★★★★★ 5
A community 3 feet wide and 2650 miles long
Format: Paperback
One of the aspects of long-distance backpacking on our National Scenic Trails that those who haven't done so are generally unaware of is the tight-knit sense of community that binds hikers together, even hikers who've never met. These folks are average people with a vast range of life experiences and circumstances, and not simply a generic array of "professional hikers" involved in some sort of athletic competition. In the "real world," you can know someone for years without *really* knowing them at all, but on the trail, a single day can feel like weeks, and months can feel like years. You can bump into someone in the morning, and have a new "old friend," soulmate, or savior by the end of the day.
In "Journeys North," Scout brings this community to life on the page vividly and emotionally, drawing us into not just his own life and experience, but of many others in his trail family- all making that journey north in a literal way collectively, as well as in their own personal ways figuratively. Along the way, he relates the highs and the lows of not just life on the trail, but of life in the "real world" as well. It's a crash course in empathy, determination, and sometimes just plain stubbornness.
When I received the book and flipped through it quickly, I was at first surprised at the lack of photos- just a single page at the end with a handful of shots of the "main characters." But as I read the book, I quickly realized that Scout's richly descriptive prose paints a far better picture than any actual pictures could, and was grateful for the space he made for my imagination to play a part in his story.
While no book could ever substitute for the actual experience of hiking a long trail, "Journeys North" serves as great inspiration for those who aspire to, as well as reassurance for their friends and family that they won't simply be disappearing into the wilderness alone.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2020
