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Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail
Five million steps. 157 days. 2,200 miles. From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Chesapeake Requiem comes a gripping rumination on life, nature, and tragedy as the author recounts his two through-hikes—33 years apart—of the Appalachian Trail and a haunting, life-changing encounter with two fellow hikers who were later murdered.
In 1990, at age thirty-two, Earl Swift backpacked the entirety of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, a transformative experience that colored every aspect of his later life. He emerged from his five-month hike across the rugged, sky-high roof of fourteen eastern states a sharper and more organized thinker, a better problem-solver, and a committed outdoorsman.
But he also left the A.T. with early in his odyssey, he spent three days with a young through-hiking couple who were later murdered at a trailside campsite in Pennsylvania—a crime that was never fully explained and has haunted him ever since.
Half a lifetime later, in 2024, Swift reprised his journey, hoping that another end-to-end hike might put this tragedy in perspective. How could such a grisly event have occurred in a sylvan bliss? Returning to the trail, Swift found that walking the crest of these ancient mountains—with elevation gains equivalent to climbing Everest from sea level sixteen times—is a hell of a lot easier at thirty-two than at sixty-five. But he also came to understand, through his own close calls with disaster, that life isn’t always fair, nature doesn’t care, and the events that shape us often arise without reason or a lesson to offer.
This is the arresting account of Swift’s two end-to-end hikes of the Appalachian Trail, and a narrative that hauntingly weaves his own time on the trail with that of fellow hikers and adventurers. It is a rumination on fate, nature, and time’s effects on the environment, our bodies, and our remembrance of both joy and tragedy.
In 1990, at age thirty-two, Earl Swift backpacked the entirety of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, a transformative experience that colored every aspect of his later life. He emerged from his five-month hike across the rugged, sky-high roof of fourteen eastern states a sharper and more organized thinker, a better problem-solver, and a committed outdoorsman.
But he also left the A.T. with early in his odyssey, he spent three days with a young through-hiking couple who were later murdered at a trailside campsite in Pennsylvania—a crime that was never fully explained and has haunted him ever since.
Half a lifetime later, in 2024, Swift reprised his journey, hoping that another end-to-end hike might put this tragedy in perspective. How could such a grisly event have occurred in a sylvan bliss? Returning to the trail, Swift found that walking the crest of these ancient mountains—with elevation gains equivalent to climbing Everest from sea level sixteen times—is a hell of a lot easier at thirty-two than at sixty-five. But he also came to understand, through his own close calls with disaster, that life isn’t always fair, nature doesn’t care, and the events that shape us often arise without reason or a lesson to offer.
This is the arresting account of Swift’s two end-to-end hikes of the Appalachian Trail, and a narrative that hauntingly weaves his own time on the trail with that of fellow hikers and adventurers. It is a rumination on fate, nature, and time’s effects on the environment, our bodies, and our remembrance of both joy and tragedy.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published August 18, 2026
About the author
Earl Swift
13 books198 followersLongtime journalist Earl Swift is the author of the forthcoming ACROSS THE AIRLESS WILDS: THE LUNAR ROVER AND THE TRIUMPH OF THE FINAL MOON LANDINGS, due from HarperCollins in July 2021.
He is also the author of seven other books, among them the New York Times best seller CHESAPEAKE REQUIEM (HarperCollins, 2018), the story of an island town threatened with extinction by the very water that has sustained it for 240 years; AUTO BIOGRAPHY (HarperCollins, 2014), a narrative journey through postwar America told through a single old car and the fourteen people who've owned it; THE BIG ROADS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011), an armchair history of the U.S. highway system and its effects, physical and cultural, on the nation it binds; JOURNEY ON THE JAMES (University of Virginia Press, 2001), about a great American river and the largely untold history that has unfolded in and around it; WHERE THEY LAY (Houghton Mifflin, 2003), for which he accompanied an Army archaeological team into the jungles of Laos in search of a helicopter crew shot down thirty years before; and a 2007 collection of his stories, THE TANGIERMAN'S LAMENT (UVa Press). He also co-authored, with Macon Brock, ONE BUCK AT A TIME (Beachnut/John F. Blair, 2017), an insider's account of Dollar Tree's rise from loopy idea to retail juggernaut.
Since 2012 he's been a fellow of Virginia Humanities at the University of Virginia. He lives in the Blue Ridge mountains west of Charlottesville.
He is also the author of seven other books, among them the New York Times best seller CHESAPEAKE REQUIEM (HarperCollins, 2018), the story of an island town threatened with extinction by the very water that has sustained it for 240 years; AUTO BIOGRAPHY (HarperCollins, 2014), a narrative journey through postwar America told through a single old car and the fourteen people who've owned it; THE BIG ROADS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011), an armchair history of the U.S. highway system and its effects, physical and cultural, on the nation it binds; JOURNEY ON THE JAMES (University of Virginia Press, 2001), about a great American river and the largely untold history that has unfolded in and around it; WHERE THEY LAY (Houghton Mifflin, 2003), for which he accompanied an Army archaeological team into the jungles of Laos in search of a helicopter crew shot down thirty years before; and a 2007 collection of his stories, THE TANGIERMAN'S LAMENT (UVa Press). He also co-authored, with Macon Brock, ONE BUCK AT A TIME (Beachnut/John F. Blair, 2017), an insider's account of Dollar Tree's rise from loopy idea to retail juggernaut.
Since 2012 he's been a fellow of Virginia Humanities at the University of Virginia. He lives in the Blue Ridge mountains west of Charlottesville.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 29, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing an advance copy.
Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail combines Appalachian Trail memoir with the true story of a double homicide that shocked the hiking community. As the author retraces portions of the trail decades after his 1990 thru-hike, he reflects on his earlier journey while gradually introducing the victims, the investigation, and the lasting effects the murders had on hikers, volunteers, and the towns connected to the trail.
I enjoyed learning about the Appalachian Trail beyond the hike itself. The discussions of trail culture, shelter logbooks, volunteer trail maintainers, and the small towns that support hikers gave the book a strong sense of place. I also appreciated the author’s observations about the friendships that form quickly on the trail and the unique community that develops among people who may only spend a few days hiking together.
My biggest surprise was the balance between the hiking memoir and the true crime story. Going in, I expected a more investigation-driven narrative, but the book spends much of its time following the author’s present-day hike and reflecting on his earlier experiences. The investigation develops gradually throughout the book before becoming more prominent in the closing chapters. While I would have preferred the crime narrative to be woven more consistently throughout, I also came to appreciate that the author’s goal was broader than simply recounting a murder.
I think the best way to approach this book is as a story about the Appalachian Trail and the people connected to it, with the murders serving as one important part of that larger history. Readers interested in hiking, trail culture, and narrative nonfiction will likely find much to enjoy. Readers expecting a traditional, investigation-focused true crime book may want to adjust their expectations, as the memoir and the trail itself remain the heart of the story.
March 27, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
I really loved this book. It's part memoir, part true crime, part Appalachian trail history, part human interest piece, part self help, part informational hiking guide, etc. and at no point does it feel like it's doing too much. I love hiking and being in nature and after having read this book I felt like I had hiked the Appalachian trail with an old friend. It was moving, humorous, and perfectly descriptive. You very much so felt as though you were along for the ride, or more accurately, the hike. As someone who has never hiked the AT he really seemed to accurately portray the emotional rollercoaster, the friendships, the mishaps, the triumphs, the boredom, the food, etc. that that experience is, all the while detailing it for not one, but two hikes roughly 30 years apart. Woven through all of this is the story of Geoff Hood and Molly LaRue’s 1990 hike of the AT and ultimately their murders. The author followed their trail entries and eventually met them during his 1990 hike and he details the significant effect that their murders had on him, his friends, the other 1990 AT hikers, their families, and how he was still searching for answers about their deaths all these years later. This book does what many true crime books fail to do which is tell Molly and Geoff’s stories, paint them as real people, not glorify the killer, and includes interview with their families. They just seemed like good people and the authors choice to include them and their story in this book could have felt out of place, but it feels seamless and as much a part of the author's story as Appalachian trail history in general. As a hiker I was aware of Molly and Geoff’s murders, but getting the chance to learn more about them and their lives was bittersweet. This book feels like a lovely tribute to them. Earl Swift should really do some more true crime writing. He certainly has a knack for it. Definitely easy to read and interesting. I will certainly be buying a physical copy when it releases. If you like nature, or memoirs, or true crime, or all 3 you should absolutely give this one a read!
Thank you so much Net Galley and Mariner Books!
4.5 stars
I really loved this book. It's part memoir, part true crime, part Appalachian trail history, part human interest piece, part self help, part informational hiking guide, etc. and at no point does it feel like it's doing too much. I love hiking and being in nature and after having read this book I felt like I had hiked the Appalachian trail with an old friend. It was moving, humorous, and perfectly descriptive. You very much so felt as though you were along for the ride, or more accurately, the hike. As someone who has never hiked the AT he really seemed to accurately portray the emotional rollercoaster, the friendships, the mishaps, the triumphs, the boredom, the food, etc. that that experience is, all the while detailing it for not one, but two hikes roughly 30 years apart. Woven through all of this is the story of Geoff Hood and Molly LaRue’s 1990 hike of the AT and ultimately their murders. The author followed their trail entries and eventually met them during his 1990 hike and he details the significant effect that their murders had on him, his friends, the other 1990 AT hikers, their families, and how he was still searching for answers about their deaths all these years later. This book does what many true crime books fail to do which is tell Molly and Geoff’s stories, paint them as real people, not glorify the killer, and includes interview with their families. They just seemed like good people and the authors choice to include them and their story in this book could have felt out of place, but it feels seamless and as much a part of the author's story as Appalachian trail history in general. As a hiker I was aware of Molly and Geoff’s murders, but getting the chance to learn more about them and their lives was bittersweet. This book feels like a lovely tribute to them. Earl Swift should really do some more true crime writing. He certainly has a knack for it. Definitely easy to read and interesting. I will certainly be buying a physical copy when it releases. If you like nature, or memoirs, or true crime, or all 3 you should absolutely give this one a read!
Thank you so much Net Galley and Mariner Books!
Read
August 17, 2026In the 1990s, at the age of 32, journalist and author Earl Swift backpacked through the fourteen-state, end-to-end Appalachian Trail, hiking from Maine to Georgia. Thirty years later, Swift returned to the AT to see if he had what it takes to trek the twenty-two hundred rugged miles as an older man. "Up on Cove Mountain" is Swift's detailed account of both treks, noting how 30 years of climate change have impacted the trail, along with his observations on improvements in technology and gear and upgrades to many of the shelters. A significant part of the memoir is his attempt to make sense of a tragic murder of a young couple, newly in love, in a Pennsylvania mountaintop campsite, two lovely people Swift and many other trekkers felt a connection with. Swift's extensive and visually engaging descriptions are inspiring, as are his accounts about the people he met on both adventures. I welcomed learning about the community of hikers and helpers up and down the Appalachian Trail whose dedication keeps the AT accessible and active. This engrossing memoir could be my favorite read of this summer.
August 29, 2026
Earl Swift thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1990, the same year that two hikers were murdered on the trail. He had crossed paths with them and was deeply affected by the news of their deaths. In 2024 Swift decided to thru-hike the trail again. This book is a memoir of that second hike, with reflections on his previous hike and the tragedy that occurred that year.
The Appalachian Trail is amazing but no joke when it comes to thru-hiking. I found Swift’s experiences interesting and I also enjoyed his reflections on how things had changed on the trail in the decades between his long hikes. I also was fascinated by the various “trail angels,” who go out of their way to help hikers each season, whether with food, drives into town, or equipment emergencies. I recommend this book to any prospective hikers as well as anyone who enjoys adventure memoirs.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
The Appalachian Trail is amazing but no joke when it comes to thru-hiking. I found Swift’s experiences interesting and I also enjoyed his reflections on how things had changed on the trail in the decades between his long hikes. I also was fascinated by the various “trail angels,” who go out of their way to help hikers each season, whether with food, drives into town, or equipment emergencies. I recommend this book to any prospective hikers as well as anyone who enjoys adventure memoirs.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
August 30, 2026
4 Stars for Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail (audiobook) by Earl Swift read by the author.
This book quickly turns darker than I was expecting. I thought it was another account of thru-hiking the AT. It’s really the account of Two different hikes, one in 1990 and another in 2024. The author is still trying to come to terms with the violence that accrued on the first hike. Two people were brutally murdered on the trail near where he was camping. And I think he’s still having trouble with the with the idea that he could have been the one attacked.
This book quickly turns darker than I was expecting. I thought it was another account of thru-hiking the AT. It’s really the account of Two different hikes, one in 1990 and another in 2024. The author is still trying to come to terms with the violence that accrued on the first hike. Two people were brutally murdered on the trail near where he was camping. And I think he’s still having trouble with the with the idea that he could have been the one attacked.
September 3, 2026
Earl Swift re-hikes the AT searching for closure years after fellow hikers were senselessly murdered.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you're expecting Earl Swift's "Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail" to be a romanticized journey that will have you aching to embark on your own Appalachian journey, then you might want to alter your expectations.
Swift is an acclaimed author, "Chesapeake Requiem" being one of his most noteworthy titles, who has completed two "through-hikes" of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. He did so 33 years apart, his second journey, which largely serves as the narrative core here, haunted by a real-life tragedy that had occurred during his initial Appalachian trip.
I slowed down with "Up On Cove Mountain," a meandering story less concerned with the finer points of hiking and more concerned with finding meaning within a trip that many of us, myself included, fantasize about making but very few of us actually will.
I myself am a paraplegic and double-amputee with spina bifida, a wheelchair user who has, nonetheless, traveled over 6,000 miles by wheelchair as part spiritual journey and other part fundraiser often supporting community organization. I can't deny that I've fantasized about this trail for many years, much like the Camino de Santiago, yet I'm also aware enough to know that as a wheelchair user I doubt even 10% of the Appalachian would be considered even remotely accessible.
I'm a risk-taker. I'm not stupid.
So, I live in that fantasy and embark on trails that may not offer quite the adventure yet they do allow me to stay at least relatively safe.
In 1990, Swift backpacked the entirety of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia. It was a five-month trip that would have a powerful influence on Swift's remaining adult years.
Swift has noted that he finished that journey a different human being - a more organized thinker, a better problem-solver, and a more committed outdoorsman.
Throughout "Up on Cove Mountain," Swift spends much of his time during his second journey reflecting upon the unresolved tragedy of the murder of a through-hiking couple he spent three days with who were later killed at a Pennsylvania trailside campsite. For the record, crime on the Appalachian Trail is actually quite rare as there's an uncommon bond among those who embark on the trail land the trail itself is seemingly challenging enough to largely deter those who might try to exploit it.
I will acknowledge that I occasionally found Swift's timelines confusing here, engaging stories in the here-and-now occasionally interrupted by Swift's seemingly intrusive thoughts about the Appalachian killings that still haunt him.
For Swift, it seems as if those killings are the fuel driving a man now in his mid-60's to commit to a second journey on the Appalachian. It's an effort to make sense out of something that has never seemed to have a reason. The Appalachian has had right around 10 murders since 1974. All were senseless, of course, and yet for many of those connected to the Appalachian it's this 1990 murder of a young, kind couple in their 20s that seems to make the least sense with no identified motive and a particular brutality for which there can be no true explanation. The shelter where it occurred, the Thelma Marks shelter, has since been replaced.
While avid hikers may not necessarily gain much from "Up On Cove Mountain," those who wonder about the roots of embarking on such a journey are likely to appreciate Swift's adventurous candor and encounters with a wide variety of folks - both those on the trail and those who've made it a sort of life mission to support those who do the trail. It really amplifies, at least for me, the power of the tragedy unfolded - there's so much more kindness that unfolds on the Appalachian Trail and such a sense of camaraderie that when something counter to that kindness occurs it's rather profound.
Swift's most recent trip, which occurred in 2024, became a journey about gaining perspective with tragedy and with life. Life isn't always fair and we can't always explain the tragedies that befall us and others. Sometimes, we are simply left to life our lives post-tragedy recognizing that our life experiences will change who we are moving forward.
I wound down my time with "Up On Cove Mountain" setting aside any romanticizing of the Appalachian Trail. I both admired those who tackle it and accepted that I am not one to do so - my adventures, no less important nor impressive, are simply different. I grew rather fond of Swift, now a longtime journalist and popular author who, much like all of us, continues to work toward making sense of those experiences that have influenced his life. I loved the stories of his Appalachian adventure, at times wanting more and yet always appreciating the people, places, and things shared along the way.
"Up On Cove Mountain," which I read courtesy of a publisher's ARC, is easily a book I can see adding to my bookshelf as a companion to my own life adventures and to my own efforts to make sense of tragedies that have no sense about them. For those who can appreciate stories of adventure grounded within truth, "Up On Cove Mountain" will prove to be a most satisfying read.
Swift is an acclaimed author, "Chesapeake Requiem" being one of his most noteworthy titles, who has completed two "through-hikes" of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. He did so 33 years apart, his second journey, which largely serves as the narrative core here, haunted by a real-life tragedy that had occurred during his initial Appalachian trip.
I slowed down with "Up On Cove Mountain," a meandering story less concerned with the finer points of hiking and more concerned with finding meaning within a trip that many of us, myself included, fantasize about making but very few of us actually will.
I myself am a paraplegic and double-amputee with spina bifida, a wheelchair user who has, nonetheless, traveled over 6,000 miles by wheelchair as part spiritual journey and other part fundraiser often supporting community organization. I can't deny that I've fantasized about this trail for many years, much like the Camino de Santiago, yet I'm also aware enough to know that as a wheelchair user I doubt even 10% of the Appalachian would be considered even remotely accessible.
I'm a risk-taker. I'm not stupid.
So, I live in that fantasy and embark on trails that may not offer quite the adventure yet they do allow me to stay at least relatively safe.
In 1990, Swift backpacked the entirety of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia. It was a five-month trip that would have a powerful influence on Swift's remaining adult years.
Swift has noted that he finished that journey a different human being - a more organized thinker, a better problem-solver, and a more committed outdoorsman.
Throughout "Up on Cove Mountain," Swift spends much of his time during his second journey reflecting upon the unresolved tragedy of the murder of a through-hiking couple he spent three days with who were later killed at a Pennsylvania trailside campsite. For the record, crime on the Appalachian Trail is actually quite rare as there's an uncommon bond among those who embark on the trail land the trail itself is seemingly challenging enough to largely deter those who might try to exploit it.
I will acknowledge that I occasionally found Swift's timelines confusing here, engaging stories in the here-and-now occasionally interrupted by Swift's seemingly intrusive thoughts about the Appalachian killings that still haunt him.
For Swift, it seems as if those killings are the fuel driving a man now in his mid-60's to commit to a second journey on the Appalachian. It's an effort to make sense out of something that has never seemed to have a reason. The Appalachian has had right around 10 murders since 1974. All were senseless, of course, and yet for many of those connected to the Appalachian it's this 1990 murder of a young, kind couple in their 20s that seems to make the least sense with no identified motive and a particular brutality for which there can be no true explanation. The shelter where it occurred, the Thelma Marks shelter, has since been replaced.
While avid hikers may not necessarily gain much from "Up On Cove Mountain," those who wonder about the roots of embarking on such a journey are likely to appreciate Swift's adventurous candor and encounters with a wide variety of folks - both those on the trail and those who've made it a sort of life mission to support those who do the trail. It really amplifies, at least for me, the power of the tragedy unfolded - there's so much more kindness that unfolds on the Appalachian Trail and such a sense of camaraderie that when something counter to that kindness occurs it's rather profound.
Swift's most recent trip, which occurred in 2024, became a journey about gaining perspective with tragedy and with life. Life isn't always fair and we can't always explain the tragedies that befall us and others. Sometimes, we are simply left to life our lives post-tragedy recognizing that our life experiences will change who we are moving forward.
I wound down my time with "Up On Cove Mountain" setting aside any romanticizing of the Appalachian Trail. I both admired those who tackle it and accepted that I am not one to do so - my adventures, no less important nor impressive, are simply different. I grew rather fond of Swift, now a longtime journalist and popular author who, much like all of us, continues to work toward making sense of those experiences that have influenced his life. I loved the stories of his Appalachian adventure, at times wanting more and yet always appreciating the people, places, and things shared along the way.
"Up On Cove Mountain," which I read courtesy of a publisher's ARC, is easily a book I can see adding to my bookshelf as a companion to my own life adventures and to my own efforts to make sense of tragedies that have no sense about them. For those who can appreciate stories of adventure grounded within truth, "Up On Cove Mountain" will prove to be a most satisfying read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
At first blush, Up on Cove Mountain by Earl Swift had a lot of things going for it. First, I am already a huge fan of Swift's writing (definitely read Hell Put to Shame if you haven't already). Second, I live right near the Appalachian Trail (AT) and have hiked a few miles on it, but nowhere near a thru-hike. Lastly, there is a true crime element which I am always up for.
The basic set up is that Swift did a thru-hike way back when and now wants to do a second one in his 60s. He is taking it in different stages since he has way more responsibilities and also providing himself at least some comforts along the way like hotel stays. He is detailing this trip painstakingly and not cutting out either the good or bad. During the narrative, he will switch over to flashbacks of his first thru-hike. He also tells the story of a hiking couple whom he met briefly on his first thru-hike who were murdered by another hiker.
Does this sound like too much? I found it to be, unfortunately. I was able to hang in there for about half the book. Swift is a good writer, and that nearly saves it, but the pieces just don't add up. For one thing, the true crime subplot is a very small portion of the book. It messes with the pace of the overall narrative and it feels like tacked on as opposed to an organic outgrowth of the rest of the book. As talented a writer as Swift is, the hiking portion begins to drag. Swift doesn't find the right balance of something being hard vs. something being miserable. Each chapter on his present-day hike comes off as masochism rather than striving towards an achievement.
The problem becomes that some aspects are a good read while others feel half-baked or go on too long without a hook. True crime readers won't get enough to keep them entertained. Avid hikers won't find much that is new to them. This is just a case of a good writer not finding the sweet spot.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Mariner Books.)
The basic set up is that Swift did a thru-hike way back when and now wants to do a second one in his 60s. He is taking it in different stages since he has way more responsibilities and also providing himself at least some comforts along the way like hotel stays. He is detailing this trip painstakingly and not cutting out either the good or bad. During the narrative, he will switch over to flashbacks of his first thru-hike. He also tells the story of a hiking couple whom he met briefly on his first thru-hike who were murdered by another hiker.
Does this sound like too much? I found it to be, unfortunately. I was able to hang in there for about half the book. Swift is a good writer, and that nearly saves it, but the pieces just don't add up. For one thing, the true crime subplot is a very small portion of the book. It messes with the pace of the overall narrative and it feels like tacked on as opposed to an organic outgrowth of the rest of the book. As talented a writer as Swift is, the hiking portion begins to drag. Swift doesn't find the right balance of something being hard vs. something being miserable. Each chapter on his present-day hike comes off as masochism rather than striving towards an achievement.
The problem becomes that some aspects are a good read while others feel half-baked or go on too long without a hook. True crime readers won't get enough to keep them entertained. Avid hikers won't find much that is new to them. This is just a case of a good writer not finding the sweet spot.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Mariner Books.)
August 27, 2026
This is really 2 very different books of different genres that may not necessarily have crossover appeal. The true-crime portion is riveting and includes interviews, insight, and analysis exclusive to the author and his first-hand perspective of the 1990 slayings of Geoff Hood and Mollie Larue. This alone makes for a fascinating read of a real-life tragedy with agonizing sub-plots.
The portion of the book that chronicles the author's two through-hikes of the Appalachian Trail probably has more limited appeal and dominates the bulk of the narrative. As far as backpacking stories go, this one is masterfully narrated in Swift's clever and descriptive prose. Anyone with experience related to long-distance hiking will appreciate the detailed day-to-day travails told in a witty fashion. Specifically, if you have experience with the Appalachian trail and its culture, the people, places, and events will resonate in this trail journal brought to life.
The book loses a star in the attempt to weave the tales together. I don't necessarily like my hand to be held as I read and appreciate having to exercise my critical thinking skills to make connections, inferences, and follow time- and storylines. However, this book could have used a few more 'blazes' and signposts along the way to keep the reader from getting lost as the trail shifted among three narratives (2 through-hikes and the murders) that sometimes shared characters, settings, and other potentially confounding details. The author definitely kept us on our toes and entertained on journeys through nature that generally require visual stimuli to fully appreciate, but a casual reader could certainly be frustrated by the muddling of the stories.
The portion of the book that chronicles the author's two through-hikes of the Appalachian Trail probably has more limited appeal and dominates the bulk of the narrative. As far as backpacking stories go, this one is masterfully narrated in Swift's clever and descriptive prose. Anyone with experience related to long-distance hiking will appreciate the detailed day-to-day travails told in a witty fashion. Specifically, if you have experience with the Appalachian trail and its culture, the people, places, and events will resonate in this trail journal brought to life.
The book loses a star in the attempt to weave the tales together. I don't necessarily like my hand to be held as I read and appreciate having to exercise my critical thinking skills to make connections, inferences, and follow time- and storylines. However, this book could have used a few more 'blazes' and signposts along the way to keep the reader from getting lost as the trail shifted among three narratives (2 through-hikes and the murders) that sometimes shared characters, settings, and other potentially confounding details. The author definitely kept us on our toes and entertained on journeys through nature that generally require visual stimuli to fully appreciate, but a casual reader could certainly be frustrated by the muddling of the stories.
August 29, 2026
This book has an interesting structure, with the author comparing his 1990 hike and his 2024 hike, and offering A LOT of specific details for both. The earlier hike included the brutal murder of a young hiking couple, so that aspect gives the book a true-crime angle that the cynic in me felt, before reading it, may have been included to help sell books.
Having said that, the author met the couple during his 1990 hike, and he treats their memory and their lives with total respect. If anything, the book is valuable in the sense that it lets people like me know that people like them existed. Obviously it's hard to quantify how tragic any crime is compared to any other, but this one hit me especially hard as the book went on. This couple died in their mid-twenties with everything ahead of them, while the monster who took their lives stayed around until he was seventy. They were just a few years older than I was in 1990, but that is where their stories ended.
As for the hiking details of the book, Earl Swift offers great writing. Maybe a bit more detail than I wanted at times, but that's a me problem. Most people probably want the kind of specifics that make them feel like they're taking each step and tasting each bite of food (so much food detail.) It just dragged a little for me in some parts.
I still have zero desire to do this kind of hike, but after reading this I feel like I understand much better what it takes to accomplish it.
Having said that, the author met the couple during his 1990 hike, and he treats their memory and their lives with total respect. If anything, the book is valuable in the sense that it lets people like me know that people like them existed. Obviously it's hard to quantify how tragic any crime is compared to any other, but this one hit me especially hard as the book went on. This couple died in their mid-twenties with everything ahead of them, while the monster who took their lives stayed around until he was seventy. They were just a few years older than I was in 1990, but that is where their stories ended.
As for the hiking details of the book, Earl Swift offers great writing. Maybe a bit more detail than I wanted at times, but that's a me problem. Most people probably want the kind of specifics that make them feel like they're taking each step and tasting each bite of food (so much food detail.) It just dragged a little for me in some parts.
I still have zero desire to do this kind of hike, but after reading this I feel like I understand much better what it takes to accomplish it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As an avid hiker, I was excited to read this new book about the famous Appalachian Trail. However, I found it a bit disappointing.
The author claims to be an experienced outdoorsman, yet I was perplexed by his rookie mistakes and the fact that he mostly describes his meals and comfortable accommodations along the way. He stays in hotels, huts, and shelters instead of camping in the wilderness. These are not the kinds of things I look for, either in books or on my own adventures. The true crime part, which created a narrative arc, was the least interesting to me.
Ultimately, I'm unsure whom I should recommend this book to. If you're not into hiking, the long descriptions of the mundane realities of the walk will leave you bored. And if you're looking for inspiration as a nature lover, you won't find much of it here.
Thanks to the publisher, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
The author claims to be an experienced outdoorsman, yet I was perplexed by his rookie mistakes and the fact that he mostly describes his meals and comfortable accommodations along the way. He stays in hotels, huts, and shelters instead of camping in the wilderness. These are not the kinds of things I look for, either in books or on my own adventures. The true crime part, which created a narrative arc, was the least interesting to me.
Ultimately, I'm unsure whom I should recommend this book to. If you're not into hiking, the long descriptions of the mundane realities of the walk will leave you bored. And if you're looking for inspiration as a nature lover, you won't find much of it here.
Thanks to the publisher, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5 rounded to 3⭐️
Seasoned thru-hiker and lover of nature seeks to find closure on the Appalachian trail 30 years after a senseless murder on the trail.
There are a lot of good things about this book. It's paced in a way that keeps it almost meditative, like you're hiking with him. However the time jumps and story jumps are often subtle and sudden—his current hike, his 1990 hike, the crime and leading up to it, other anecdotes— leading to having to re-read and re-orient oneself. I think he tried to do a bit too much in these pages. Between trail anecdotes, explanations, and moments of wonder, there's also a tragic story that even after reading the whole thing I can say I still don't know much about. I now know a lot about how thru-hike food prep and calorie maintenance works though.
**I received my copy from Netgalley.
Seasoned thru-hiker and lover of nature seeks to find closure on the Appalachian trail 30 years after a senseless murder on the trail.
There are a lot of good things about this book. It's paced in a way that keeps it almost meditative, like you're hiking with him. However the time jumps and story jumps are often subtle and sudden—his current hike, his 1990 hike, the crime and leading up to it, other anecdotes— leading to having to re-read and re-orient oneself. I think he tried to do a bit too much in these pages. Between trail anecdotes, explanations, and moments of wonder, there's also a tragic story that even after reading the whole thing I can say I still don't know much about. I now know a lot about how thru-hike food prep and calorie maintenance works though.
**I received my copy from Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Up On Cove Mountain was an adventurous and reflective read. I enjoyed reading about the Appalachian Trail hikes, as I’ve often heard about them from my parents, who like to watch Youtube videos about them. I don’t hike myself, but I did learn more about what it takes to travel by foot and the problems that can occur. I was also shocked by the murders but relieved that the author is respectful of the victims when mourning a tragedy.
My only criticism is that the timeline jumps around a little too much.
Overall, it was an interesting read. I recommend it to hikers and travel fans.
Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC(advanced reader copy) in return for an honest review.
My only criticism is that the timeline jumps around a little too much.
Overall, it was an interesting read. I recommend it to hikers and travel fans.
Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC(advanced reader copy) in return for an honest review.
August 26, 2026
I’ll read (and enjoy) almost any AT memoir, as I did this one. What I will say about Swift’s effort is that his connection and coverage of the crimes is loose at best, and feels more like an over zealous publisher looking for an angle than a true desire to couch his time on the AT in a terrible crime. The murders don’t much play into this story—not nearly as much as Swift’s meals, sleeping arrangements, and quantity of water do. If you want perspective on the AT, 30 years ago to now, this is a great book. If you want grisly details, look elsewhere.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book was amazing! I felt like I was hiking the Appalachian Trail myself, both in the 90s and more recently. I have always wondered what it’s like and I really feel like I have an idea now. I also was grateful to hear the story of Molly and Geoff and how what happened to them impacted everyone that knew them. I had never heard of that case but learned so much from this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 28, 2026
Swift hiked the AP in 1990 and again in 2025. He flips between the two adventures, detailing encounters with such a wide variety of fascinating characters. One of the prevailing threads throughout the book is the ferocious murder of two young hikers in 1990 whom he had met along the way. Their story, the manhunt, and subsequent trial stands out, if for no other reason than the profound impact it had on all the hikers in that 1990 season.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a free copy of, Up on Cove Mountain, by Earl Swift, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Earl Swift has backpacked The Appalachian Trail, twice, which is two times more than most people. I thought this was an informative read on the Appalachian Trails, but it didnt seem he was really roughing it where he spent his nights.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was mostly a hiker’s journey on the Appalachian Trail. The author did it first back in 1990, when the murder of a couple of fellow hikers he briefly met jarred his outlook. He does the hike again 30 years later and recounts how it was and felt to him later in life. I’ve enjoyed trail books before, this is a first with a murder.
August 21, 2026
Earl Swift takes on a journey back in time and forward in time, a reckoning with events that happened in his first through-hike in 1990 while he was in his 30s, to his latest hike in his 60s. He wrestles with the ghosts of that early hike and shows us why the AT endures as people search for meaning and enlightenment. The book also is a meditation on randomness and dumb luck. Highly recommend.
August 22, 2026
I was fascinated by the descriptions as well as details of the historic murder, but I felt redundancy build a little in describing repacking from mail drops, or the quality of the campsites. Although, MAYBE that was intended to give the contrast between the glorious beauty experienced wrapped in the monotony of completing this trek
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I loved this book and found it difficult to put down. Anyone who enjoys a good hike will appreciate this book.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Up on Cove Mountain tells an interesting story of hiking adventure and murder on the trail.
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