A Harrisonburg man has released a book that takes readers to the Appalachian Trail where he shares his encounters with nudists, wild ponies, bears and eccentric thru-hikers.
Author Steve Carpenter is a section hiker who has covered more than half of the trail from Roanoke to Maine, and points in between including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
Referring to trail journals compiled over the past 15 years, he shares his own account to prepare aspiring hikers or to take those who may never hike the trail behind the scenes.
The Allure and Peril of the Appalachian Trail was released today from Falcon Guides, and the paperback includes encounters with wildlife, accidents on the trail, stories of sex and murder and meetings with larger-than-life thru-hikers.
Fellow AT hiker and author Paul Stutzman believes Carpenter’s book has it all: “history, geography, humor, pain and pleasure.” He calls the finished product “trail magic.”
Carpenter told AFP that he was introduced to hiking by a friend in 2004, who was section hiking north from Georgia. Carpenter joined him on a hike of a portion of the AT in the Shenandoah National Park.
“At first I borrowed his equipment but soon I was hooked and got my own gear,” he said.
One of his most interesting encounters was with a shuttle driver, Golden Waldo. Golden Waldo did odd jobs in the summer, including shuttling hikers.
In 2017, Carpenter and his hiking partner, Vince, hired Golden Waldo to take them from Crawford Notch back to Glencliff, N.H., where their car was parked approximately 90 miles away. Golden Waldo arrived in a van “which appeared to be his residence.” There was a mattress in the back and no rear seat. There was a folding chair serving as the passenger seat. It had no seatbelts or other restraints.
The trip was memorable, but not necessarily in a good way.
“I don’t think we’ll call on Golden Waldo when we need another shuttle.”
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Crystal Graham
