Middle-aged, almost 7 foot tall accountant and commodities broker Bill Walker was not your typical thru-hiker in 2005. Yet he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail (AT for short going forward) that year. His book, Skywalker : Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail, tells the tale of a man, the people, a historic trail and the culture that exists only on the AT.
Devouring Books
I’ve got a stack of books sitting on my shelf. They represent my dreams of backpacking, being outdoors and finding myself as I grow through midlife. One such book I enjoyed recently was Skywalker : Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Walker.
I’m a slow reader yet I finished Skywalker much faster than I have most other books. I devoured it! Why?
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Why I Read Skywalker : Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail
I tend to read books that reflect my life and who I see myself being. You’ll usually catch me reading stories of women on the trail or naturalists with a strong advocacy for the outdoor world. It was odd for me to grab this book since I’m a women and I have no immediate plans to hike the Appalachian Trail.
Since it had been on my Amazon list for a while I figured I’d knock it out until Desert Solitaire or Grandma Gatewood‘s Walk came in the mail.
Back to why I devoured this book…
Bill Walker is a relatable person and makes the people on the AT relatable as well. Each story he told of himself was a humbling experience yet he showed such knowledge of topics that fascinate me like history and human interactions.
He wrote of the people he met on trail giving such insight to their character you almost felt like you knew them in the same way he did.
“He introduced himself as Whitewater (he’s an expert kayaker). The girl, his wife, had the trail name of Nurse Ratchet.
‘Now there was hell-bent lady named Nurse Ratchet in the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ I said, ‘but surely that’s not a proper characterization of you.’ I stated.
‘Well, wait til’ you get to know me better,’ she replied.“
Bill Walker
Self deprecating at times. He tends to be brutally honest of his shortcomings and mistakes, this reminds us that we’re all human and can still achieve amazing feets!
“Despite my lack of hiking experience and some serious doubts about my capability for such a monumental journey, I was going to give it my all in 2005 – I would hike the entire Appalachian Trail.”
Bill Walker
I loved how he intertwined history of the AT in with his own narrative, giving depth to the book. He tells short but noteworthy tales of Benton MacKaye “The Father of the Appalachian Trail”, Myron Avery, the person most responsible for the completion of the Appalachian Trail and others who followed later to make news as they completed the 2,181 trek.
Sometimes even more interesting are his descriptions of the trail life itself – days climbing mountain after mountain, wildlife accounts and history, rainy days, freezing nights, amazing views and zero days (days you don’t hike and usually stay in town).
“We were now in eastern Pennsylvania in the worst of the rocks… In the searing sun it was often difficult to see the white blazes on the rocks. The downhills were especially dreadful.“
Bill Walker
Whether you’re a hiker, thru-hiker, backpacker, lover of the Appalachian trail or any trail for that matter you’ll enjoy reading Bill’s account of his trek from Georgia to Maine.
Bill gives a great view of trail life and what to expect, even though he finished in 2005 I feel the same words can be written the same for a hike in 2020.
Grab Skywalker : Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail at Amazon.
Thanks for reading!
~Allie
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