While we're on the subject of through-hiking and good reads, another worthwhile book is "Blind Courage". It's about Bill Irwin, the first (and I believe only, to this day) sightless person to through-hike the AT. He did this in 1990 with his German shepherd guide dog, Orient, and he did it solo. Let me re-emphasize that - alone and blind, hiking 2168 miles over 6 months through some of the most rugged, unforgiving terrain God ever created.

When I first read this book several years ago, I was flabbergasted. Blind Courage is probably one of the most apropos titles ever for a book. It would be an amazing feat if he had done it with a partner or a group, but alone?! To this day, when I'm out on the AT, I'll sometimes think of Bill and his ordeal. I'll close my eyes and try to walk to the next visible landmark I think I've got imprinted in my mind (yep, cheating), and I'll almost always run into or trip over something. After 50 yards at the most. This guy went 2168 miles in that state. Just incredible.

I was so impressed that in 2006, when I read that he was doing a book signing at Amicalola Falls State Park to kick off the AT through-hike season that year, I took my copy and drove 3 hours into the mountains just to get it signed and to shake his hand. Having a blind man sign a book is very cool in itself, but he also had a stamp of Orient's paw print, which he put in each book as well.

Give this book a try - I promise you'll never "see" a simple dayhike in the same light ever again.