What do you think?
Rate this book
Ordinary Magic: A Father-Son Journey on The Colorado Trail
A Real-Life Epic Adventure
Awoken at 3:00 a.m. by a loud voice in his house, fantasy author Todd Fahnestock grabs his Viking sword and creeps downstairs to do battle with an intruder…
…only to find his 14-year-old son talking on the phone, wide-awake on a school night. Todd loses his temper, confiscates the phone and storms out of Dash’s room only to have a sudden, remorseful realization…
Not only was that a bad dad move, but he’s running out of time to make any good dad moves. The boy is growing up.
The thought consumes Todd’s mind, and a plan forms to hike The Colorado Trail.
On July 13, 2020, in the year of COVID-19, Todd and his son embark on an unforgettable trek through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. They encounter breathtaking vistas, new friends, hardships, hunger, wild animals, and a death-defying flight from lightning. Hearts open and minds change, and their 450-mile journey becomes more than either of them could ever have imagined.
Awoken at 3:00 a.m. by a loud voice in his house, fantasy author Todd Fahnestock grabs his Viking sword and creeps downstairs to do battle with an intruder…
…only to find his 14-year-old son talking on the phone, wide-awake on a school night. Todd loses his temper, confiscates the phone and storms out of Dash’s room only to have a sudden, remorseful realization…
Not only was that a bad dad move, but he’s running out of time to make any good dad moves. The boy is growing up.
The thought consumes Todd’s mind, and a plan forms to hike The Colorado Trail.
On July 13, 2020, in the year of COVID-19, Todd and his son embark on an unforgettable trek through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. They encounter breathtaking vistas, new friends, hardships, hunger, wild animals, and a death-defying flight from lightning. Hearts open and minds change, and their 450-mile journey becomes more than either of them could ever have imagined.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 4, 2021
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Todd Fahnestock
47 books81 followersTODD FAHNESTOCK is a fantasy/sci-fi author of the bestselling Tower of the Four, Threadweavers and The Whisper Prince series. He was a winner of the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age, a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in 2021 for Tower of the Four: The Champions Academy, and a finalist in the Colorado Authors League Writing Awards for the past two years, for Charlie Fiction and The Undying Man. His passions are fantasy and his quirky, fun-loving family. When he’s not writing, he teaches taekwondo, swaps middle grade humor with his son, plays Ticket to Ride with his wife, scribes modern slang from his daughter and goes on morning walks with Galahad the Weimaraner. Visit Todd at www.toddfahnestock.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 11, 2021
Brilliantly and beautifully written. "Ordinary Magic" is far more than a moving tale about a father-son hiking venture. As he confronts the challenges of the trail, Todd realizes much of how he thinks and acts is due to his painful childhood experiences. In the telling, he opens his heart and soul and lays bare those painful truths that had hovered over his life.
In his note in the afterword, Todd cuts to the essence about what the 450+ mile trek through the heart of the Colorado Rockies was ultimately about. It was, unbeknownst to him at the time, a coming-of-age venture for not only his then 14-year-old son, which is to be expected, but also for him, a 50-year-old man. Never too late great life lessons.
As Brene Brown teaches, true courage is completely contingent upon one's willingness to be vulnerable. And that Todd showed with his son and the mountains but also now with us, the readers.
Nonfiction magical realism at its best.
In his note in the afterword, Todd cuts to the essence about what the 450+ mile trek through the heart of the Colorado Rockies was ultimately about. It was, unbeknownst to him at the time, a coming-of-age venture for not only his then 14-year-old son, which is to be expected, but also for him, a 50-year-old man. Never too late great life lessons.
As Brene Brown teaches, true courage is completely contingent upon one's willingness to be vulnerable. And that Todd showed with his son and the mountains but also now with us, the readers.
Nonfiction magical realism at its best.
September 25, 2021
This was such a great book! I’ve read probably two dozen hiking books mainly about the AT or PCT but this one captivated me. It might be because o was born in Farmington, NM and grew up in Durango, CO so I always do the backpackers coming off and on the CT. I thought I’ll do that some day. Haven’t done it yet but I’m in the planning stages and it’s turning out to be a family deal. My daughter will be coming home from Japan in 2023 and leaving the Marines, it’s going to be the perfect time for all of us to hit the trail. This book inspired me beyond my wildest expectations and I can not wait for the adventure to start. This book was my favorite hiking book this far! A quick, easy read.
May 11, 2021
Having met Todd and his son Dash on trail, I loved weaving together the pieces of their journey that happened before or after we met. My favorite moment to read and discover was the incident with their bear spray, which had me laughing out loud. This book was a delight to read, especially for aspiring, past, or present thru-hikers!
July 14, 2024
This is a phenomenal biography, compelling, honest, and powerful. I love how forthright the author is with sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of this adventure. The author's gift as a storyteller is matched only by the poignancy of the personal story he shares. This is a memoir I'll be recommending for a long time.
January 21, 2025
highly recommend reading
Guest book. Written from an established author. Great story of the Colorado trail hike with all that can go wrong and beauty to compensate to make it all worth it.
Guest book. Written from an established author. Great story of the Colorado trail hike with all that can go wrong and beauty to compensate to make it all worth it.
March 28, 2021
Highly enjoyable, candid, and insightful read that may lead to some reflection about your upbringing, your parenting, and your values. Once you start, you won't be able to stop reading this book.
January 7, 2024
What an adventure!!!
This was such a brilliant retelling of your adventures on the CT. It brought me smiles, chuckles and tears as well as a gasp or two. Thank you for sharing your journey. What a great father son adventure, truly a coming of age story. Always a relief to know we can still grow despite our age. Having grown up with Carla, Lara and Brian, your retelling of their experiences was like going back to my childhood. Thank you for sharing and as always, what as great read Todd!
This was such a brilliant retelling of your adventures on the CT. It brought me smiles, chuckles and tears as well as a gasp or two. Thank you for sharing your journey. What a great father son adventure, truly a coming of age story. Always a relief to know we can still grow despite our age. Having grown up with Carla, Lara and Brian, your retelling of their experiences was like going back to my childhood. Thank you for sharing and as always, what as great read Todd!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews