What do you think?
Rate this book
Appalachian Odyssey: Walking the Trail from Georgia to Maine
Describes one couple's observations and experiences in each state during a two-thousand-mile trek along the Appalachian Trail
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
6 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 23, 2022
My brother was the hero of our story last year when he flew out to our home in the Rocky Mountains and then helped us drive our crazy caravan of animals, children, and all of their accoutrements on a cross-country move just shy of the Atlantic Ocean.
His status got bumped up to “epic hero” this past April when he drove nine hours to create a permaculture oasis for us in our new front yard.
He's like our very own Johnny Appleseed, my kid bro. He's got the smallest carbon footprint of anyone I know, and he's also got a savage love for our planet. If he's not collecting seeds or planting trees, he's out foraging for mushrooms, or hiking.
He's thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail once in its entirety, and hiked another 900+ miles of it at a different time. He's walked the entire state of California and most of Oregon on the Pacific Crest Trail, and wildfires were the only reason he didn't make it to Canada on foot that year.
So. . . I wasn't entirely surprised when he walked into my kitchen in mid-April, taking a break from planting, and announced, casually, “I'm going to thru-hike the AT again.”
By May 4, he had left my house and was back on the Trail.
My brother talks a lot about the Trail, and I think he knows by now that I'd like to walk it with him some day. I can't at this particular stage of my life, but his determination to go for thru-hike #2 did prompt a few new purchases from me before he began: a new wall map of the AT (to track his progress), an AT trail guide to Shenandoah National Park, and a copy of APPALACHIAN ODYSSEY.
My brother thought it was a bit quirky that I selected an AT memoir from the 1970s rather than one of the more current ones, but when I explained my reasoning, he got it. We were both surprised by how good this book sounded in its synopsis.
APPALACHIAN ODYSSEY was written by two thirtysomething newlyweds, Steve Sherman and Julia Older, who not only completed the entire Trail together, but also organized their journey clearly by state (complete with their own handwritten maps), and who also knew how to write.
The authors made this particular “odyssey” in the mid 70s (their experience was published in 1977), so I think it's important for anyone contemplating a read of it to understand that prices, gear, lodging, and even certain physical aspects of the Trail have changed since the time of this writing.
What hasn't changed, what never changes: the thrill of the quest.
And, what a quest it is, to thru-hike 2,000 miles through 14 states.
I learned SO much about the Trail from this memoir, and these two writers also confirmed my suspicions that no one should do a hike of this magnitude alone. My brother has convinced me that you “find your people” while you're out there, but I still think that doing it with a partner or a group is a better idea, especially for female hikers.
The authors had several complaints about the condition of the Trail in many parts, and they also spent more than a little time commenting on the amount of garbage left by careless hikers on the AT and the actual condition of the shelters (atrocious). When my brother calls in at his next “check-in,” I'm curious to ask him about this, if he thinks the condition of the shelters has improved or declined through the years.
What impressed me the most about this memoir was the nature writing. It transported me right to the Trail. If you peek below at my status updates, you will see many examples of the poetic, descriptive writing that is peppered throughout this read.
What an unexpected delight! I loved it.
(I'd appreciate any prayers, positive thoughts, and/or crossed fingers for the safe return home of our family's own Odysseus in the fall).
Afoot and light-hearted
I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path
before me leading
wherever I choose. . .
Strong and content I
travel the open road.
--Walt Whitman
His status got bumped up to “epic hero” this past April when he drove nine hours to create a permaculture oasis for us in our new front yard.
He's like our very own Johnny Appleseed, my kid bro. He's got the smallest carbon footprint of anyone I know, and he's also got a savage love for our planet. If he's not collecting seeds or planting trees, he's out foraging for mushrooms, or hiking.
He's thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail once in its entirety, and hiked another 900+ miles of it at a different time. He's walked the entire state of California and most of Oregon on the Pacific Crest Trail, and wildfires were the only reason he didn't make it to Canada on foot that year.
So. . . I wasn't entirely surprised when he walked into my kitchen in mid-April, taking a break from planting, and announced, casually, “I'm going to thru-hike the AT again.”
By May 4, he had left my house and was back on the Trail.
My brother talks a lot about the Trail, and I think he knows by now that I'd like to walk it with him some day. I can't at this particular stage of my life, but his determination to go for thru-hike #2 did prompt a few new purchases from me before he began: a new wall map of the AT (to track his progress), an AT trail guide to Shenandoah National Park, and a copy of APPALACHIAN ODYSSEY.
My brother thought it was a bit quirky that I selected an AT memoir from the 1970s rather than one of the more current ones, but when I explained my reasoning, he got it. We were both surprised by how good this book sounded in its synopsis.
APPALACHIAN ODYSSEY was written by two thirtysomething newlyweds, Steve Sherman and Julia Older, who not only completed the entire Trail together, but also organized their journey clearly by state (complete with their own handwritten maps), and who also knew how to write.
The authors made this particular “odyssey” in the mid 70s (their experience was published in 1977), so I think it's important for anyone contemplating a read of it to understand that prices, gear, lodging, and even certain physical aspects of the Trail have changed since the time of this writing.
What hasn't changed, what never changes: the thrill of the quest.
And, what a quest it is, to thru-hike 2,000 miles through 14 states.
I learned SO much about the Trail from this memoir, and these two writers also confirmed my suspicions that no one should do a hike of this magnitude alone. My brother has convinced me that you “find your people” while you're out there, but I still think that doing it with a partner or a group is a better idea, especially for female hikers.
The authors had several complaints about the condition of the Trail in many parts, and they also spent more than a little time commenting on the amount of garbage left by careless hikers on the AT and the actual condition of the shelters (atrocious). When my brother calls in at his next “check-in,” I'm curious to ask him about this, if he thinks the condition of the shelters has improved or declined through the years.
What impressed me the most about this memoir was the nature writing. It transported me right to the Trail. If you peek below at my status updates, you will see many examples of the poetic, descriptive writing that is peppered throughout this read.
What an unexpected delight! I loved it.
(I'd appreciate any prayers, positive thoughts, and/or crossed fingers for the safe return home of our family's own Odysseus in the fall).
Afoot and light-hearted
I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path
before me leading
wherever I choose. . .
Strong and content I
travel the open road.
--Walt Whitman
June 16, 2023
Another Appalachian Trail memoir book, this time by a couple who hiked the whole thing in one go. Sometimes the writing was a bit confusing, switching from first person to third person. Other than that, the writing is nice and atmospheric. They do have a bit of arrogance to them sometimes, being experienced thru-hikers, which annoys me a little, but I also understand it when you're in the woods and see someone who clearly hasn't really thought about everything.
October 21, 2018
Enjoyed this book very much. The trail hike the authors did was 30+ years ago. Now I'm wondering how the trail would compare now.
Besides the trail itself, its difficulties and rewards, there was much more here. The authors are curious people. They're curious about EVERYTHING, which makes for a lively narrative. They sure meet many interesting people! I'm thinking, too, that the small towns and remote homesteads may be quite different now. I hope not. Planning to do some more reading about the trail.
I must say, if I ever had a thought of hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail, it went Poof! Even for a much younger version of myself there was way too much actual climbing, plowing through bodies of water, not to mention swamps...once a wimp, mostly still a wimp when it comes to physical challenges. I would, however, love to walk parts of the trail where you can just WALK. More power, luck, learning and good health to through hikers and all those wonderful people who support them.
Besides the trail itself, its difficulties and rewards, there was much more here. The authors are curious people. They're curious about EVERYTHING, which makes for a lively narrative. They sure meet many interesting people! I'm thinking, too, that the small towns and remote homesteads may be quite different now. I hope not. Planning to do some more reading about the trail.
I must say, if I ever had a thought of hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail, it went Poof! Even for a much younger version of myself there was way too much actual climbing, plowing through bodies of water, not to mention swamps...once a wimp, mostly still a wimp when it comes to physical challenges. I would, however, love to walk parts of the trail where you can just WALK. More power, luck, learning and good health to through hikers and all those wonderful people who support them.
Want to read
May 25, 2022Thanks to Julie for her great review-can't wait to read it!
March 3, 2023
2023 - ‘70’s Immersion Reading Challenge
Appalachian Odyssey: Walking the Trail from Georgia to Maine by Steve Sherman and Julia Older (1977) 248 pages.
Loved it! ❤️ I used to be an avid hiker when we lived in the Northwest and when we lived in Maine. I would tack hiking maps on the wall and highlight each trail as I knocked it off my bucket list.
This is a book I would definitely read for great helpful tips and to write notes on my map about the conditions of the trails in each state in the 1970’s to see how much has changed from today. Are there more shelters and have they improved? Are there still 8 miles of asphalt hiking on the road through New Jersey until you you get into New York? Or, have they talked private land owners to allow hikers through their property? The trail has been rerouted several times since before the ‘70’s, moving it further out and away from civilization, which keeps creeping up to the trail. Has it changed in 46 years since the publishing of this book in 1977? I’ve learned that different people and/or organizations are in charge of keeping different parts of the trail. Some do good, I mean really good, and some not at all.
When we lived in Maine, around 2003, a bunch of us camped at Abol Campground in Baxter State Park where the shortest trail, 4.4 miles long, lead you straight up to the top of Baxter Peak (3,982 ft elevation gain). Just that part was very tough, walking on rocks that you had to balance on from rock to rock to rock to rock, and it was HOT! We had about four of our young teenage boys with us, and they drank up all their water and were whining just before we reached the top. My husband and other friends drank up all their water because they were severely dehydrated from drinking too much alcohol the night before. I was pissed. I’m sitting there with them looking at the top that would probably take me another 30 minutes to climb, well, actually scramble straight up a slippery slope of loose rocks. Then, I looked at them, and they were all dying. Crap! Back down we go! 😔 I sure don’t like not finishing anything.
INTERESTING NOTES ON PARTS OF THE TRAIL
NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina (229 miles) is considered the hardest part of the trail, as it is the steepest and up and down and crossing frigid ridges and peaks. They say if you can make it through this trek, then you will make it to Maine.
WEST VIRGINIA Most hikers consider Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, as the halfway point. This is where the Appalachian Trail Conference headquarters is located, where thru hikers can sign in and make their complaints and express their concerns about what parts of the trail need work. But, the actual halfway point is really near Duncannon, Pennsylvania. There is only 10 easy miles through West Virginia.
PENNSYLVANIA Apparently, there is nothing but misery scrambling over rocks in Pennsylvania until you get to Rausch Gap shelter, which had the Taj Mahal of all shelters on the entire Appalachian Trail.
NEW JERSEY New Jersey, 61 miles was probably one of the worst part of the hike for the authors. In the heat of summer, they found there was no shade anywhere. The gypsy moth had eaten all the leaves out of darn near every tree around and along the trail. The authors found themselves walking on asphalt roads quite a bit. In fact, at one point they were on an asphalt road, then saw a sign that finally sent them back into the woods and back to scrambling over boulders and scaling ledges in the heat of the day, only to come out a few minutes later on the same road about a hundred yards ahead. They were duped a couple of times in this fashion. Pretty funny! Maybe not for them at the time, but, that is a pretty rotten joke to play on hikers. LOL! I wonder if that’s still there? The trail also sent you through a lot of dirty suburban areas with dirty foaming water and shelters and campgrounds where people have trashed them, and lastly, ends with an eight mile hike on an asphalt road to your next destination…New York, which was at least cleaner and a little bit better, but still too close to civilization with dirty water and lots of ‘No Trespassing’ signs.
VERMONT At Sherburne Pass, at Highway 103 in Vermont, the Long Trail leading to Canada separates from the Appalachian Trail, which leads east. The Long Trail. which actually coincided with the Appalachian Trail for 100 miles through Vermont, established in 1910 and kept up by the Green Mountain Club, was very much well kept compared to the Appalachian Trail.
Record time was 73 days back in 1974. It took the authors 4-1/2 months to hike the Appalachian Trail. But, I feel like the story wasn’t complete. They hiked all the way through to Slungundy Falls (about 3/4 of the way through Maine), when suddenly it started raining, and the rains kept coming for five days straight. The flooding was so intense, they decided not to risk it and turned around and backtracked to Monson. There they met a couple of hikers, Bill and Julie, with a dog, who had driven their VW van there to Monson and planned to hike up to Mt. Katahdin. The authors were able to take the van to Katahdin while Bill and Julie, with their dog, decided to trudge through the sludge and floods on the trail to Katahdin. The authors drove the van to Mt. Katahdin but were forbidden to hike it due to extreme weather. So they backtracked for the next few days and “drove” around to three of the mountains they had missed and hiked up Whitecap, Boardman and Joe Mary mountains…but not the distance between them. Then, they “drove” back to Mt. Katahdin to hike it. So, did they actually “finish”?
They never let you know how the other couple fared through the flooded trails of Maine. Did they make it? Did their dog make it? Did they have to turn back too and then regret sending their van with the authors to Mt. Katahdin? How did they get back to their van?
I would feel defeated knowing I didn’t “officially” complete the trail and would probably feel guilty for taking the other couples van. 😒
Appalachian Odyssey: Walking the Trail from Georgia to Maine by Steve Sherman and Julia Older (1977) 248 pages.
Loved it! ❤️ I used to be an avid hiker when we lived in the Northwest and when we lived in Maine. I would tack hiking maps on the wall and highlight each trail as I knocked it off my bucket list.
This is a book I would definitely read for great helpful tips and to write notes on my map about the conditions of the trails in each state in the 1970’s to see how much has changed from today. Are there more shelters and have they improved? Are there still 8 miles of asphalt hiking on the road through New Jersey until you you get into New York? Or, have they talked private land owners to allow hikers through their property? The trail has been rerouted several times since before the ‘70’s, moving it further out and away from civilization, which keeps creeping up to the trail. Has it changed in 46 years since the publishing of this book in 1977? I’ve learned that different people and/or organizations are in charge of keeping different parts of the trail. Some do good, I mean really good, and some not at all.
When we lived in Maine, around 2003, a bunch of us camped at Abol Campground in Baxter State Park where the shortest trail, 4.4 miles long, lead you straight up to the top of Baxter Peak (3,982 ft elevation gain). Just that part was very tough, walking on rocks that you had to balance on from rock to rock to rock to rock, and it was HOT! We had about four of our young teenage boys with us, and they drank up all their water and were whining just before we reached the top. My husband and other friends drank up all their water because they were severely dehydrated from drinking too much alcohol the night before. I was pissed. I’m sitting there with them looking at the top that would probably take me another 30 minutes to climb, well, actually scramble straight up a slippery slope of loose rocks. Then, I looked at them, and they were all dying. Crap! Back down we go! 😔 I sure don’t like not finishing anything.
INTERESTING NOTES ON PARTS OF THE TRAIL
NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina (229 miles) is considered the hardest part of the trail, as it is the steepest and up and down and crossing frigid ridges and peaks. They say if you can make it through this trek, then you will make it to Maine.
WEST VIRGINIA Most hikers consider Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, as the halfway point. This is where the Appalachian Trail Conference headquarters is located, where thru hikers can sign in and make their complaints and express their concerns about what parts of the trail need work. But, the actual halfway point is really near Duncannon, Pennsylvania. There is only 10 easy miles through West Virginia.
PENNSYLVANIA Apparently, there is nothing but misery scrambling over rocks in Pennsylvania until you get to Rausch Gap shelter, which had the Taj Mahal of all shelters on the entire Appalachian Trail.
NEW JERSEY New Jersey, 61 miles was probably one of the worst part of the hike for the authors. In the heat of summer, they found there was no shade anywhere. The gypsy moth had eaten all the leaves out of darn near every tree around and along the trail. The authors found themselves walking on asphalt roads quite a bit. In fact, at one point they were on an asphalt road, then saw a sign that finally sent them back into the woods and back to scrambling over boulders and scaling ledges in the heat of the day, only to come out a few minutes later on the same road about a hundred yards ahead. They were duped a couple of times in this fashion. Pretty funny! Maybe not for them at the time, but, that is a pretty rotten joke to play on hikers. LOL! I wonder if that’s still there? The trail also sent you through a lot of dirty suburban areas with dirty foaming water and shelters and campgrounds where people have trashed them, and lastly, ends with an eight mile hike on an asphalt road to your next destination…New York, which was at least cleaner and a little bit better, but still too close to civilization with dirty water and lots of ‘No Trespassing’ signs.
VERMONT At Sherburne Pass, at Highway 103 in Vermont, the Long Trail leading to Canada separates from the Appalachian Trail, which leads east. The Long Trail. which actually coincided with the Appalachian Trail for 100 miles through Vermont, established in 1910 and kept up by the Green Mountain Club, was very much well kept compared to the Appalachian Trail.
Record time was 73 days back in 1974. It took the authors 4-1/2 months to hike the Appalachian Trail. But, I feel like the story wasn’t complete. They hiked all the way through to Slungundy Falls (about 3/4 of the way through Maine), when suddenly it started raining, and the rains kept coming for five days straight. The flooding was so intense, they decided not to risk it and turned around and backtracked to Monson. There they met a couple of hikers, Bill and Julie, with a dog, who had driven their VW van there to Monson and planned to hike up to Mt. Katahdin. The authors were able to take the van to Katahdin while Bill and Julie, with their dog, decided to trudge through the sludge and floods on the trail to Katahdin. The authors drove the van to Mt. Katahdin but were forbidden to hike it due to extreme weather. So they backtracked for the next few days and “drove” around to three of the mountains they had missed and hiked up Whitecap, Boardman and Joe Mary mountains…but not the distance between them. Then, they “drove” back to Mt. Katahdin to hike it. So, did they actually “finish”?
They never let you know how the other couple fared through the flooded trails of Maine. Did they make it? Did their dog make it? Did they have to turn back too and then regret sending their van with the authors to Mt. Katahdin? How did they get back to their van?
I would feel defeated knowing I didn’t “officially” complete the trail and would probably feel guilty for taking the other couples van. 😒
January 20, 2019
This was written about a couple's 1973 thru-hike. The authors put a lot of emphasis on the flora and fauna, especially through the first half of the story. They seemed uninterested in interacting in any meaningful way with the other hikers, which were fairly few and far between, but this probably was the experience they were after. I saw no mention of McAfee Knob or a trowel in their gear list which I found to be odd. The point of view shifts were bothersome. The experience they had is difficult to imagine today. Their word usage was poetic and kept me reading.
July 27, 2018
I'm surprised this book isn't more popular in the hike-the-Appalachian-Trail literature. A couple decides to walk the AT during Watergate to convince themselves that America is still beautiful and that kind people live here.
The only part that wasn't relevant was the suggestion that Julia's illness on the trail occurred because she's a women - that was very out of place.
Other than that, an incredibly enjoyable read - couldn't put it down.
The only part that wasn't relevant was the suggestion that Julia's illness on the trail occurred because she's a women - that was very out of place.
Other than that, an incredibly enjoyable read - couldn't put it down.
August 24, 2019
I found it interesting to read about the path and the journey but it’s not brilliantly written as a book full of adventure. The story is sometimes a bit stop start. Not a book of the huge adventure I thought it was going to be. A great achievement nonetheless.
September 7, 2020
Like long walks? This book is for you! Thoroughly enjoyed it
August 2, 2016
Sherman and Older hiked the Appalachian Trail in the 70s, when only a handful of people had completed the thru-hike—155 men and 24 women (p. 178). For those who have read other thru-hike memoirs, this is largely interesting as a product and representation of its time. It's the little things: that it's completely natural to them to hike in jeans and sweatshirts and cotton T-shirts, that they make no mention of a water filter, that there are periodic mentions of Watergate, that they send and receive plenty of mail. (Although we'd now consider their equipment very low-tech, they did have quite lightweight backpacks.)
In other respects this is somewhat less interesting, as the two authors remain firmly in the first-person plural: we did this, we saw that. Every so often they'll note something specific to one author or the other, but it's always an action rather than a thought. Who are they outside the hike? It's not for the reader to know. Do they miss family, friends? Again, not for the reader to know. Do they ever doubt that they'll make it? Perhaps not—they don't seem to suffer from a lack of confidence—but the reader cannot be certain.
Instead it's a description- and observation-heavy book. Lots of mountain, lots of path, the occasional person (though they seem to have been happiest without additional company). The odd bit of cultural commentary that still feels relevant: Those who were kindest to us and most understanding were not white collar workers with high income and education, but the middle class construction and factory people. Invariably, the latter gave us rides into towns to re-provision. Rare was the occasion when someone in a business suit picked us up, and although we traveled as a couple, no woman had yet chanced us and our packs (104–105).
Plus ça change and all that. I wouldn't recommend this as an intro to AT memoirs, but it made for a reasonably satisfying read.
In other respects this is somewhat less interesting, as the two authors remain firmly in the first-person plural: we did this, we saw that. Every so often they'll note something specific to one author or the other, but it's always an action rather than a thought. Who are they outside the hike? It's not for the reader to know. Do they miss family, friends? Again, not for the reader to know. Do they ever doubt that they'll make it? Perhaps not—they don't seem to suffer from a lack of confidence—but the reader cannot be certain.
Instead it's a description- and observation-heavy book. Lots of mountain, lots of path, the occasional person (though they seem to have been happiest without additional company). The odd bit of cultural commentary that still feels relevant: Those who were kindest to us and most understanding were not white collar workers with high income and education, but the middle class construction and factory people. Invariably, the latter gave us rides into towns to re-provision. Rare was the occasion when someone in a business suit picked us up, and although we traveled as a couple, no woman had yet chanced us and our packs (104–105).
Plus ça change and all that. I wouldn't recommend this as an intro to AT memoirs, but it made for a reasonably satisfying read.
July 20, 2013
This book was kind of a struggle. You hardly know the characters and their story. They frequently use "we" and "us" and "I," but then also refer to themselves by name. It's rather odd, but I guess that is how two people write a book? I have an obsession with the Appalachian Trail and would love to hike it, and I found this book to be rather negative. Frequent complaints about the camping sites and whatnot, which may be justified, but who wants to read a book full of complaints? They did discuss the beauty of the trail, which I did enjoy, but overall, I felt I never got to know the characters and couldn't fully relate to the story. Side note: this book was written in 70s, so it is a little dated, but it was interesting to realize how informed they were about proper nutrition back then.
June 14, 2008
A couple hikes the Appalachian Trail in 1974 and publishes their story about it 3 years later. I don't get to it until thirty years after that . . . and it's still good! Knowing parts of the Trail have changed, but other parts of it are exactly as they experienced it are both good. They had some interesting Trail history to share. They seemed to take a leisurely pace at times (stopping for an hour to pick berries when there were berries to pick), but didn't get sucked into the trail towns and hostel scene many current hikers do. They were also proto-lightweight hikers and concerned about balanced nutrition in ways that seem ahead of their time.
May 30, 2015
I enjoyed the story about the trail and the eco-friendly attitude of the authors. However, I had to chuckle often at how highly these people thought of themselves! Definitely a 1970's book. The writing was choppy and the poetry was quite lame; reading this book required almost as much fortitude as hiking a few legs of the trail!
August 29, 2019
Not as good as other books on walking the Appalachian trail. Found it boring.
March 30, 2017
It was really fun to read an older AT book and to see what the trail was like in the 70s. I found so much similar and a lot different---definitely some rerouting has gone on! What people complain about on more undeveloped trails now these two were complaining about in the 70s.
The book could have been developed a little bit more but it was a great, relaxing read.
The book could have been developed a little bit more but it was a great, relaxing read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews