Hiking Through: One Man's Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail Paperback – March 12, 2012

One of the best books I have read in a long time. Highly encouraging. And inspirational. I highly recommend it.

A superb telling of unimaginable loss and profound transformation. Whether you seek a great story of through hiking the Appalachian Trail or to be moved by a message of great significance, this book Is for you. You won’t be disappointed!

This one left me feeling tired along the way. Yet, the conclusion gave a sense of fulfillment/goal achievement.To me, Hiking Through is a book for a dedicated reader, with patience and hope. The days on the trail are repetitive and long. The hiker, in this case, seeks spiritual peace. He asks many questions along the way. As is often the case, it seems, the answers were not always clear.I got tired of the repetitive hiking and rests along the way. More importantly, I expected more deep thoughts along the way and fewer physical steps to be recounted. That's the reason for the good minus rating I wanted to give (really 3.9 stars). I think this guy went through a taste of hell on earth prior to hitting the trail. And, I respect and admire the vision and courage that it took to hike through. That's a strong person seeking answers. I'm glad he seemed to find some peace/answers along the journey.The following quotes from the book are some of my favorites."We spend a lifetime working hard to accumulate homes and possessions that we believe are vital for comfort and security, only to discover those material accumulations are quite meaningless in our darkest hour of sadness and need.""Most enjoyable of all was the excitement of meeting new people who were like flowers scattered along the path of my life.""I could have been rich. Instead, I'm happy.""The stresses of life blind us. Our eyes behold, but we do not grasp the greatness of what God placed here for our enjoyment.""Whatever you do, do with your might. Things done by half are never done right.""I was losing my religion out here. And what I lost in religion, I gained in spirituality.""Sometimes it only takes a few kind words to transform someone's day. How can we be too busy to tell the people we most cherish what they mean to us?""Don't forget to live on your journey.""Set goals and hike confidently toward them, one step at a time, and you will fill your life with many realized somedays.""Be grateful for what we have, and make gratitude part of our daily living!"

Very enjoyable read.

Good book.

I just finished my second read through this book. I loved it! It’s a story of one man’s journey through one of the hardest struggles in life and choosing a hard, healthy way of finding himself and cementing his relationship with God by attempting one of the hardest hikes in America. I love that he shared his journey with us. As an avid middle-aged hiker and backpacker, I could totally relate to the daily joys and struggles of being in the wild. I honestly am so impressed that he succeeded. To hike almost 2200 miles is beyond what most of us would ever attempt. And That he finished 91st that year is truly an amazing accomplishment. I enjoyed the day by day journaling, the relationships established, the awe-inspiring moments, the drudgery, and all the details. This was his story shared through his experience. I found it captivating and inspiring. I love the simplicity and honesty revealed in his relationship with God, his past religious experiences, his questions and the new answers he received through his own revelations and through conversations with people. He is a kind soul.His journey is a parallel to life. And I’m thankful for his insight and for taking us on this adventure.I definitely look forward to hiking my own hike, finding more beauty and gratefulness in the journey, and drawing closer to God through every experience.Thank you, Paul, for sharing this incredible journey with us and for your faithfulness to the message God placed on your heart.