Southbound

The Barefoot Sisters #1

by Lucy Letcher, Susan Letcher

Rarely will you find books that explore the human emotions of a long-distance trek so honestly and clearly. --Roger Williamson, Campmor, Inc. "Highly recommended." --trailsbib.blogspot.com From the "We stood for a moment before the venerable signpost marking the summit. Scored with graffiti and the constant onslaught of weather, it stands perhaps three feet high, a wooden A-frame painted Forest Service brown with recessed white
KATAHDIN 5268 ft.
Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail
Below this were a few Thoreau Spring, 1.0, Katahdin Stream Campground, 5.2. At the bottom of the Springer Mountain, Georgia, 2160.2. More than two thousand miles. It was simply a number, too large and incomprehensible to have any bearing on me. The farthest I had ever walked in a day was ten miles and that was with a daypack. Now I was contemplating a journey of months, covering thousands of miles. All of a sudden, there on the summit with the clouds screaming past us, it didn't seem like such a great idea.
I turned to my sister, half-expecting to see the same doubt mirrored in her face. But her eyes were shining, and she smiled with an almost feral intensity. It was a look I would come to know all too well over the next year and a half, and it meant, I am going to do this and no one had better try to stop me. 'We're really doing this,' she shouted over the wind's howl and the lashing rain. 'We're hiking the Appalachian Trail!'" At the ages of twenty-five and twenty-one, Lucy and Susan Letcher set out to accomplish what thousands of people attempt each thru-hike the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The difference between them and the others? They decided to hike the trail barefoot. Quickly earning themselves the moniker of the Barefoot Sisters, the two begin their journey at Mount Katahdin and spend eight months making their way to Springer Mountain in Georgia. As they hike, they write about their adventures through the 100-mile Wilderness, the rocky terrain of Pennsylvania, and snowfall in the Great Smoky Mountains--a story filled with humor and determination. It's as close as one can get to hiking the Appalachian Trail without strapping on a pack.

Listen to the Barefoot Sisters read excerpts from their book

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Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir, Adventure, Outdoors, Biography, Nature

480 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2008

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear this took me forever to finish. For a while I thought it would take me as long to finish as it took them to get to Springer Mountain. The book was good, but it was quite long and could only be read in spurts. Lucy and Susan Letcher thru hiked the Appalachian Trail starting in Maine one summer day and emerged at Spring Mountain, GA in March. The girls, known by their trail names, Isis and jackrabbit (AKA The Barefoot Sisters) hiked most of the trail barefoot until winter weather forced them into shoes. The story is told by the POV of both sisters of their adventure along the trail with a colourful tale of those they met along the way, the places they stayed, to the problems they encountered.

This is my 3rd book I have read about thru hikers on the AT. The more I read the more it inspires me to want to "hike my own hike". I am hoping that one day I will be able to do it, but until then I am content with reading about others who have had the pleasure of walking the trails.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the nicest Appalachian Trail adventures I've read so far. The Barefoot sisters have a great way of writing, I loved their adventures. It is quite long, almost 500 pages, so maybe not for everyone. But for people like me who love to read long travel memoirs, it's perfect. And best of all, there's more! Off to start part two..

[Jody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how most books about doing long hikes (the AT, the PCT) make me really want to hike and simultaneously make me think that I'd hate everyone else doing it.

Lucy and Susan (Isis and jackrabbit) seem like a very particular type of girl you'd meet in college - pretentious, privileged, and pseudo-earthy. I enjoyed when I could focus on the descriptions of the trail and the hike without getting too much of their personalities in it.

Their trail romances or crushes were just icky to read about. The juvenile yet oh-so-worldly flirting would be tiresome in real life. Reading about it did not make it more pleasant.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite Appalachian Trail memoir that I have read yet. The Barefoot Sisters' experience was everything I expect my (hopefully future) journey to be. They were not know-it-alls, they weren't arrogant, they were just completely genuine and warm. I can't wait to read their NOBO journey as well!

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Info: Genre: Memoir/Autobiography
Reading Level: Adult (language, adult situations)
Recommended for: Those interested in hiking and hiking culture, memoirs, great stories

My Thoughts: This book is frequently quite hilarious, especially the bits about the Extreme Hiking Maneuvers, the squirrels, and Mr. Shaw's driving, just to name a few. I was initially interested in it because of the hiking barefoot thing; I have always loved to go barefoot, and when I was a kid, by the end of summer I'd have feet like a hobbit from running around on scoria (a type of volcanic rock that is very sharp that we use to gravel the roads in eastern Montana). When I went to university in Fargo, ND, I was frequently found running around campus barefoot in the fall, until eventually the university put up signs forbidding people to come into the buildings barefoot, which annoyed me greatly. The thing about better feeling the world through your feet is really true.

This is quite a long book. My Kindle doesn't keep track of pages, but it estimated my reading time (and it's good at that) at about 11 hours. I'm not sure how it was I found this book, and I'm doubly happy I managed to snag a free copy, because it's now about $12, but I have to tell you, it's really worth the price, a really outstanding story, and now I want the sequel, Walking Home, to hear about their adventures returning from Georgia back to Maine.

There are a lot of important ideas running through this book, mostly about the importance of taking care of one another. I'm sure that not all hikers are as wonderful as they are portrayed in this book, but it does seem that the danger of the hike seems to bring out the best in people, encouraging people to work together for the greater good. The stories of all the generous people that help the hikers along the way were heartwarming. This was just an amazing book, and an amazing story, and I'm so happy I managed to grab a copy. I highly recommend this to all my friends who enjoy a really good story. I find my words are completely inadequate to express my joy in having read this amazing book, so I hope these poor attempts will encourage you to check this book out. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I picked up this book on Amazon during a free promotion. I have never, to my knowledge, interacted with the authors, nor was a review requested. All opinions are my own.

Series Information: Barefoot Sisters
Book 1: Southbound
Book 2: Walking Home

Synopsis: At the ages of twenty-five and twenty-one, Lucy and Susan Letcher set out to accomplish what thousands of people attempt each year: thru-hike the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The difference between them and the others? They decided to hike the trail barefoot. Quickly earning themselves the moniker of the Barefoot Sisters, the two begin their journey at Mount Katahdin and spend eight months making their way to Springer Mountain in Georgia. As they hike, they write about their adventures through the 100-mile Wilderness, the rocky terrain of Pennsylvania, and snowfall in the Great Smoky Mountains—a story filled with humor and determination. It's as close as one can get to hiking the Appalachian Trail without strapping on a pack.

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the sisters account of their southbound hike. HOWEVER... It took me quite awhile to finish the story. I found myself a little (dare I say) bored toward the middle of the book. It's not that their adventure itself was boring, it was more in the details. When the weather started getting bad for them and they became depressed, I think I became depressed for them. Had I not known there was another book of their hike north, I would not have held out much hope for them to finish. They took a lot of risks that could've cost them their lives.

The relationships they formed on the way were not quite as rich as the ones I've read about on other's accounts. They spent a significant amount of time with a group known as "the family" and that whole relationship creeped me out a little, mostly because I was a little "scared" of the father-figure, Paul. The other relationships were mostly with guys and I got tired of all the innuendo.

In conclusion, I do intend to read the next book about their northbound trek. Just not right away.

[gnarlyhiker · Rating 2 out of 5]

They should have added a subtitle: How We Were Looking for Love on the AT. They even ended the book with some other dude & chick getting hitched.

[Charles Daney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was quite a good book, and can't wait to read the sequel (Walking Home). It's the personal journal of two young women, sisters, who hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from North to South in 2000-2001. Both "Isis" and "jackrabbit" (trail names of Lucy and Susan) were fit, athletic, but without a lot of long-distance hiking experience. Their inexperience is fairly typical of many people who attempt "thru hikes" of the trail. However, unlike 80 to 90% of people who attempt to hike the entire trail, these two actually succeeded. (Jackrabbit missed a short stretch of the southbound hike, but completed the whole thing when they turned right around and headed North, as chronicled in the sequel.)

Their choice to hike as much of the trail as possible barefoot, they say, was simply because that's what felt good to them; they were used to going barefoot most of their lives. Some readers of the book attribute this choice to narcissism and a craving for attention. I saw little evidence of that in their written account. There are many people who enjoy barefoot hiking on suitable trails - but the A. T. is certainly not such a trail. Some of the problems the sisters had on their hike could be laid to the lack of footwear - e. g. their slow pace, especially at the beginning. Jackrabbit experienced more physical problems than her sister, even though she was the more athletic of the two (black belt in Taekwondo). Yet (as she tells it) she had more problems with her knees and hips than injuries to her feet.

The best attribute of the book, for me, was the extremely detailed account of what the sisters saw, felt, and experienced on their hike. It is also very detailed about many of the friends they made on the trip, and how these friendships evolved along the trail. I think I got a very clear feeling for what hiking the whole A. T. is like, even though I'm in no way fit enough to do such a thing myself. The trials and tribulations as well as the joys of the trip receive equal attention. It's a better book in this regard (and in my opinion) than Bill Bryson's (A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail), though that has its own, but different, merits.

Some readers are critical of the book, because of its length (almost 500 pages) and what it does not offer that they had expected. It is not a guide book to the A. T., even though it does have some very detailed information on various parts of the trail that could be very useful to any thru-hiker. It is also not a meditation on life, the universe, and everything - or of the wonders of nature, the indomitability of the "human spirit", or the "spiritual" virtues of long-distance hiking. I wasn't expecting any such things, but readers who are will be disappointed. Another criticism is that the sisters seem "narcissistic" because they write so much about themselves. To me, however, that's the whole point of the book: a first-person account of their personal experience - both the good and the bad. It enables the reader to share that experience, vicariously.

The one thing about the book that gives me some pause is that very high level of detail. It's sort of hard to believe that Isis and jackrabbit could have recalled all the details they report, such as exactly how the sky and the forest looked at many places, or the exact words of hundreds of conversations, as well as the tone of voice and facial expressions of the speakers. It's as if they wrote it all day by day, or at least kept very complete journals. Yet they hardly ever mention that they even had a journal with them. It is unsettling to imagine that many of the details presented may be "reconstructions". But if one is willing to suspend disbelief, the narrative is truly engrossing.

[B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every book about hiking seems to devolve into the WHO rather than the WHERE and WHAT of the thing. Southbound is no different.

In the year 2000, two sisters, aged 21 and 25, decide to hike the AT "southbound," that is, starting in Maine and ending in Georgia. They're Mainers, so this makes sense, even though hiking SOBO is much less common and arguably more difficult. It's hard to wrap my head around how much more difficult long haul hiking was 24 years ago. I was only 12 years old; the gear and nutrition available to me these days is definitely better than what they were afforded. As a fellow vegetarian, there's also much more creative ways to get your calories. That said, the Letcher sisters relying on instant potatoes that much seems more like lack of education / curiosity than lack of option.

Lack of education weighs heavily in this book. They're not well-prepared at the beginning, and have difficulty getting into the hiking groove. The book is written by both sisters. We know who is talking because each chapter is headed by their respective trail names. I commend both of them for how honest they are about their difficulties and doubts on the trail. That's not an easy admittance. This book was published in 2009, several years after they completed their hike, but they still hold true to the rawness of emotion when suffering an injury or a particularly bad spell of weather. It would have been easy to allow the distance of years smooth those edges. Keeping them sharp was brave.

The beginning of this book was fantastic. Susan and Lucy Letcher start on Mount Katahdin and plunge into the 100 Miles of Wilderness. Their descriptions of the beginning of the hike are crisp. They describe plants and how the trail felt and what they were thinking and where they rested and what they ate. As we travel with them into New Hampshire and over the White Mountains, the picture stays similarly clear.

But then, like the foggy mind of the exhausted, things start to blur.

Once they get into Vermont, the reader starts losing time and place. Which state are we in? What's the date? The sisters are slow hikers, and take a lot of "zeroes" (days spent off of the trail to resupply, do laundry, etc.), and I found myself completely confused about how much time had passed and where they were. The sisters journaled during their hike, composed plenty of emails (ah, 2000), and also wrote plenty of letters home. It makes no sense to me why they couldn't keep time and place straight for their readers. If you ask me, each time the book changed perspective, there should have been a header including not just the name of the narrator, but also the approximate date range, the approximate distance covered on the trail, and the approximate distance remaining of the whole trail. Oh well.

Since we're not getting much of time and place, what are we getting? We're getting a lot more about the people who are hiking the trail along with them. And a lot of those people? They kind of suck. The guys come across super creepy and sexist, though our sisters play it off as a "boys will be boys." But the thing that really upset me was this one group of hikers known as The Family. The Family consisted of a mother, a father, and their 5 children, the youngest of whom was only 2 years old. The Family hikes just as slowly as the sisters, so they're hiking IN MOUNTAINS IN JANUARY. The patriarch does fun things like preaching religion, burning trash, and proudly proclaiming they don't pay taxes because they don't take anything from the government so the government doesn't deserve anything of theirs (you're on a TRAIL that is maintained using funds that are partially provided by the government, fucko. Also, have you never used a goddamn road before?). It's downright upsetting to read about these children chattering in the frozen wilderness, or that they left the mother and 2yr old behind because the matriarch was so emaciated. Then we hear about how the rest of the children sniffled and sobbed to not have their mother. The sisters record this with an anthropologist's coldness and removal. They don't judge, they don't speak up, and they certainly don't call CPS. Shame on them.

The other Big Problem I have with this book is the attitude of the sisters themselves. Firstly, the gimmick of their hike is that they hiked much of the trail barefoot. Whatever, idgaf except they waste paragraphs whining about how people stopped them all the time to ask after this choice, yelling at the reader "BECAUSE WE LOVE IT," while simultaneously telling us about all the wounds they've had to treat and oh ONE OF THE SISTERS STEPS OFF THE TRAIL FOR MONTHS BECAUSE OF AN INJURY DIRECTLY CAUSED BY HIKING BAREFOOT. They are SO obtuse. They also claim to worship nature while complaining about regulations against stealth camping. If everyone stealth camped, they'd utterly destroy the trail, nimrods. Much of the book devolves into their gripes, and for pages and pages we lose the trail entirely. The most egregious is their moaning that day hikers would frequently stop them to ask after the technical aspects of preparing for and completing such a hike, but then don't divulge those details to their readers. That's the exact sort of information I (and most people, judging by the day hikers' inquires) wanted going into this book. What was your gear on the outset? What did you shed? What were your favorite and least favorite trail foods? Which shelter was best? Which section of trail was the most beautiful / most frustrating? I have answers to none of these, but I've got mini bios of dozens of thru hikers they met, and I couldn't care less.

I'm grateful that any book exists about hiking the AT. It's something we've talked about doing, but I have my reservations about eating processed foods for months on end, and I also don't like to be both cold and wet for prolonged periods of time (one is fine, but both? for weeks? that's rough). But I didn't even get insights into how you manage your period on the trail, or the best hacks for being as dry as you possibly can be after a week of downpours. Instead, I got poems they wrote about the boys they met along the way which, honestly, gag me.

[Scott Foshee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

"Southbound" is one of the best books I have read about long-distance hiking, and I think it is much better than "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed. It not only goes into the accurate technical details of a full Appalachian Trail through hike, but also what the hikers go through during their adventure. We experience the ups, downs, background, and personal thoughts of the hikers, as well as the meaningful relationships they form on the trail, which make up so much of the through hiker experience.

The Barefoot Sisters are two sisters from Maine who hiked much of the 2,100+ mile Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia in 2000 barefoot. They did it not to set some arbitrary record, but because they liked the feeling of experiencing the trail through the additional dimension of how it felt through their bare feet. They did most of the trail in this manner until the snows caught up with them late in the season in Virginia. Being barefoot is just a sidelight, however. The real draw of the story is the honesty of the authors and the day to day trials, tribulations and triumphs of long-distance hikers.

Hikers on the AT adopt “trail names,” alter egos by which they are known on the trail. Through the Barefoot Sisters’ diary-like entries we meet Waterfall, Tuba Man (who carried a brass tuba the entire distance), legendary 1948 through hiker Earl Shaffer, The Family of the North (Maine homesteaders with no last names hiking the entire trail with small children, including a baby) and many others. We go to The Gathering trail conference in West Virginia, where hikers past and present meet for fellowship and to swap stories of their adventures. We experience “trail magic,” the kindness of complete strangers which helps them along their way and which helps renew their faith in the basic goodness of people. We encounter trail romance, camaraderie, hiker box stew, sibling rivalry, trust, periods of self-doubt, and deep friendships. There are life-threatening blizzards, trail shelters with pizza delivery, days when the water runs out, and celebrations of life in trail towns along the way. We also experience what it is like to have an injury and how devastating it can be for a hiker to have to leave the trail for a time after adopting it as her home for many months.

The narrative is written in alternating sections by “Isis” and “jackrabbit” (lower case) – the trail names of authors Lucy and Susan Letcher. In this way we gain greater perspective on their adventures. Over time the story rises above that of a simple travelogue, however, and we take away a number of important lessons for living life well.

“A little technology in the form of a new stove was useful, but I wouldn’t’ know what to do with my evenings if I could get hot water out of a tap whenever I wanted it. Most of all, I would miss the way our simple, vital work bound us as a community, how deeply we depended on each other and how carefully all of us – in spite of our diverse backgrounds and profound religious differences – upheld that trust.”

“’However long I live,’ I thought, ‘I will never again stand on the shore of Sunfish Pond in the fog, on the loveliest day of October, having walked hundreds of miles to get here, without even knowing what awaited me.’”

Whatever path your life follows, the Barefoot Sisters remind us to “hike your own hike.” The trip affects their own lives so deeply that, upon completion of the trail in Georgia, they turn around and do it again, “yo-yoing” south to north. They write about their second adventure in their next book, “Walking Home.”

If you are at all interested in the Appalachian Trail, hiking, or outdoor adventures in general, I highly recommend the well-written and engaging “Southbound.”

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, dangerous, dangerous reading for a former or wannabe Appalachian Trail thru-hiker. You are warned. This should be on the hiker's banned book list if you have the slightest aspiration or desire to abide by the requirements for living in mainstream society. If you do not, then read on with reckless abandon, be inspired and go forth onto that revered and unforgiving path.

I've hiked this wicked and powerful trail twice and am completely - and will forever be - under its spell.

When the chatter turns to AT books, people go on about Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. He didn't finish it (by a long shot) and derided most of his experience and the people he met along the way, which his fine because it was his experience. But his negativity doesn't merit all the attention this book received. There are much better and entertaining books, like this one, Becoming Odyssa, and AWOL on the Appalachian Trail.

These sisters hiked the AT the first time in 2000-2001, 2 years after my inaugural trek. They are great writers and capture so well the energy, magic and pain of the Trail. Some dialogue is silly and campy (pardon the pun) and midway I was thinking 4 stars. But I was a puddle of tears tonight as they described their Springer summit. I went to my map that is always on my wall and traced their path on the meandering red line from Maine down to hilly Georgia (I hiked northbound). I knew intimately every step they described and ache for it constantly. I grinned stupidly with each success they celebrated and shook my head in sympathy with the drudgery of muddy trails, leaky shelters and precarious boulder scrambles.

But these women are tough and hiked most of the trail barefoot and through winter.

They go with the trail names (a trail tradition) "Isis" and "jackrabbit" (lowercase j) and make their pilgrimage with the merry band of trailmates they meet along the way.

This aspect is really fun, because on the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) website there is a link to a photo archive which shows all hikers who made it at least to Harpers Ferry, WV (HQ of the ATC), north or southbound, and got their picture taken for the hiker yearbook. (You can see yours truly if you look for Critter in 1998)
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/about...

I loved looking up the actual hikers the sisters met, and matching the faces with the hilarious and awesome personalities described here.

As every hiker experiences, the women are tested and jackrabbit has a potty mouth when she gets upset, and even Isis has to clamp down a time or two - just an fyi in case you don't like that sort of thing in your AT books.

They are authentic, humble, articulate and committed.
Just as I didn't want either of my AT hikes to end, I didn't want this book to end. But the good news is that these intrepid women turned around and went back north! This is a yo-yo in hiker jargon. Every AT fanatic's dream. Mine too, if I could spare another year in my already unconventional life. Their sequel is Walking Home, which is currently on hold at my local library. Yea!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have probably read Southbound five times since I saw it in the Mason Library in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, somewhere around 2011. It tells the tale of two young women, Lucy and Susan Letcher, who hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2000 barefoot. I once aspired to hike the whole Appalachian Trail, but at the advanced age of 70, have given it up. Southbound reminds me of why I wanted to do it, and why I gave it up.
The Letcher sisters, or Isis (the Egyptian goddess) and jackrabbit, as their trail names went, are incredible writers. The book does an amazing job of describing the mountains, valleys, humps and bumps, trees and rocks of the AT. They bring us the granite mountains and innumerable midges of Maine, the notches of New Hampshire, and the soft, evergreen forests of Vermont. They also write of the camaraderie between the thru hikers, the nights by a campfire, the hundreds of pizzas in towns, and the just plain weird characters they meet out there.
Isis and jackrabbit capture the magic of traveling as our ancient ancestors did, by putting one foot ahead of the other. They also capture the misery of the whole thing: weeks of rain, running out of food, frostbite in the winter, damn near dying in a blizzard, etc.
The book also gives us the sisters' emotional turmoil, of which there is plenty. On the second day out, Isis starts crying, probably from exhaustion. Her sister says, "It would be easier to hike if you'd stop crying." Truer words were never spoken.
It would also be easier to hike if they weren't so competitive with each other. They decided to hike barefoot because they did it as children. It meant they went much more slowly than their compatriots in boots. At times, one or the other sister had to put on shoes. This caused more emotional turmoil and self loathing. All this hoorahrah made me want to smack their heads together and tell them to have a little sense.
Nonetheless, if you like the outdoors and ever wanted to hike the AT or liked hearing about people who did, this book is totally worth your while.

[Molly Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt so swept up in this hike, the joys, the trials, tribulations - and becoming so connected to nature.

[Rob Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great description of the AT experience. This might be my favorite thru-hike memoir yet. While the barefoot hiking is a bit incomprehensible to me, the emotions, sights, and sounds of the trail and trail community definitely resonate. Extremely well written and engaging.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

My seven-year-old daughter decided recently that she wants to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, and she wants to hike it from Maine to Georgia. Her reasoning is that then you get the toughest part of the trail out of the way at the beginning. She and I have talked about the extra challenges of the southbound route (not the least of which is beginning the trek with the Hundred-Mile Wilderness and running the risk of hitting winter in the Smokies if you don't hike fast enough), but she's undeterred. She says we can practice and get stronger and learn more and then we can attempt a family thru-hike when she's 17 and her brother is 13.

Incidentally, I like the southbound route because it's not as well-traveled. Not only am I not keen on the idea of crowded trail shelters, I've read that less of the party atmosphere follows hikers traveling southward than it does those traveling northward. I'd kind of rather avoid the party atmosphere if at all possible, especially hiking with my kids (even though they'll likely be teenagers by the time we hit the trail).

The Barefoot Sisters: Southbound is the first narrative I've found describing a southbound thru-hike. It's helped me to see more clearly the challenges of thru-hiking in general as well as the challenges unique to the southward thru-hike. One thing I know for sure: I have no interest in hiking in the wintertime. I know that regardless of which direction we go, we're going to hit chilly weather. It will still be chilly at night in Maine and then chilly again in the Smokies if we go south, and it will be chilly in the Whites if we go north. Chilly I think I can handle, especially if I'm out in it all the time and become accustomed to it. But blizzards and ice storms? I spent most of my youth living along the California coast. Winter and I are tentative friends at best as it is. I think winter camping would be pushing that relationship beyond the breaking point. Although I suppose that even that's subject to change. We're planning to snowshoe this winter (provided we get enough snow, unlike last year). If we love it, heck, maybe we'll schedule in some winter on our thru-hike.

It was interesting reading about Isis and jackrabbit's perspective, too, because had I gone with the original timing I'd planned for my thru-hike, I would have done it the year after I graduated from college, two years before they did their thru-hike. So they're nearly my contemporaries. As a result, the book had a bit of a "this is what it might have been like had I..." quality for me. I would, however, have been woefully underprepared, and I most likely would not have finished. Even though the sisters' descriptions of the physical toll on their youthful bodies has left me a little nervous about how well my body will do with nearly three decades more wear on it, I think on the balance, my chances of completing a thru-hike will be better at nearly fifty than it would have been when I was 21.

Although not as funny as Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, this book is much more detailed in its depiction of trail life, and it includes the Letcher sisters' original poems, songs, and even an excerpt of their trail romance novel. Southbound exults in the wonder, beauty, and transformative power of the trail while it simultaneously pulls no punches in describing the daily discomforts and dangers of the trail. The result is a vivid and compelling story that leaves me craving the trail even more. I'm so glad they also wrote a book about their hike back home. I'll be picking that one up next time I have the chance and letting both books fuel my fantasies (and nightmares) about thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted here:
http://toesalad.com/reviews/real-life...

The Barefoot Sisters account of their 2000 southbound thru-hike is one of my favorite trail stories I've read so far. Out of all the books on this list it's my personal favorite.

The takeaway I got from reading Isis & jackrabbit's account of their mostly barefoot thru-hike was a sense of "I can do this". Most trail stories I've read, and you can see from this list there's been a few, have inspired me, challenged me, and sometimes overwhelmed me. (Like the Lyme disease section of Davis' book.) Very few have left me feeling confident in my own ability to thru-hike.

So what's so different about The Barefoot Sister's account? A couple things.

I read this book at a period of time in my life having already committed to attempting a thru-hike. With earlier books thru-hiking was a crazy dream of my husband's, a far off, if ever, eventuality.

But I think the most significant reason I felt encouraged by their story is because these sisters knew virtually nothing, at least as it comes across in their writing, about the trail, trail-life, trail-culture, etc. before starting their thru-hike. Their naivety about gear, drop boxes, and distances made me think that someone like me might actually be able to accomplish this feat.

What the Barefoot Sisters had going for them was each other (two are better than one) and a steely resolve and determination to keep going.

The fact that they accomplished most of the hike barefoot was not the part that engaged me most about this book. (They had to start wearing shoes when they hit significant amounts of snow and ice, as their hike extended into the southern Appalachian winter.) Though this part will certainly appeal to those of us who hike in minimalist and lightweight shoes.

The part that engaged me most was the writing. Lucy Letcher and Susan Letcher tell a compelling and honest story about their journey. They share, with compassion and kindness, the quirky ways of the people they meet and the relationships they form along the way. And these people stories, along with the unique element of barefooting, are what make their hike so interesting. In addition, the sister's give us access to their inner and interpersonal struggles with depression, disagreements, loneliness and injury. Conditions that anyone who's human can identify with.

[Robin Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

south - Maine to George; whereas the vast majority of hikers go North. Of course the primary reason for the migration north is the weather. Most thru-hikers walk with (or into summer) spring, avoiding the dangers of winter. Our sisters are starting in Maine in black fly season and hiking directly into winter. They're doing this with the added challenge of attempting to hike the trail barefoot - at least for "as long as it's fun". For me it would be comfortable for about two minutes and I'd have my boots back on. But I don't think the sisters are crazy, they actually enjoy being close to the earth and are willing to patiently train their feet and minds to handle it. This process slows down there progress considerably, including an injury (that could have happened with or without boots) and puts them in the Smoky's in mid February.

Walking south, fighting winter and trail stories is not what sets this book apart. The book is written by two sisters alternating writing a few pages at a time. The reader gets both of their points of view. We get a genuine understanding of the thoughts and emotions of each of the hikers. They're not holding anything back. They're not sugar coating reality. From ranting about the AMC to Jackrabbit (Susan) struggling on an off with what appears to be mild depression. Jackrabbit is younger (just out of college), very athletic with a black belt in Taekwondo and a passion for playing the piano. Iris (Lucy) is a few year older. She feels responsible for her little sister but starts out on the trail feeling inferior - not in the same physical condition as Jackrabbit, she's afraid she will be left behind. Their adventures bring them to the depths of despair. Struggling with real life and death situations, learning to cope with loneliness as well as being engrossed in the beauty of nature and the solitude it allows. You can see them grow in mastery over their own minds and bodies as they approach Georgia. This book is honest and straight forward, filled with tenderness and love; it touches the depth of human emotions.

[Linde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Okay. I just finished this book, so I'm still a bit breathless from the journey. Simply put, I loved it.

The first time I heard about the Appalachian Trail was in Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. It wasn't my favourite book of his and it didn't do much to capture my imagination at the time, but the more I read about the Trail, the more enticing it became. I stumbled upon a recent thru-hiker's blog and the seed was planted: One day, I want to thruhike the AT. Anyway, in one of my bouts of obsession I looked up a couple of books about hiking the AT, and ordered a few. This was one of them.

Southbound made me feel like I was hiking the trail myself. I think it might have made me gain weight because of reading about pizzacravings and needing tons of calories - I hope I made up for it by walking a little extra, inspired by jackrabbit and Isis's adventures. Speaking of which, this book alternates between the recollections of 'Isis' and 'jackrabbit', the authors' trailnames. They both manage to describe their surroundings, the people they spend time with and their own thoughts and experiences very well, in a way that really lets their own personalities shine through. Sometimes I was confused because a certain part didn't seem like jackrabbit, only to realize I had skipped over a change in narrator, and vice versa. It really added another layer to the story for me because, despite being sisters, the two are rather different people with different outlooks on life and thus experienced the Trail in different ways.

Finally, I was a little daunted by how thick the book was when I started. I could only hope it was a good read - and it was. A lot like how the sisters described the Trail, it started off as a daunting task, but when I was almost finished I was hesitant to keep reading because I didn't want their journey to end. Thankfully, there's a part two. This book was both an adventure and a breeze to read.

[Gone Readin' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Katie Lou

My best friend has walked the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, a small portion of the Appalachian Trail and I am green with envy. It’s been my dream since high school to at a minimum take a short jaunt on the Trail, looking for the white blaze marks or to sit for a spell in a lean-to. The next best option for me is to read about others who have spent a part of their life hiking the trail. Sisters Lucy & Susan, aka Isis and jackrabbit made the choice to put their life on hold for a couple months while they thru hike...barefoot...from Maine to Georgia. This book is about gaining tough feet and a tough determination. The women share their experiences with us in a very honest way, whether it’s about overpacking their backpacks, looking for water, meeting fellow travelers who walk their slow barefoot pace, their safety concerns, stealth camping, families wearing kilts, and twisted ankles. The sisters take turns writing chapters, their writing styles differ but flow together beautifully. These women became my friends and I rejoiced with their successes and was nearly as disappointed with their failures. Their friends were my friends and I was sad to say good bye to them. This book made me wonder if I could do it; if I had what it would take to carry everything I would need on my back, hike 10-20 miles a day, walk a mile off the path to fetch water, trust the strangers I would meet daily, all while being ‘nice’ to my hiking companion. I honestly hope I could but I don’t know. I know I would like to try. These women made me think that even I could do it.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barefoot Siters Southbound is, by far, the best book on a hiker's personal experiences of hiking the Appalachian Trail and the fact that they did so for most of it hiking barefoot adds an interesting touch to the entire book. Starting in Maine, their home state, the book makes the reader feel like we are hiking the trail with them. Each sister, Lucy & Susan aka Isis & Jackrabbit, take turns telling their perspective of the hike the emotions of backpacking, highs and lows, the people they meet - strangers who become friends & some who just remain strange - the physical toll that the hike takes, etc. I would be reading, feeling the emotions & the exhaustion the backpacking can cause as if I was there with them - then I'd realize I was tired because it was 2AM and I was still reading trying to get to the next stretch on the trail, the next day of experiences. Hiking in all types of weather, through rugged terrain, alone and with others, running short of food, the Trail Angels......absolutely incredible read!

[Dee Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters hiking the AT. There's a sequel. At New Cumberland.

I enjoyed this rather long book. But it took me a bit to settle into it, and I actually had set it out to return to the library before I decided to give it another chance. Turns out the sisters were serious hikers on the trail, and they had many interesting experiences and some scary ones.

Because they hiked barefoot, they didn't hike fast. They did, however, make it through the sharp rocks and boulders throughout Pennsylvania easier than many in boots. However, because of their slower pace, they ran into winter in Virginia and continued their southbound journey clad in boots.

The winter saga added a bit of drama and danger to their journey and kept me glued to the book.

[Lisette Venselaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een verslag van twee zussen, die samen de AT trail hiken. Het verrassende is, dat ze het op blote voeten doen. Ik dacht gelijk, oh god, dat zal wel een zweverig, hippie achtig verslag worden. Raar, dat je die associatie gelijk hebt, als iemand iets op een wat afwijkende manier doet. Ik werd aangenaam verrast. Het is een leuk, avontuurlijk verslag, in een soort dagboek-achtige manier geschreven. De zusjes vertellen om beurten en geven ook echt ieder een eigen kleur aan het verslag. Het leest als een soort avonturenroman. En #spoileralert er is ook een 2e deel - Northbound (walking home) en dat ga ik zeker ook lezen. Dit boek is een aanrader voor iedereen die graag hike-verhalen leest.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It was pretty amazing to hear their story. I got a bit tired of all the flowery language. Honestly it felt like they picked up the thesaurus and used it waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much. Sometimes the regular word is the best. It kind of detracted from the book as a whole. Also one of the sisters swore a lot and it made her sound less educated. So in short I loved the story but the language I could have done without.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I haven't finished this book and I probably won't. The writing style bothers me - feels immature, with forced dialogue, and too detailed. It's a shame really; I'd like to read the story - but not as it's currently told

[Mandy Allbritton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book and the portrayal of various relationships of everyday hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Made me email my BFF and ask her if she would hike it with me when the kids are grown. :)

[Becki l · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read this for a class in college 😖

Found the description of life on the trail realistic and enjoyed getting to know some of the characters
But gosh these sisters are not people I would be friends with

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little silly and drawn out, but a good hiking story.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining, but not one of my favorite AT through-hiking chronicles.

[Alexis Beshara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that's how you write a travel memoir! I felt so pleasantly surprised at this book written by The Barefoot Sisters. The way they were able to extrapolate their 2,000+ mile journey (barefoot, mind you) in a way that was not boring in the slightest was truly an impressive feat. I have read travel memoirs in the past that were practically unchanged journal entries, and let me tell you, I was bored! Isis and jackrabbit (spelled with a lowercase J) shared their experience hiking The Appalachian Trail in such a way that excited me with every page turn.

At some points I really did feel like I was right there on the trail with them. Not only have I experienced similar adventures through long-distance bicycle touring, but I also love to hike barefoot and have dreamed of thru-hiking the AT since I was a young teen, so I felt very connected to every triumph and challenge, their rainy days and ice storms that seemed to have washed them with apathy and regret, and the way that regret was all too quickly replaced with sheer awe and wonder as they became present in taking in their surroundings again.

Some of the details they captured in their re-telling seemed so minute they would have certainly eluded me had I been the one writing the book, but of course those details gave the story that much more depth and interest. There were moments I had to sit back and wonder 'really, how did they remember this?' and eventually conceded to they had to have kept extremely detailed journals, or they made most of it up. Either way their encounters with other sobos (southbounders), nobos (nourthbounders), and trail angels (and the dialogue produced from those often fleeting relationships), laced with dazzling descriptions of the earthly marvels beneath and around them made for a story that I absolutely devoured.

Looking forward to the journey home in their next book.

[Jordan Hunnicut · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an incredible look at life on the Appalachian Trail in great detail, but it is also a heart wrenching piece on sisterhood, loneliness, struggle and fellowship. The book dives deeply into the individual minds of each sister trekking in a switch off writing style. It takes a dramatic, authentic look at what it took to make decisions together and alone. The rawness of each perspective on love, endurance, and finding oneself among others in the wilderness made for a powerful read. This book simultaneously evoked the feelings of dread and struggle in a way that still captured the beauty of the trail and beauty of finding oneself on the thru-hike. It is humorous, witty, sexy in a wholesome way, and memorable in every way. The character portrayals make you feel like you just made the same friends, developed the same crushes, and developed the same distastes in such relatable characters. These sisters are incredible storytellers. This is a story worth savoring and I’m eager to read the sequel.