Walking North

Walking North is a story of discovery, a story of realizations that come slowly but gradually to one who doesn't even know he is looking for anything. Mic and Jerrianne Lowther, with 10-year-old daughter, Kyra, start optimistically one first day of spring to walk from Georgia to Maine along the Appalachian Trail. The path is more than 2,000 miles long and follows the very crest of the Appalachian Mountains. All uphill, hikers say, in either direction. They walk through the usual elements a backpacking adventure brings - snow, rain, wind, cold, heat, swarming bugs. Through bogs, rocks, mud, river crossings, up 400,000 feet of elevation gain and back down, and just enough pleasant and easy walking to keep going around the next bend. And from Georgia to Maine, the backdrop is mountain scenery - vivid, spectacular, ever-changing. Bears, skunks, mice, porcupines, and raccoons invade their camps, along with a colorful assortment of hikers making their way casually, methodically, or obsessively toward Maine. Walking North is a thoughtful narrative, descriptive at times, touching at others, and humorous throughout. It is the story of a family working through the day's problems, of understanding personal differences, and of slowly discovering one's place in the natural world.