Throughout the book, Bryson makes plenty of comments about magnitude and difficulty of the Appalachian Trail. Bryson discusses dangers on the trail, ranging from wild animal attacks to hypothermia. He mentions the discouraging statistics regarding the number of thru-hikers who hike the actually hike the entire trail. These comments seem to prepare the reader for the inevitable; Bryson would never hike the entire trail.
However, the reality that Bryson was not going to hike the entire trail didn’t sink in until Bryson decided to skip the chunk of the trail between Roanoke and Virginia. I found Bryson’s decision to skip this portion of the disappointing because he had invested so much hope in hiking the entire trail.
The worst letdown occurred when Bryson and Katz separate after having hiked over 500 miles together. I had gotten used to reading about Bryson and Katz hiking as a dynamic pair, and their separation was further reminder that they had failed on their original plan to hike the entire trail.
When Bryson described his hikes without Katz, I knew that the adventure wasn’t the same without Katz. Bryson confessed that hiking in small day hikes was wimpy, and I had to agree; day hikes were not part of his original goal.
Therefore, I was happy when Bryson and Katz got back together for the hike in Maine. However, the hike in Maine was challenging in several ways. Katz borrowed Bryson’s money to buy alcohol, even though he was a recovering alcoholic. Fortunately, Bryson was able to forgive Katz for drinking, and the pair was able to enjoy a portion of their hike in Maine.
Initially, I was disappointed that Bryson and Katz didn’t hike the entire trail. I came to realize that the partnership that existed between Bryson and Katz was an accomplishment in itself, and they set an example of sharing and compromise that anyone can learn from.
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