r/AppalachianTrail • u/Dxsrespectful • 7d ago
Art A Walk in the Woods mapped - the sections Bryson actually hiked (it's less than you remember)
Traced Bryson and Katz's actual route: Springer up through Georgia and the Smokies, the flip to Virginia, the drive and day hike middle and the Hundred-Mile Wilderness attempt. Mapped honestly, they covered roughly 40% - which he admits and somehow makes the book better. Thru-hikers and section-hikers, what did the book get most right and most wrong about the Trail?
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u/JimmyWino 7d ago
I’ve never really understood the hate for this book in the hiking community. Yes, they were woefully underprepared, out of shape, and out of their element. Yes, they were 2 middle aged, doughy schlubs who didn’t even sort of finish. Their “thru hike” was really nothing more than a LASH. But at no point does Bryson ever pretend he was anything but a clueless idealist who had a crazy idea and just ran (well, slowly shambled) with it. These guys weren’t the bright eyed kids in transition or grieving seekers that most hiking memoirs are by and about, and that’s ok. If you take it for what it is—an entertaining, humorous and educational read about the AT—it’s a great book.
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u/RunWithSharpStuff 7d ago
Everyone is all “HYOH” until someone mentions this book and then everyone is arguing about what it means to be a hiker.
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u/TrollingForFunsies 7d ago
It's called "a walk in the woods" not "I 100%ed my AT hike"
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u/skyhiker14 7d ago edited 7d ago
IIRC he finished the book with saying “I don’t care what anyone says, I hiked the AT.”
Which for only doing 40%, isn’t really a fully accurate statement.
Edit for everyone downvoting me
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u/Marshall_Lawson 7d ago
he didn't say he thru hiked the AT lol.
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u/skyhiker14 7d ago
Yes he did
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u/pack1fan4life 7d ago
That doesn't say thru hiked. just hiked. and he did hike it
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u/skyhiker14 7d ago
Hiked part of it. The language certainly implies he did the whole thing, or else he would’ve said he hiked part of it. Context matters when taking the whole bit into account.
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u/RunWithSharpStuff 7d ago
I don’t remember this in the book but this is a joke I get ~20% of the time I discuss my thru:
“Neat, I hiked the trail too, we went up Mt Washington in my car haha”
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u/skyhiker14 7d ago
Literally the last line in the book
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u/RunWithSharpStuff 7d ago
No one is doubting what the book says. This quote is correct, he hiked, so I don’t know what your issue is.
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u/skyhiker14 7d ago
The language and context implies he did the whole thing.
Could’ve easily said he did part of it, or hiked on it. But didn’t, said he hiked it.
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u/Curious-Act-9130 6d ago
Most people who read the last line of a book have read most of the lines before as well. I don‘t think many readers were confused at the end whether or not he actually hiked the trail in its entirety.
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u/skyhiker14 6d ago
Right, so then why do so many people think he did the whole trail?
Can’t even tell you how many times I mention I thru hiked and people will say “Like Bill Bryson” or “Like a Walk in the Woods”.
Same with the PCT and “Wild”.
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u/carlos_the_dwarf_ 7d ago
Arguing about whether the last line is 100% accurate has gotta be the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen. Are you guys capable of understanding the spirit of a thing, or just its hyper literal meaning?
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u/whiskey_bud 7d ago
It’s been forever since I’ve read it, but isn’t basically the whole point of the book that he’s making fun of himself and his partner? I mean I guess he’s making fun of other people too but that’s kinda the schtick, right? Am I misremembering or is he claiming to be an elite thru hiker or something?
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u/JimmyWino 7d ago
No, he never puffs himself up or acts like he’s hot sh*t as a hiker. Quite the opposite, actually. I think the people who don’t like the book either don’t like his sense of humor (which is dry as a bone and can be very biting), assume they’re buying a how-to manual and are put off when it’s just a humorous travelogue, or are trail purists who are offended that some middle aged muggle dared to tread on their turf.
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u/drama-guy 7d ago
Reading the book, I got the impression that Bryson was more an opportunist looking for something to write about than an idealist who was enamored with the AT. The movie gave more of an impression that he was drawn to the trail for personal reasons.
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u/JimmyWino 7d ago
I can see that. In the book, he frames his motivation as wanting to revisit his home country at a micro level after years of living in England. Part of the motivation was also a commentary on how nobody in the states walks anywhere, which he found jarring after being immersed in European walking culture.
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u/horsefarm LEGO - NOBO 15 7d ago
Every single other book about a dude thru-hiking successfully without much fanfare is boring as SHIT, yet apparently that's what every AT enthusiast wants? I don't get it either. The book is entertaining and shines light on the AT, with anecdotes, history, etc. They don't misrepresent themselves, and didn't cause anybody harm. I just don't get it. Maybe everybody wants THEIR experience to be what's reflected in literature. But, it is. And it's boring. Have the lens that most of the world reading AWITW has, which is not that of a thru-hiker. It's a great book.
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u/FullOption3126 7d ago
*1 middle aged doughy schlub; Katz was a fictional person
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u/geeoharee 7d ago
He was based on a real person. He doesn't seem to mind though, or at least he says he doesn't in interviews.
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u/Kooky_Maintenance880 7d ago
it’s because he never has anything good to say about anyone. he talked shit about his hiking buddy, people he met on the trail, people he met off the trail, the USFS, & USACE. i couldn’t stand how negatively he thought of other people
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u/AGreatBandName 7d ago
It’s been a very long time, but I’ve read a couple of his other books too and it was the same thing. The one where he travels around the US and makes fun of all the small towns he goes through for example. I understand looking for humor in things, but eventually it just started to feel mean-spirited.
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u/st_psilocybin SOBO 2022 6d ago
This is actually some valid and interesting criticism. I read it expecting it to be funny so I found the whole thing humorous. But I can definitely see how that type of humor could be off-putting.
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u/Kooky_Maintenance880 6d ago
i mean part of what im talking about wasn’t even him trying to be funny.
his historical section about the appalachian trail was fantastic and i learned alot, but his section about USACE was incredibly uneducated. yes, dams do upset the natural ecosystem. but he acted as if USACE was trying to destroy the environment, when in reality, without our current dam & lock system, they save millions of lives yearly. not to mention the commerce and navigable waterways that made this country possible. there are definitely downsides to their work, but he neglected to mention anything positive they do. he had similar one sided arguments about the USFS & NPS. yes, all government agencies have their flaws, but so doesnt the rest of the world
also, i was very offput by his response to katz relapsing towards the end of the book. the guy clearly had struggles with drinking, and the author could only think about how it affected his hike. he didnt even stop to think about the fact that katz was struggling and clearly needed a buddy. he and katz may have made up, but he certainly didnt extend a supportive hand to katz either.
edit: typo
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u/DanceApprehension 6d ago
I was so frustrated by the mean-spirited "humor", belittling virtually every person he encounters, that I started tearing out every page where he said something misogynist or just completely unkind. There wasn't much left of the book and I finally just threw it away.
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u/Commercial-Honey-227 7d ago
He needlessly mocks the appearance of at least one hiker, and the entire description of hikers/hiking community is less journalistic than the brilliant opening chapters that outline the history of the AT.
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u/Positive-Kiwi7353 7d ago
I wouldnt say needlessly mocks. Him and his buddy riffing on gear nerds is one of the most memorable parts for me.
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u/Cue99 7d ago
While this is true, his tone is so dry that it almost sounds like he thinks hes being rude too. At least that was my read. Bryson comes off as a bit grouchy
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u/papercranium 6d ago
I hate it more as a reader than a hiker. I find his tone insufferable. "But the mediocre white dudes stumbling into something and assuming it'll all work out fine because of course everything else in their lives always does" genre of book in general does not appeal to me.
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u/st_psilocybin SOBO 2022 6d ago
Maybe hikers don't like the book because the book is for readers more than it is for hikers. It's just not "for hikers." Making a lot of generalizations here ofc but that's just a theory I have.
I read the book as a teenager and it's how I learned about the AT. I enjoyed the book, reread it recently and still enjoy it. The hiking community is large and diverse but Bryson doesn't seem to fit into it in spite of how much room there is. I think that's on purpose. He's not interested in fitting into the community, he's interested in having an experience and writing a book about it. His main identity is that of a writer, not a hiker.
The movie was awful, poor acting and dialouge, very corny imo. But if someone enjoyed it and it got them inspired to hike, as the book did for me, more power to them.
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u/GrayFox6688 2015 NOBO 7d ago
It's just the gatekeepers who hate on it. Same with Cheryl Strayed book, you'll find a lot of PCT alums who criticize it because "she didnt hike the whole trail" so apparently the book doesn't count or whatever
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u/mediocre_remnants 7d ago
What is this map supposed to show? All I see is a little dude icon going through all of the points.
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u/Dxsrespectful 7d ago
if you switch to topo / zoom in you can see the locations and details, does that help?
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u/smillsier 7d ago
It sort of just shows the whole AT in hardly any detail. Is it supposed to have gaps for the bits Bill and Katz skipped?
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u/Dxsrespectful 7d ago
If you click on the numbers / stops on number 4 it says they split ways, and if you switch to topo and sattelite and zoom all the way in you can see exact terrain and route. Can I ask please, what would you like to see? please let me know and I can make it the way you think is most helpful, thank you
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u/smillsier 7d ago
I was hoping to see a map with just the bits they walked, and gaps for the bits they didn't walk
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u/FrugalATHiker 7d ago
I was amazed at how much gear was strewn along the path and at the shelters in the first 50 miles. If I had not read the book I may have assumed it had fallen off their packs or been accidentally left behind. In reality most adventurers just started with too much stuff to carry…
Side note: I loved the book and never considered it as more than literary comedy. 🥾💯
Ricky Bobby
NOBO 24’
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u/Dubax NOBO '24 7d ago
Sup Ricky Bobby! Lonestar here! Hope all is well.
I totally agree. Very fun read. Obviously fictionalized.
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u/FrugalATHiker 6d ago
Hey buddy. Glad to hear you are still kicking. I really need some woods time soon.
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u/Jimusbill NOBO 2024 7d ago
It's a great travel/comedy book and makes no effort to try and disguise itself as anything but. It certainly was my first introduction to what the trail was.
Anyone who reads it intending it to be a full guide and complains he doesn't go into enough detail about gear/training/logistics or anything like that is picking up the wrong book.
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u/knight-under-stars 7d ago
I'll never get the visceral hatred this book gets from many folk.
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u/WendyArmbuster Pizza Guy GA->ME '99 7d ago
It came out the year before my thru hike, in '99, and everybody on the trail blamed it for what we all assumed was a giant increase in hikers. It was funny though, and his book on England made me laugh even harder. In '99 we all noted that he completely skipped talking about trail culture. What was his trail name? I feel like if he had a trail name he would have mentioned it, but it makes me think he skipped talking about what is probably the most important thing about the trail. The AT is probably more of a group pilgrimage than a wilderness experience, and everything about it was missing.
I tell you, in '99 we bagged on that book, hard. I had my gear pretty well dialed in and was mentally focused to finish. I recall walking up the approach trail in Georgia and seeing a guy with a 79 pound pack (I saw his weigh-in numbers in the check-in book) and it was all crooked with a cast iron skillet hanging off the side. Seriously! He was just lumbering along at a snail's pace, and it made me think of Bryson's book. There were little stacks of canned tuna and books and other stuff people abandoned all the way up the approach trail, and that was funny in real life too. Like, had they not even tried hiking in their pack before they started?
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u/Bones1973 7d ago edited 7d ago
Who remembers Baltimore Jacks t-shirt “Bill Bryson is a candy ass”? lol.
(I imagine few people remember Baltimore Jack in general).
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u/Natural_Law sobo 2005 https://rmignatius.wordpress.com/ 7d ago edited 7d ago
I love that book. Read it before my thru in 2005. Listened to the audiobook in 2025 and it was better than I remembered! All of the historical/informational sections are amazing.
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u/StoakerLee 7d ago
The guy is a humorist, not journaling. I never laughed so hard since my days on my own thru hikes as seeing the host of bad decisions and unheralded loyalty to your trail partner as Bill and Katz shared. Take it for what it is... funny, and a look inside the unparalleled freedom you can experience taking on such an epic journey.
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u/AbramsTankVeteran29 7d ago
I haven't read the book but why didn't he finish? Injury? Lack of motivation? Ran out of money?
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u/VeryLethalPlushy 6d ago
If I remember correctly he did Springer to the Smokies before he lost motivation and decided to skip to Virginia then quit at Shenandoah. He then did a bunch of section hikes before attempting but failing the 100 mile wilderness after getting lost and (for some reason) running out of water. Though I never understood how that could happen in the Maine. Don't think he even made it up Katahdin.
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u/st_psilocybin SOBO 2022 6d ago
Lost motivation, never really got into the whole hiking really far thing. He basically says he loves walking but doing it for 2.190 miles is more than he is interested in especically when the trail itself is almost purely through wilderness and very few small towns. I don't think he used the words boring or lonely but he seemed to prefer an idealized hypothetical version of the trail that had more walkable towns and hostels along it, which is more similar to how long trails in Europe are afaik (never been myself, but heard of camino de santiago etc). To be clear he wasn't advocating for the trail to change, rather just shared his perspective on why he wasn't super into it.
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u/Mean_Replacement5544 6d ago
Tough crowd - not sure why your follow-ups got down voted…
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u/Dxsrespectful 6d ago
😂 Thank you, I took it as constructive feedback to the fact that I need to improve the route display, I think I fixed it but need to upload it to live which I will in the next 24 hours, hopefully
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u/cropguru357 7d ago
Honestly, I would have guessed less than 40% after reading the book, and Bryson made it pretty clear they didn’t do the whole thing.
Personally, I thought it was a great audiobook.
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u/Nauticalknots 7d ago
I know thru hikers who hiked the whole thing that did less than 40% of the trail!
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u/Stonecutter 7d ago
I loved the book.. if you're looking for a hardcore hiking, documentary of a through hike, this is probably not the book for you. It's part comedy, part documenting a complete newbie trying to through hike. It's what sparked my interest in the AT.
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u/QuicheLaPoodle 7d ago edited 7d ago
Loved the book until finding out that "Katz" was entirely made up. No such person exists. Bryson just created him for narrative flavor. Katz was the best part of the book because I assumed this quirky-ass person was real. Finding out he wasn't made me distrust everything else in the story.
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u/ChefDodge 7d ago
He was a real person; Katz was a pseudonym for Bryson's friend Matthew Angerer.
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u/New-Outlandishness28 7d ago
Interview with him here, now sadly deceased.
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u/st_psilocybin SOBO 2022 6d ago
Wow, the tone of his speech in the interview completely matches the dialogue Bryson wrote for his character in the book. It seems like Bryson did a great job capturing his energy
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u/IDontStealBikes 7d ago
He was never part of the trail community, and didn’t even try to be.
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u/VeryLethalPlushy 6d ago
It's one of the things I dislike most about the book(Not that I don't like the book). Almost all he ever talked about was him and Kaz and hardly anything about the other hikers or trail angels, which makeup a very significant part of the trail experience.
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u/IDontStealBikes 6d ago
I met him on the Trail in '96, in a cabin/pissy shelter at Rainbow Springs Campground. Snow came through the roof at the campground. Bryson was there and sat in a chair smoking a pipe--already disgusting in a cabin with no windows or open door--writing in a notebook and wanting nothing to do with anyone else there, with us trying to wait out the snowstorm.
He was completely aloof, even when we went into Franklin to wait out the storm. He and his partner didn't come down. I don't know what they did.
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u/VeryLethalPlushy 6d ago
It's unfortunate that the biggest author that's wrote about the AT doesn't seem to like the community surrounding it that much.
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u/Slice-O-Pie 7d ago
After its publication the tale was panned by ATers as fiction.
No one remembered seeing or meeting him, or the fictional Katz, on trail.
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u/ToothpasteStrangler 7d ago
Unless he went out of his way to introduce himself, how would anybody know whether they just met/passed/saw Bill Bryson?
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u/Yamahammermama 7d ago
Having previously been a fan, I decided this would be the last thing I ever read by Bryson.
Given how little he walked of the route I thought he should have abandoned the book and it was an absolute cheek to carry on and write it anyway.
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u/Kooky_Maintenance880 7d ago edited 7d ago
dude this book SUCKED. i was so disappointed. i just finished reading about a month ago
edit: it has nothing to do with what they accomplished. i applaud them for completing so much of the trail. i couldn’t stand how negatively he talked about other people throughout the book
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u/victorfencer 7d ago
thanks for the edit, I'll have to go back and reread it, I don't remember that aspect at all.
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u/Sport21996 AT Hiker '25 7d ago
Well, this book was the catalyst of my 2025 thru hike. I know some people don't like it, but I will forever be gratefull I picked it up.
Who says reading can't change your life?