying; “The dumbest crow in the world wouldn’t even consider taking that route, so why would my college-educated daughter?”
“Because,” she replied, “That’s what you did when you were thirty years old.” Well, yes, there’s that. But I never went to college. So there seems to be an emptiness inherent in us humans that strikes around that age. I’m certain now that emptiness is a hole in our being that can only be filled by God. Take from that what you will, but it certainly proved to be true in our case. You may have even noticed “Walk of Ages” rhymes with the gospel song “Rock of Ages.” Then there are the chapter divisions: Withanee’s from the perspective of the walkers, while mine are remembrances of the support party’s role. You could say their universe was up and down, while ours was back and forth. Just like in real life, both were necessary to make the thing work. So may God bless every step you take, even those between Mt. Whitney and Death Valley.
An exuberant rendering of a quest well-done, in honor of her father. Oh, and while this was a rough-and-ready sort of read, yes, it made me cry (happy tears, Kids). Dear Reader you must read it yourself for that nugget at the High Point. Normally this reportage writeup would land three stars, but my reviews are about my response to the read - and I'm kicking this up to 4 stars for hitting my heart, and helping me spend time (while I read) with my own dad who often showed us how fun a California desert can be.
*A sincere thank you to Withanee Andersen, Jim Andersen, University of Nevada Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #WalkofAges #NetGalley 25|52:1f
Jim Andersen, Author Withanee Andersen's father, in his younger days made a trek with three buddies who named their happy band The Sandwalkers. It was an adventure that taught him a lot, and he mentioned it often during the raising of his children. When Withanee approached that same age, and needed a break from her job as a fire-fighter, she asked her beau and her brother to make the very same trip. That meant she needed a blueprint, and asked her Dad to write it up, exactly with all the juicy details. To cap it all, she asked her parents to come along as the support team.
For context on the journey parameters, from the top of Mt. Whitney in California - the highest point in the contiguous US and North America (elevation 14,505 ft (4421 m), to Badwater, Death Valley (282 ft (86 m) below sea level - the lowest point in North America and US (which is the trek defined) - is a change in elevation of 14,790 feet (ish). The entire trek and distance between points is 131 miles in length. Not asking much, was she? Here's what her father starts his observations with in the book's introduction:
I do think the title of this book, Walk of Ages, needs a bit of explanation. I just happened to make this walk from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley after turning thirty years old. It had been on my mind for a few years before I found three other people who were receptive to it, and they just happened to be near thirty years old also. My daughter, Withanee, was in her late twenties when she told me she also wanted to walk from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley when she turned thirty, and she asked if I’d write down how we went about it day by day. So I did, resulting in a short self-published book titled Sometimes a Great Notion . . . isn’t, so much. For some reason I found it necessary to put an introduction in that book also, and wound it up saying; “The dumbest crow in the world wouldn’t even consider taking that route, so why would my college-educated daughter?”
“Because,” she replied, “That’s what you did when you were thirty years old.” Well, yes, there’s that. But I never went to college. So there seems to be an emptiness inherent in us humans that strikes around that age. I’m certain now that emptiness is a hole in our being that can only be filled by God. Take from that what you will, but it certainly proved to be true in our case. You may have even noticed “Walk of Ages” rhymes with the gospel song “Rock of Ages.” Then there are the chapter divisions: Withanee’s from the perspective of the walkers, while mine are remembrances of the support party’s role. You could say their universe was up and down, while ours was back and forth. Just like in real life, both were necessary to make the thing work. So may God bless every step you take, even those between Mt. Whitney and Death Valley.
An exuberant rendering of a quest well-done, in honor of her father. Oh, and while this was a rough-and-ready sort of read, yes, it made me cry (happy tears, Kids). Dear Reader you must read it yourself for that nugget at the High Point. Normally this reportage writeup would land three stars, but my reviews are about my response to the read - and I'm kicking this up to 4 stars for hitting my heart, and helping me spend time (while I read) with my own dad who often showed us how fun a California desert can be.
*A sincere thank you to Withanee Andersen, Jim Andersen, University of Nevada Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #WalkofAges #NetGalley 25|52:1f
February 24, 2024
In 2017, Withanee Andersen retraced the footsteps of her father Jim Andersen’s epic 1974 hike from the peak of Mt. Whitney to Badwater in Death Valley, taking her from the highest elevation in the lower forty-eight to the lowest point in the western hemisphere. “Walk of Ages” tells the story of the hike, with alternating narration from Withanee and Jim, who served as support team to Withanee and her fellow “Sandwalkers,” along with Withanee’s mother Val. It’s a remarkable journey in which the goal of getting to Badwater is anything but a gimme. Step by grueling step, the Walk becomes a touchstone for Withanee, as well as a moving tribute to her beloved dad.
What I loved most about “Walk of Ages” was the dynamic between Withanee and Jim. You can feel the love and respect flowing between them as they share their different perspectives on the highs and lows of each day’s leg of the hike. I also admired the distinctive nature of the Walk. Although Jim had in some sense blazed a trail for Withanee with his 1974 trek, there was rarely any actual trail for Withanee and the Second Edition Sandwalkers. Just like Jim and the original Sandwalkers in 1974, her team spent much of the hike walking backcountry, or along highways, revising and reinventing their route on the fly—albeit with the aid of technology that didn’t exist in 1974.
What I came away wishing for more of was a feeling of immersion in the hike. I wish there had been more vivid description and reflection, more specific scenes evoking a sense of wonder and adventure. Even so, “Walk of Ages” is well worth the reading journey. There are a lot of hiking memoirs out there, but the goal of walking in the footsteps of someone you love makes this one truly unique.
My thanks to NetGalley and the University of Nevada Press for providing me a copy of “Walk of Ages” in exchange for my honest review.
What I loved most about “Walk of Ages” was the dynamic between Withanee and Jim. You can feel the love and respect flowing between them as they share their different perspectives on the highs and lows of each day’s leg of the hike. I also admired the distinctive nature of the Walk. Although Jim had in some sense blazed a trail for Withanee with his 1974 trek, there was rarely any actual trail for Withanee and the Second Edition Sandwalkers. Just like Jim and the original Sandwalkers in 1974, her team spent much of the hike walking backcountry, or along highways, revising and reinventing their route on the fly—albeit with the aid of technology that didn’t exist in 1974.
What I came away wishing for more of was a feeling of immersion in the hike. I wish there had been more vivid description and reflection, more specific scenes evoking a sense of wonder and adventure. Even so, “Walk of Ages” is well worth the reading journey. There are a lot of hiking memoirs out there, but the goal of walking in the footsteps of someone you love makes this one truly unique.
My thanks to NetGalley and the University of Nevada Press for providing me a copy of “Walk of Ages” in exchange for my honest review.
January 25, 2024
As a hiker, I love to read hiking memoirs. I want to hear about the injuries, the tears, the snakes and bears, how beautiful it is sleeping outside after a hard day of miles. This one was a little different. It’s told in alternating parts, between the hiker and her dad as support. In some ways I feel like there wasn’t much talk about the hiking, short of the descriptions of foot pain (and after the Mt. Whitney climb was completed). It was written more about the parallels between this hike and the dad’s near identical hike in 1974. I found it inspiring and funny, but I missed the hike. I would have liked to see more of that and less of the talk of gathering for lunch and dinner and beers at the Winnebago. The last third of the book got into a little more of the scenery and physicality, but it just was a little lacking for me overall compared to other memoirs I’ve read.
February 5, 2024
Nice tribute. Such an amazing journey of course but the fun parallels between father and daughter and the “shared” journey was wonderful.
May 16, 2024
A daughter retracing her father’s trek from the highest to the lowest points of the contiguous United States, Walk of Ages would have been an awesome article in an outdoors magazine. I liked the narrative perspectives of father and daughter however the redundancy slowed the story down some. For those not already intrigued with walking, trekking or hiking there may not be enough interest to hold your attention. Not that there isn’t ANY interest, just not enough. All said, Walk of Ages is a very sweet story that was a little long for the amount of information included.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews