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On the Beaten Path: An Appalachian Pilgrimage
The author, an overweight burned-out journalist, records his physical and spiritual journey as he travels the 2000-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine--a six month pilgrimage that, ultimately, renews his life.
233 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
13 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
About the author
Robert Alden Rubin
7 books4 followersRobert Alden Rubin was born in 1958, in Roanoke, Virginia, and grew up in Chapel Hill. His education includes a B.A. in Studio Art from Kenyon College, an M.A. in Creative Writing from Hollins University, and a Ph.D in English Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill. He has worked as editor of Carolina Quarterly and as senior editor at Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Professionally, he’s been a journalist, editor, and writing teacher at The George Washington University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Meredith College. Published creative work by him includes two edited anthologies of poetry (Poetry Out Loud [1993] and Love Poetry Out Loud [2006]), a book of literary nonfiction (On the Beaten Path: An Appalachian Pilgrimage [2000]), and a smattering of poetry in literary magazines. He won the 2015 Allen Tate Poetry Prize from Sewanee Review. He presently works as a freelance writer/editor, and lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC, where he serves on the vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
June 16, 2012
I finished On the Beaten Path recently and have to say it's one of the most lyrical books on the AT experience I've ever read. I love Rubin's writing, as I should, since he was an editor before hitting the trail and made the journey after becoming disillusioned with his job, along with the difficulties editors face, which I know first hand. Slogging through lots of stories to find the gems and then once you do so, the pain of writing rejection letters, and even having to reject good writing simply because there's no room.
Rubin's descriptions are poetic and vibrant, his approaches change as he is transformed by the trip and the spiritual nature, not in any heavy handed way, more the way one feels when they stand at a summit in awe of the vision stretched out before, above and below them. He can translate this into words and therefore into our minds and hearts. This is a book I'll read over and over. It is an end-to- end, shelter by shelter NOBO relating of the trek, which at this point in educating myself about the trail, I enjoy. It makes it easier for me to look up sections as Loner goes through each particular area so I can imagine what he's seeing.
The human story is just as vivid as the nature and travel experience. Rubin honestly accounts the confusion and unsettled discomfort he feels and which drives him to the trail, despite the fact it is a hardship on his wife. We are allowed to come to an understanding, as he does, of how each hiker is transformed by the experience and via a ripple effect so are those in their lives. This remarkable weaving of many perspectives of the Trail helps us understands why some people "need" to make this journey. Some may see it as an escapist act, but in the larger vision, it is not a running away from the world but a running towards the true north authentic self.I agree with Bryson in looking at the attempted thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail as a sort of pilgrimage, something each culture needs as a sort of initiation, a coming to terms of what's important and how one must be transformed, an act which minds like Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell considered imperative to the growth of each person.
While not as irreverent as Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods", Rubin's book still has its funny bits, and while not as detailed as David Miller's book AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, with it's organized info, I found On the Beaten Path less dry for a non hiker who is looking more for a story than for a tool to use to plan a hike.
So far, I think Rubin's book is my favorite on the Appalachian Trail, a profound story on both an inner and outer level, of what he calls a pilgrimage. Rubin masterfully blends the powerful encounters of human nature and Mother Nature into a vivid portrayal of this monumental task.
Rubin's descriptions are poetic and vibrant, his approaches change as he is transformed by the trip and the spiritual nature, not in any heavy handed way, more the way one feels when they stand at a summit in awe of the vision stretched out before, above and below them. He can translate this into words and therefore into our minds and hearts. This is a book I'll read over and over. It is an end-to- end, shelter by shelter NOBO relating of the trek, which at this point in educating myself about the trail, I enjoy. It makes it easier for me to look up sections as Loner goes through each particular area so I can imagine what he's seeing.
The human story is just as vivid as the nature and travel experience. Rubin honestly accounts the confusion and unsettled discomfort he feels and which drives him to the trail, despite the fact it is a hardship on his wife. We are allowed to come to an understanding, as he does, of how each hiker is transformed by the experience and via a ripple effect so are those in their lives. This remarkable weaving of many perspectives of the Trail helps us understands why some people "need" to make this journey. Some may see it as an escapist act, but in the larger vision, it is not a running away from the world but a running towards the true north authentic self.I agree with Bryson in looking at the attempted thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail as a sort of pilgrimage, something each culture needs as a sort of initiation, a coming to terms of what's important and how one must be transformed, an act which minds like Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell considered imperative to the growth of each person.
While not as irreverent as Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods", Rubin's book still has its funny bits, and while not as detailed as David Miller's book AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, with it's organized info, I found On the Beaten Path less dry for a non hiker who is looking more for a story than for a tool to use to plan a hike.
So far, I think Rubin's book is my favorite on the Appalachian Trail, a profound story on both an inner and outer level, of what he calls a pilgrimage. Rubin masterfully blends the powerful encounters of human nature and Mother Nature into a vivid portrayal of this monumental task.
April 13, 2018
I've read a number of books written by people who hiked the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. They all seem to be at a crisis point in their lives. Some have lost a job, or simply gotten sick of their job and quit (as in Robert Alden Rubin's case). Some have gotten a divorce or their spouse had died recently. For anyone who is over about 25 or so, it seems it would take a pretty powerful motivation to spend six months walking up to 20 miles or more every day through all kinds of weather.
For Rubin, his choice to hike the AT seems to be a way to avoid making a decision about his future. He hated his job as an editor of nonfiction books at a publishing company and so he quit. His wife Cathy understood that, I think, but when Rubin decided to spend six months walking the AT, leaving Cathy to hold hearth and home together, she was not quite as understanding. Frankly, I was surprised they were still married by the time Rubin wrote the epilogue, seven months after he had finished walking the AT. They were taking separate vacations at that time, so who knows what the future holds for them?
The main reason I gave this book two stars instead of my standard three (readable with minimal flaws) is that for large portions of the book, reading was a hard slog. It becomes very obvious that Rubin's work as an editor of nonfiction books influenced his writing, despite the fact that he has a degree in creative writing. In other books I have read about thruhikers on these 2,000-mile trails, their personal journey is as important as their physical journey. Rubin ends his trek without coming to any conclusion about his life and in fact when he wrote the epilogue seven months later he still didn't have a job.
The author information on the book jacket states that Rubin now works as a senior editor for the Appalachian Trail Conference, which seems like an ideal job for him. It required a move from Florida to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. One has to wonder how his wife felt about that. I imagine she was glad that he got a job. Please note I realize that the relationship between the author and his wife is none of my business, but he wrote extensively about it in the book so it is natural to speculate about whether they were able to find a middle ground and work out their differences.
For most people it seems these extremely long thruhikes bring about a fundamental change in their lives and even their character. For Rubin, it seems to have brought out something that was already there, simmering underneath. I would recommend this book only for diehard thruhiker fans. I fear I am becoming one - a fan, that is, unfortunately I am too old and have too many health problems to be more than an armchair hiker.
For Rubin, his choice to hike the AT seems to be a way to avoid making a decision about his future. He hated his job as an editor of nonfiction books at a publishing company and so he quit. His wife Cathy understood that, I think, but when Rubin decided to spend six months walking the AT, leaving Cathy to hold hearth and home together, she was not quite as understanding. Frankly, I was surprised they were still married by the time Rubin wrote the epilogue, seven months after he had finished walking the AT. They were taking separate vacations at that time, so who knows what the future holds for them?
The main reason I gave this book two stars instead of my standard three (readable with minimal flaws) is that for large portions of the book, reading was a hard slog. It becomes very obvious that Rubin's work as an editor of nonfiction books influenced his writing, despite the fact that he has a degree in creative writing. In other books I have read about thruhikers on these 2,000-mile trails, their personal journey is as important as their physical journey. Rubin ends his trek without coming to any conclusion about his life and in fact when he wrote the epilogue seven months later he still didn't have a job.
The author information on the book jacket states that Rubin now works as a senior editor for the Appalachian Trail Conference, which seems like an ideal job for him. It required a move from Florida to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. One has to wonder how his wife felt about that. I imagine she was glad that he got a job. Please note I realize that the relationship between the author and his wife is none of my business, but he wrote extensively about it in the book so it is natural to speculate about whether they were able to find a middle ground and work out their differences.
For most people it seems these extremely long thruhikes bring about a fundamental change in their lives and even their character. For Rubin, it seems to have brought out something that was already there, simmering underneath. I would recommend this book only for diehard thruhiker fans. I fear I am becoming one - a fan, that is, unfortunately I am too old and have too many health problems to be more than an armchair hiker.
October 11, 2021
I enjoyed this one a ton. I actually liked it much more than A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It is more honest and introspective. It is about the author's inner journey as much as his outer journey. He lost about 75 pounds on the trail as well so he physically transformed as a result of his hike. It is a nice, simple, honest story about challenge and personal growth.
March 26, 2017
Robert Alden Rubin is a talented writer. He writes fluidly, sometimes lyrically, and always with the competence of a professional. His writing style seems to aspire to what writers call 'literary' prose. An author whose writing has literary quality is one who could write about a toilet plunger and keep the reader enthralled. The interest is in the fresh turn of phrase, the crafting of simple ideas into vivid experiences that jump off the page, the music and flow of the sentences, the emotional vice grip of the story.
Does an Appalachian Trail hike memoir lend itself to literary prose? Rubin thought he'd give it a try.
Here's the background. Robert Alden Rubin is a professional in the writing industry. He holds creative writing degrees from two colleges. He worked as an editor for a national trade publisher. He has edited a National Best Seller. But his editing job was becoming increasingly unsatisfying to him--even burdensome. It appears he was having trouble keeping up with the demands and pressures of his responsibilities. Maybe it was just a mid-life crisis, or maybe he had come up against his personal limit of competence. Or maybe the routine was just beginning to bore him. Whatever the reason, Rubin decided to quit his editing job and hike the Appalachian Trail--to embark on what he describes as a personal pilgrimage.
And not surprisingly he wrote a book about it.
The pilgrimage theme is Rubin's attempt at encasing the story in a single narrative arc. Yet by his own admission, he could never quite put his finger on what the object of that pilgrimage was supposed to be. It's not like the Hajj, where personal and community meaning is created, clarified, affirmed, and reinforced in a time-honored crescendo of spiritual energy. The AT is no Mecca, and Katahdin is no Ka'aba. The Appalachian Trail pilgrims have as many diverse reasons for making the journey as there are religions. Even on a personal level, Rubin confesses that the process of hiking doesn't lend itself to deep reflection and doesn't lead to any personal clarity. Instead it effectively forces the hiker to set aside the personal quest for the meaning of 'real life' in favor of the trail-life's much more elemental daily struggle to overcome pain, cold, hunger, thirst and exhaustion. So the over-riding narrative arc of Rubin's story comes off as less than compelling - no vice-grip here.
One of the things Rubin does relatively effectively (for a male) is to invite the reader into his emotional inner workings and the turmoil that is there. Rubin knows he is hurting his wife with his irresponsible decision to quit his job and then to physically abandon her in favor of the trail. But he just hurts too much inside to do otherwise--he has to get away. He never goes so far as to say he 'needs some space', and maybe that's my cliched interpretation, but in any case, he makes abundantly clear that he loves and misses his wife but is not willing to abandon his pilgrimage. Yet even here the emotional arc is less than riveting. Rubin and his wife have no falling out. She travels to visit him throughout the journey and he reveals that she has a good government job at which she is excelling. By the end of the book, when he has returned home but has failed to find a new job after seven months, I began to question whether he was little more than a freeloader in the relationship. So in the end, the emotional narrative doesn't endear the reader or inspire any empathy - no vice-grip here either.
On a chapter-by-chapter level Rubin alternates between direct description of his hike and a series of passages that encompass a 'bigger picture'. Many of these passages describe the psychological or cultural backdrop of the hiking experience, a few are flashbacks to his life before the trail, and many more are intended to add historical and physical context to his hike, describing the setting. There are passages about the Civil War as related to Harper's Ferry and the Mason-Dixon line, about Walt Whitman and Thoreau, about geology and the Appalachian 'Great Valley,' etc. These serve to add spice to the telling of his tale, and each such vignette is very well written. But the net effect of these digressions does not depend on the quality of the prose; and to me the fact that he goes to great effort to write them in a literary style only distracts. These passages tend to draw attention to themselves rather than blend into the story. I asked above: "Does an Appalachian Trail hike memoir lend itself to literary prose?" The answer seems to be "no".
Bottom line: 'On the Beaten Path' is a good quality book about hiking the Appalachian Trail, and the author's skill at writing prose is abundantly evident. But the disconnect between these two elements makes the whole, in this case, a little less than the sum of its parts.
Does an Appalachian Trail hike memoir lend itself to literary prose? Rubin thought he'd give it a try.
Here's the background. Robert Alden Rubin is a professional in the writing industry. He holds creative writing degrees from two colleges. He worked as an editor for a national trade publisher. He has edited a National Best Seller. But his editing job was becoming increasingly unsatisfying to him--even burdensome. It appears he was having trouble keeping up with the demands and pressures of his responsibilities. Maybe it was just a mid-life crisis, or maybe he had come up against his personal limit of competence. Or maybe the routine was just beginning to bore him. Whatever the reason, Rubin decided to quit his editing job and hike the Appalachian Trail--to embark on what he describes as a personal pilgrimage.
And not surprisingly he wrote a book about it.
The pilgrimage theme is Rubin's attempt at encasing the story in a single narrative arc. Yet by his own admission, he could never quite put his finger on what the object of that pilgrimage was supposed to be. It's not like the Hajj, where personal and community meaning is created, clarified, affirmed, and reinforced in a time-honored crescendo of spiritual energy. The AT is no Mecca, and Katahdin is no Ka'aba. The Appalachian Trail pilgrims have as many diverse reasons for making the journey as there are religions. Even on a personal level, Rubin confesses that the process of hiking doesn't lend itself to deep reflection and doesn't lead to any personal clarity. Instead it effectively forces the hiker to set aside the personal quest for the meaning of 'real life' in favor of the trail-life's much more elemental daily struggle to overcome pain, cold, hunger, thirst and exhaustion. So the over-riding narrative arc of Rubin's story comes off as less than compelling - no vice-grip here.
One of the things Rubin does relatively effectively (for a male) is to invite the reader into his emotional inner workings and the turmoil that is there. Rubin knows he is hurting his wife with his irresponsible decision to quit his job and then to physically abandon her in favor of the trail. But he just hurts too much inside to do otherwise--he has to get away. He never goes so far as to say he 'needs some space', and maybe that's my cliched interpretation, but in any case, he makes abundantly clear that he loves and misses his wife but is not willing to abandon his pilgrimage. Yet even here the emotional arc is less than riveting. Rubin and his wife have no falling out. She travels to visit him throughout the journey and he reveals that she has a good government job at which she is excelling. By the end of the book, when he has returned home but has failed to find a new job after seven months, I began to question whether he was little more than a freeloader in the relationship. So in the end, the emotional narrative doesn't endear the reader or inspire any empathy - no vice-grip here either.
On a chapter-by-chapter level Rubin alternates between direct description of his hike and a series of passages that encompass a 'bigger picture'. Many of these passages describe the psychological or cultural backdrop of the hiking experience, a few are flashbacks to his life before the trail, and many more are intended to add historical and physical context to his hike, describing the setting. There are passages about the Civil War as related to Harper's Ferry and the Mason-Dixon line, about Walt Whitman and Thoreau, about geology and the Appalachian 'Great Valley,' etc. These serve to add spice to the telling of his tale, and each such vignette is very well written. But the net effect of these digressions does not depend on the quality of the prose; and to me the fact that he goes to great effort to write them in a literary style only distracts. These passages tend to draw attention to themselves rather than blend into the story. I asked above: "Does an Appalachian Trail hike memoir lend itself to literary prose?" The answer seems to be "no".
Bottom line: 'On the Beaten Path' is a good quality book about hiking the Appalachian Trail, and the author's skill at writing prose is abundantly evident. But the disconnect between these two elements makes the whole, in this case, a little less than the sum of its parts.
February 14, 2015
I loved this book. Maybe even more then I loved Bryson's similar work "A Walk in the Woods." And I really loved that book when I read it many years ago. Rubin's book came out shortly after Bryson's and never got the acclaim. But his writing is lyrical (His trail name was the Rhyming Worm.) and thoughtful, sometimes funny, mostly not so much. Just really nice. I didn't want it to end.
But it did..and here's his take on why some people dream the big dream of walking the whole Appalachian Trail, why so many head out to find something in themselves: "Perhaps, all along, we have been dreaming of wilderness, of that most primeval of stories. If you go to the wilderness, if you climb to the mountaintop, if you sail away to the forest savage, surely an answer will present itself."
If you liked Bill Bryson, give this a try. If you've never read Bill Bryson give this a try. If somewhere in the back of your mind you have a dream that seems a bit outlandish read this book. I think you'll find out that dreams can come true.
But it did..and here's his take on why some people dream the big dream of walking the whole Appalachian Trail, why so many head out to find something in themselves: "Perhaps, all along, we have been dreaming of wilderness, of that most primeval of stories. If you go to the wilderness, if you climb to the mountaintop, if you sail away to the forest savage, surely an answer will present itself."
If you liked Bill Bryson, give this a try. If you've never read Bill Bryson give this a try. If somewhere in the back of your mind you have a dream that seems a bit outlandish read this book. I think you'll find out that dreams can come true.
December 14, 2011
Robert Rubin works at a publishing company in North Carolina. After struggling with his career for a number of years, he decides to quit his job and hike the Appalachian Trail. While it sounds like a reasonable idea, the fact that Rubin has a wife, dog and a mortgage muddies the water some. This is the story of his own personal struggles and how he seeks to work them out on the AT.
Having read 7 other memoirs of the Appalachian Trail, I still found this book a wonderful read. The writing is outstanding. The author does an great job of weaving together the components of his own story with facts about the trail. He is fairly open and honest (without giving out any real details that might take the focus of the hike) about some of the struggles of his personal life - the thing that has drawn him to the trail.
Super story!
Having read 7 other memoirs of the Appalachian Trail, I still found this book a wonderful read. The writing is outstanding. The author does an great job of weaving together the components of his own story with facts about the trail. He is fairly open and honest (without giving out any real details that might take the focus of the hike) about some of the struggles of his personal life - the thing that has drawn him to the trail.
Super story!
February 13, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes lyrical, always
funny, well written.
I am a real fan of walking adventures and this is one
of my favorites.
funny, well written.
I am a real fan of walking adventures and this is one
of my favorites.
June 27, 2021
Fun, lyrical account of a guy who decides to quit his job as an editor and hike the AT. I found myself drawn to his beautiful descriptions of some sections of the AT that I have hiked and longing to hike some sections I have not. It does not have me wanting to thru-hike! It is interesting that after his thru-hike he was led to become an editor for the Appalachian Trail Conference for 5 years where he could directly impact and improve their maps and guidebooks!
July 14, 2020
This was the 1st AT Thru-hike book I read. Checked it out at the local library.
What I really loved about this book is that it's a chronicle of an AT Thru-hike pre-cellphone, pre-Social Media & almost pre-INTERNET but definitely pre-INTERNET 'as we know it now'. Reading about some of the Hiker Hostels that aren't really around anymore but as also knowing about things that exist now that this book pre-dates makes this book interesting.
What I hated about this book was how much of the Appalachian Trail Thru-hike he seems to skip or gloss over. Even the preparation & research for gear, I would have loved to read more about, because that seems part of the process now. And some of the milestones & trail towns one comes across on an AT Thru-hike seems to be absent. A more detailed book would have made for a longer book but knowing more about how the AT was in the 90's & reading more about Traditional Hiking tidbits would have been enjoyable for me to read. I also did not like the "drama" b/w him & his wife, that was kind of annoying. Not sure if it was meant to add to the narrative or what.
YouTube AT Thru-hike Documentary videos can kind of spoil books like these now because after watching a few of those you get a basic understanding of what an AT Thru-hike is like, more or less. But some of the typical AT Thru-hike things he incurred, especially socially with other Hikers, was instructive. I do plan on re-reading this book if I ever am lucky to embark on an AT Thru-hike.
What I really loved about this book is that it's a chronicle of an AT Thru-hike pre-cellphone, pre-Social Media & almost pre-INTERNET but definitely pre-INTERNET 'as we know it now'. Reading about some of the Hiker Hostels that aren't really around anymore but as also knowing about things that exist now that this book pre-dates makes this book interesting.
What I hated about this book was how much of the Appalachian Trail Thru-hike he seems to skip or gloss over. Even the preparation & research for gear, I would have loved to read more about, because that seems part of the process now. And some of the milestones & trail towns one comes across on an AT Thru-hike seems to be absent. A more detailed book would have made for a longer book but knowing more about how the AT was in the 90's & reading more about Traditional Hiking tidbits would have been enjoyable for me to read. I also did not like the "drama" b/w him & his wife, that was kind of annoying. Not sure if it was meant to add to the narrative or what.
YouTube AT Thru-hike Documentary videos can kind of spoil books like these now because after watching a few of those you get a basic understanding of what an AT Thru-hike is like, more or less. But some of the typical AT Thru-hike things he incurred, especially socially with other Hikers, was instructive. I do plan on re-reading this book if I ever am lucky to embark on an AT Thru-hike.
March 19, 2017
I looked forward to reading this book, and for the most part, enjoyed it. The author did a lot of research and I liked reading about the history and geography of the AT...for a while. However, the book started to get a little slow and I started skimming. The biggest disappointment, though, was that throughout the book the author talked about giving up everything and hiking the trail, searching for something in his life. But (spoiler alert), by the end of the book, I still didn't know what he was searching for and whether he found it. After all he put himself and his wife through, he could've at least told me what happened after he went off trail. Disappointing!!!
September 5, 2013
This is my third AT book, so many of the place names are familiar. He quits his job as a fiction editor (and doesn't know who Kilgore Trout is? Really?) and goes on this hike for 6 months. It causes a lot of friction in his marriage and frankly I'm surprised that his wife didn't dump him because she was so ticked off.
I think he needed the time to get his head on straight, but perhaps there was a better way to work it out with his wife beforehand.
I think he needed the time to get his head on straight, but perhaps there was a better way to work it out with his wife beforehand.
June 29, 2015
This was a beautifully written book and when I had time to read, I would find it hard to put down. I truly felt as if I was with the 'rhyming worm' on his hike. I found myself ear-marking pages that had wonderful statements that I wanted to come back and read again. Thank you to Robert Rubin for including us in his adventure. "The lesson that the Appalachian Trail teaches is that one must simply take one step, then the next, then the next, and keep moving forward".
April 6, 2013
My obsession with the AT has been fueled even more. Good trail narrative but I'm bummed he lost 75 pounds, then gained it all back. I'm not trying to judge, but one of the messages for the AT for me is healthy living.
July 30, 2013
Having wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail I was interested in learning what one goes endures hiking for 2000 miles for 6 months. Robert Alden Rubin made is interesting and I leaned a great deal. In fact I learned that I'm not going to attempt it at my age!!! but would have liked to.
Read
February 28, 2018I did not enjoy this. I saw no hope in the main character and the trail report was not as poetically written as I would expect from a poet. I wanted more from his relationship with his family and was definitely left lacking.
January 13, 2008
This is a little different than the standard AT thru-hike journal, as Rubin is actually a good writer. Still, nothing extraordinary.
December 13, 2009
I've had this book a long time and just re-read it recently. I always love a good appalachian trail book.
Seems like I'm rereading every book in my house this year!
Seems like I'm rereading every book in my house this year!
August 15, 2012
I'm now a bit more nervous about section-hiking the AT. So much about mice! Eeek!
Disappointed that he didn't honestly thruhike the entire thing.
Disappointed that he didn't honestly thruhike the entire thing.
March 4, 2014
Great book for the learning about the Appalachian Trail thruhiker sub-culture! Wished I could have enjoyed Robert's personal journey a bit more.
September 5, 2018
Rhymin' Worm
February 4, 2020
Did not enjoy it as much as some of the other AT books I have read over the years.
November 2, 2021
Rubin's descriptions are poetic and lyrical and he was transformed by the trip in a spiritual sense, similar to how you might feel when you see a breathtaking sunset and are in awe of the vision stretched out before you.
The author's story is just as compelling as his descriptions of the nature and travel experience. Rubin shares his confusion and guilt quitting his job and leaving his wife behind for six months. He s an example of how each hiker is transformed by the experience. He weaves his story with the stories of others he meets to explain why some people "need" to make this journey. It is not a running away from the world but a running towards something much larger and authentic.
I loved this book and may like it better than Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Both authors were professional writers but while Bryson was sarcastic and sometimes pompous, Rubin’s writing is lyrical (His trail name was the Rhyming Worm.) and thoughtful. I didn’t want it to end.
But it did and here's his thought on why some people dream of walking the entire Appalachian Trail. "Perhaps, all along, we have been dreaming of wilderness, of that most primeval of stories. If you go to the wilderness, if you climb to the mountaintop, if you sail away to the forest savage, surely an answer will present itself." At a time when so many old stories seem hollow, something quickens in the blood when we hear of people hiking the AT. It reminds us of the stories we grew up with in our history books: Pilgrims, Oregon Trail blazers, Lewis & Clark, and Daniel Boone.
Excerpts:
“The first pilgrim to hike entire App Trail was ex-soldier from WWII in 1948 who walked to escape the horrors and his depression. By 1972 only 36 people had completed the 2,170 miles.
Hazards throughout Georgia and S & NC: breaking an ankle or leg by slipping on lichen-bearded rocks or moss-slick ledges.
The ground underfoot becomes like a character in the story of your hike, its personality changing from ridge to ridge, valley to valley.
Atop the ridge in upstate New York lies a pile of dead trees like skeletons of fallen soldiers after a battle.
Atop Mount Washington, where he camped in late September, the temps were in the 20s at night with wind at 80 mph.
Few visitors to Disney expect their lives to be changed; after they’ve been beguiled, they climb back into their cards and drive home. It’s all most of us have come to expect in the age of information and entertainment: a brief diversion. But in the woods, you find Katahdin: a real, solid, solitary and so beautiful it can break your heart
The author's story is just as compelling as his descriptions of the nature and travel experience. Rubin shares his confusion and guilt quitting his job and leaving his wife behind for six months. He s an example of how each hiker is transformed by the experience. He weaves his story with the stories of others he meets to explain why some people "need" to make this journey. It is not a running away from the world but a running towards something much larger and authentic.
I loved this book and may like it better than Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Both authors were professional writers but while Bryson was sarcastic and sometimes pompous, Rubin’s writing is lyrical (His trail name was the Rhyming Worm.) and thoughtful. I didn’t want it to end.
But it did and here's his thought on why some people dream of walking the entire Appalachian Trail. "Perhaps, all along, we have been dreaming of wilderness, of that most primeval of stories. If you go to the wilderness, if you climb to the mountaintop, if you sail away to the forest savage, surely an answer will present itself." At a time when so many old stories seem hollow, something quickens in the blood when we hear of people hiking the AT. It reminds us of the stories we grew up with in our history books: Pilgrims, Oregon Trail blazers, Lewis & Clark, and Daniel Boone.
Excerpts:
“The first pilgrim to hike entire App Trail was ex-soldier from WWII in 1948 who walked to escape the horrors and his depression. By 1972 only 36 people had completed the 2,170 miles.
Hazards throughout Georgia and S & NC: breaking an ankle or leg by slipping on lichen-bearded rocks or moss-slick ledges.
The ground underfoot becomes like a character in the story of your hike, its personality changing from ridge to ridge, valley to valley.
Atop the ridge in upstate New York lies a pile of dead trees like skeletons of fallen soldiers after a battle.
Atop Mount Washington, where he camped in late September, the temps were in the 20s at night with wind at 80 mph.
Few visitors to Disney expect their lives to be changed; after they’ve been beguiled, they climb back into their cards and drive home. It’s all most of us have come to expect in the age of information and entertainment: a brief diversion. But in the woods, you find Katahdin: a real, solid, solitary and so beautiful it can break your heart
May 29, 2024
Based on the author’s educational and professional background you’d expect the book to be well written - and it is. Much more so than other A.T. books I’ve read. Overall I rate it a five star, but the reader needs to understand a few things. If you have no prior knowledge of the AT then you’ll get from the author more than an account of his trail experience. You’ll get some history and some geology knowledge as well. But if all you want is his trail exploits then you’ll be skipping a lot of paragraphs and pages. If you want both, you’ll certainly get it.
I did enjoy the read, and kudos to the author for hiking the trail. Quite an accomplishment! But one negative (and this is clearly opinion) is that he takes a bit of a negative tone at times but I appreciate the honesty. Let’s face it, when you spend six months on the trail, you’ll have some negative emotions at times and I appreciate that he shared them. This is his account, of his hike, and I give him credit for telling his tale honestly.
Again, five stars overall and I would be interested in reading more of his writing.
Oh, and for perspective on my review. I’m in mid 60s, I’ve hiked for decades, I’ve spent over 2-1/2 years sleeping in a tent, but never for more than 5 days at a time, hiked a small chunk of the AT but certainly not as a thru hiker …. But I dream of thru hiking . At this point, it probably won’t happen.
I did enjoy the read, and kudos to the author for hiking the trail. Quite an accomplishment! But one negative (and this is clearly opinion) is that he takes a bit of a negative tone at times but I appreciate the honesty. Let’s face it, when you spend six months on the trail, you’ll have some negative emotions at times and I appreciate that he shared them. This is his account, of his hike, and I give him credit for telling his tale honestly.
Again, five stars overall and I would be interested in reading more of his writing.
Oh, and for perspective on my review. I’m in mid 60s, I’ve hiked for decades, I’ve spent over 2-1/2 years sleeping in a tent, but never for more than 5 days at a time, hiked a small chunk of the AT but certainly not as a thru hiker …. But I dream of thru hiking . At this point, it probably won’t happen.
March 6, 2018
Most AT thruhike memoirs have this formula - start in Springer, have lots of pages about the pain of the trail, talk about the people who dropped out, have a couple thoughts about society (don't work desk jobs! don't pay taxes! hiking is great!) and get to Katahdin, often without any mention of the landscape itself.
This is not one of those memoirs.
As an AT enthusiast, this book is now my "go-to" for showing people why a thruhike is truly magical. Rubin is a great writer - it comes, in part, from his M.A. at Hollins University and his many years of work as a book editor. As a result, this book reads beautifully: it weaves through all the mountains have to offer, stops to look at the scenery nearby, and gives you all of those long contemplations that people do have about their desk jobs, and what they are running away from, on the AT. Rubin is not one to say that his thruhike is without pain, but he is the only memoirist I have read that takes the time to reflect on it, recognize it was good, and focus on the positive parts of the trail. The result is a book that is both honest about the pitfalls of thruhiker culture in the late nineties, while showing that there is beauty, self-discovery and happiness to be found on the trail. I devoured this book in one sitting (and this is as a busy graduate student) because of how important it was.
This is not one of those memoirs.
As an AT enthusiast, this book is now my "go-to" for showing people why a thruhike is truly magical. Rubin is a great writer - it comes, in part, from his M.A. at Hollins University and his many years of work as a book editor. As a result, this book reads beautifully: it weaves through all the mountains have to offer, stops to look at the scenery nearby, and gives you all of those long contemplations that people do have about their desk jobs, and what they are running away from, on the AT. Rubin is not one to say that his thruhike is without pain, but he is the only memoirist I have read that takes the time to reflect on it, recognize it was good, and focus on the positive parts of the trail. The result is a book that is both honest about the pitfalls of thruhiker culture in the late nineties, while showing that there is beauty, self-discovery and happiness to be found on the trail. I devoured this book in one sitting (and this is as a busy graduate student) because of how important it was.
August 3, 2017
My husband read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. He said he felt like he was hiking the trail with the author and recommended that I read it with the hope that I would come to understand why he loves the AT so much.
The story was exciting and well paced. I very much enjoyed the other hikers and the trail nicknames. But, I had to force myself through the book because I couldn't stand the author. Basically, this guy hates his job and hates his suburban lifestyle. He thinks that if he quits his job and hits the AT for 6 months, he will find himself or figure out what is missing in his life. Unfortunately, he has a wife and a mortgage and other bothersome things adults are tied to. I couldn't get over this guy whining for two thousand miles about himself and his guilt at leaving his wife saddled with everything back home. He struck me as so self centered- why drop out of life for six months? Why not just take some Lexipro and therapy and look for another job? Yeah - these thoughts ruined the book for me. I appreciate the honesty, but I was too annoyed to enjoy the story.
The story was exciting and well paced. I very much enjoyed the other hikers and the trail nicknames. But, I had to force myself through the book because I couldn't stand the author. Basically, this guy hates his job and hates his suburban lifestyle. He thinks that if he quits his job and hits the AT for 6 months, he will find himself or figure out what is missing in his life. Unfortunately, he has a wife and a mortgage and other bothersome things adults are tied to. I couldn't get over this guy whining for two thousand miles about himself and his guilt at leaving his wife saddled with everything back home. He struck me as so self centered- why drop out of life for six months? Why not just take some Lexipro and therapy and look for another job? Yeah - these thoughts ruined the book for me. I appreciate the honesty, but I was too annoyed to enjoy the story.
November 28, 2017
Hands down one of my favorite books about the AT. Rubin describes the trail with a descriptive dialogue that makes it easy to read. His personal view about the trail and fellow thru-hikers makes you want to pack your gear and follow the blaze north.
This book also had me questioning Pamola...thank you kindly for letting me visit Katahdin.
Two sentences left me awestruck in this book...both of them would only make sense if you spent some time on the AT.
"That night the sky comes alive with the aurora borealis." ( Daicy Pond Campground)
"I watch as she looks carefully both ways, then steps forward strongly, crosses the road in a few strides, and, without hesitating, vanishes into the woods.
This book also had me questioning Pamola...thank you kindly for letting me visit Katahdin.
Two sentences left me awestruck in this book...both of them would only make sense if you spent some time on the AT.
"That night the sky comes alive with the aurora borealis." ( Daicy Pond Campground)
"I watch as she looks carefully both ways, then steps forward strongly, crosses the road in a few strides, and, without hesitating, vanishes into the woods.
August 23, 2021
Rubin is known for his humor in new locations. Sadly on this trip his book lacks any humor and worse, is misleading. Hiking the Appalachian trail is a pilgrimage for hundreds every year, and finishing the over 1000 mile trail is heralded as a major accomplishment. Rubin drops off the trail, takes months off, then joins the trail farther ahead. After finishing, he claims that he hiked the trail when in fact he did not. Many who hike the Trail view Rubin as, at worse, a lier, or better, a mere failure. Dozens of books exist from hikers who actually did hike the entire Trail and several are far more humorous.
October 2, 2025
A Walk in the Woods was the story that opened my eyes as far as the Appalachian Trail goes. I loved everything about it. So when I saw this book by a lesser-known author, written in the late 90s (at a time when I envisioned myself fit enough to attempt a 2,160-mile hike) I felt like I had to read more. What I liked was the style of writing - not overdone, and in a succinct 230-page hardcover. I wanted more about the mental and physical stamina it takes to commit to hiking the whole trail from April to October, not so much about the weirdos that one meets on such a journey. Still a great little travelogue.
February 15, 2021
A well written miserable book
If you’re looking to convince your spouse to not walk the AT I guess this works. It’s fairly well written. It may even be an accurate portrayal of a common experience.
It is also a story of a midlife crisis where a man abandons his wife for months while she holds her world together. It’s long on misery and short on wonder. Long on dates and mileages and wandering digressions, short on humanity.
There are a lot of books on the AT you can read. Try another.
If you’re looking to convince your spouse to not walk the AT I guess this works. It’s fairly well written. It may even be an accurate portrayal of a common experience.
It is also a story of a midlife crisis where a man abandons his wife for months while she holds her world together. It’s long on misery and short on wonder. Long on dates and mileages and wandering digressions, short on humanity.
There are a lot of books on the AT you can read. Try another.
February 2, 2024
Guy hikes Appalachian Trail book. Except the only person I felt anything for was his wife, who stayed home. I was surprised by the stand off-ish tone of the whole book even with the undercurrent of it being a type of pilgrimage. Everything felt glossed over; maybe it was his editing background that came thru too much but it was missing the depth of characters you usually root for in a great AT book.
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