The Trail Is the Teacher: Living and Learning on the Appalachian Trail

by Clay Bonnyman Evans

Clay Bonnyman Evans — aka Pony — set out on the Appalachian Trail in March 2016, intending only to walk as far as he could get by Memorial Day. But once he got started, he fell in love with the trail, the terrain and, most of all, his fellow thru-hikers, and he knew he’d go crazy if he didn’t finish. The Trail is the Teacher is the story of his inadvertent flip-flop journey, the people he met, the trials and triumphs he walked through, and the many lessons the trail has to teach. Written with wry humor, deep reverence for the land, and love for the hiking community, this vivid memoir reveals how engaging with people in the wilderness can ease the human heart and restore hope. A former reporter, editor and columnist for such publications as the Los Angeles Times and (Boulder) Daily Camera, Clay Bonnyman Evans is now a freelance writer living in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Boulder, Colorado. He has been a guest the popular hiking podcasts Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail and Backpacker Radio and is a frequent contributor to The Trek (thetrek.co). Prior to hiking the AT, he completed the Colorado Trail. Since finishing the AT, he has hiked numerous trails, including the Foothills Trail, Alabama Pinhoti Trail and the pilot trail of the Great Plains Trail in South Dakota and Nebraska. His previous book, "Bones of My Reclaiming a Lost Hero of World War II" has been an Amazon bestseller in several categories, including Military History. “War, reclamation, and what Tim O'Brien called "the Lives of the Dead" are eternal literary themes for men. Clay Bonnyman Evans has honored that lineage with this masterful melding of military history and personal quest.”—Ron Powers, co-author of New York Times #1 bestsellers Flags of Our Fathers and True Compass, along with No One Cares About Crazy People and others

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2020

Reviews

[Terzah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining trip on the Appalachian Trail, complete with bear sightings, Lyme disease, lots of swimming, steep climbs, hard rain, and an excellent cast of colorful characters met along the way. I could have done with fewer passing mentions of people whom neither the reader nor the author sees more than once. But I loved the glossary at the end. Anyone contemplating a through-hike of a long trail should read this book.

[robert detzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank You!

As you think often about your experience on the trail, I'll often remember your great narrative. I'm a retired Marine who had a stroke and have lost some vision. I'm working to regain some of my independence through backpacking. Your book has been an outstanding experience.